Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
These soft, spiced gingerbread whoopie pies are perfect for the holiday season. They bring the flavor of gingerbread into the classic whoopie pie.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are a delicious twist on classic gingerbread cookies, filled with a creamy cream cheese filling.
They are easy to make and taste delicious, making them the perfect addition to cookie exchanges or adding to the Christmas party dessert table.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure your flour by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
Seasonings & Spices: You'll use ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt in these cookies.
Baking soda: Make sure your baking soda is fresh for the best results.
Brown sugar: If possible use dark brown sugar to add a bit more molasses flavor. Light brown sugar also works, but the cookies will have a slightly lighter flavor.
Unsalted butter: Make sure to pull out your butter about 30-60 minutes before starting so it has time to come to room temperature. Used in both the cookie and the filling.
Molasses or sorghum: Molasses gives the cookies their rich, deep flavor.
Crystallized ginger: This adds a chewy texture and a burst of ginger flavor.
Egg: Pull these out of the fridge at the same time you pull out the butter.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with a mixture of milk and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.
Vanilla extract: If possible, use pure vanilla extract. This is used both in the cookies and the filling.
Powdered sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to avoid lumps.
Cream cheese: Make sure it's softened, or it can be harder to blend.
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, salt, cloves, and baking soda.
Set this dry mixture aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, molasses, and crystallized ginger until well combined.
Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 48 hours, to let the dough firm up.
Once the dough has chilled, roll it into balls about 1 tablespoon each, or roughly 35 grams per ball.
Space the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up and just starting to brown around the edges.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, make the cream cheese filling.
Beat the powdered sugar and butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Gradually add the softened cream cheese in small cubes, mixing until smooth after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter).
Once the cookies have cooled, spread or pipe a generous amount of the cream cheese filling onto the flat side of one cookie.
Top with another cookie to form a sandwich.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here are some tips for making these Gingerbread Whoopie Pies:
Chill the dough: Allow the cookie dough to chill for at least 1 hour (up to 48 hours). This helps the flavors develop and makes the dough easier to handle when rolling into balls.
Use a cookie scoop: To make sure you get uniform size and even baking, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough.
Don’t overbake: Keep an eye on the cookies while they bake. They should just be set and slightly golden around the edges. Overbaking will make them less soft.
Make the filling in advance: You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. This can save you time on baking day.
Freeze the cookies: Freeze the cookies without the filling for up to 3 months, then fill and assemble them fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Leftovers/Storage
Store leftover Gingerbread Whoopie Pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
You can freeze the cookies (without the filling) for up to 3 months; just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then thaw before filling.
F.A.Qs.
Why are my cookies flat instead of puffy?
If your cookies are flat, your dough may have been too warm when baking or you didn’t chill it long enough. Make sure to refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
You can substitute buttermilk with ¼ cup milk and ¼ tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a few minutes before using it in the recipe.
How can I prevent the filling from spilling out when I assemble the pies?
Make sure to spread the filling generously, but not too thickly. If the filling is too loose, refrigerate the assembled pies for a few minutes before serving to help it set.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Gingerbread Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 8 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ cup molasses or sorghum
- 3 Tablespoons crystallized ginger finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
- 6 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted will both work fine, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
- Melt 1 stick of butter and let cool slightly.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, salt, cloves and baking soda, set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, molasses, and crystallized ginger until combined. Add in egg, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add in flour mixture and stir using a rubber spatula until dough comes together.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 48 hours).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, using parchment paper, line 2 baking sheets. Roll dough into balls, roughly 1 tablespoon each. Each ball should be around 35 grams, if you have a kitchen scale. Space balls evenly, about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake cookies until just set, 12-14 minutes. Watch cookies closely, they should be puffed and just starting to brown around the edges.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Cut softened cream cheese into 6-8 cubes and add 1 cube at a time, blending completely after each addition. Beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter).
- Spoon or pipe a generous amount of filling on the flat side of 12 cookies, top with remaining 12 cookies. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
