Description

These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are soft, spiced, and filled with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting, perfect for a festive holiday treat. Using a blend of warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, these moist whoopie pies offer the perfect balance of sweetness and spice, with the richness of molasses and a tender crumb enhanced by oil for a delightful texture.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Gingerbread Whoopie Pies:

½ cup (112 g) neutral oil
⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (73.33 g) brown sugar
⅓ cup (75 g) molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 g) buttermilk, room temperature
2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Combine wet ingredients and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add the molasses, egg, vanilla extract, and room temperature buttermilk, mixing well until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
Add dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the wet mixture. Stir carefully to combine, being cautious not to over mix to keep the batter tender. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld and dough to firm up.
Preheat the oven and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
Shape and arrange dough balls: Using a measuring spoon or small cookie scoop, portion the chilled dough into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls. Place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets to allow room for spreading.
Bake the cookies: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they are firm around the edges but still soft in the center. Remove from oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat together the room temperature cream cheese and salted butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and cinnamon, continuing to mix until the frosting is silky and free of lumps.
Assemble the whoopie pies: Spoon approximately 1½ tablespoons of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting onto the bottom side of one cookie. Gently press another cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat until all cookies are paired and filled. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.

Notes

The texture of these whoopie pies is best with neutral oil, but you can substitute melted butter if preferred for a slightly richer flavor and different texture.
The recipe uses both cups and grams for ingredient measurements; grams provide a more precise measurement, especially important for flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to avoid packing.
Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is essential for flavor development and easier handling.
Ensure the cookies are completely cooled before frosting to prevent the cream cheese filling from melting.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 whoopie pie
Calories: 260
Sugar: 21g
Sodium: 150mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 1.5g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 35mg