Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting (Inspired by Charm)

These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting are a delicious dessert recipe to kick off Pumpkin Spice season!

It's officially September, so we can start talking about all things fall, right? Ready or not, I've teamed up with some blogger friends to do just that. We're celebrating our Tastes of the Season series with all things pumpkin!

That's why I whipped up these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting. And if that's not enough pumpkin goodness for you, there are 19 more recipes linked up at the end of this post. From savory to sweet, I'm certain you'll find something to love.

How to Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

In case you've never had a whoopie pie, it's two soft cake-like cookies sandwiched together with frosting. As Ina Garten would say, "How bad can that be?" Whoopie pies are traditionally made with chocolate cookies and white frosting, but I decided to shake things up a bit for fall.

For the cake-like cookies, I went with a pumpkin flavor. Canned pumpkin and lots of seasonal spices create a rich taste of fall. I also busted out my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe because it goes great with pumpkin. (You only need a half batch of frosting for this particular recipe.)

To amp up the frosting flavor, I whipped in salted caramel sauce and an extra pinch of salt. It's a quick little addition that makes the filling for these whoopie pies extra special. And it pairs beautifully with the pumpkin. I used a store-bought salted caramel sauce. (It's often near the ice cream toppings in the grocery store.) However, you can make your own, if you prefer.

For more visual interest and flavor - and a bit of crunch, I rolled half of the whoopie pies in chopped pecans. I couldn't resist putting all the flavors of fall in one delicious whoopie pie. Yes, please!

If you want to give these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies a try, you'll find the recipe below. Enjoy and happy baking!

If you liked this pumpkin recipe, you'll love these:

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

These Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting are a delicious dessert recipe to kick off Pumpkin Spice season!

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup vegetable shortening ((Crisco))
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin

Filling

1/2 Cream Cheese Frosting recipe
1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Chopped pecans (optional)

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the pumpkin.
Drop rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Bake 10-11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
In the meantime, prepare 1/2 batch of My Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting* recipe. Once prepared, beat in 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce and an additional 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat until incorporated.
Once the cookies are cooled, spread (or pipe) the frosting onto the bottom of half of the cookies, then top with remaining cookies. (Optional: Roll the frosted edges of the cookies in chopped pecans.)
Store whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

*You can print the recipe for my Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting HERE.

Tastes of the Season Blogger Recipes:

Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Ella Claire | Pumpkin Pie Baklava by A Burst of Beautiful | Keto Pumpkin Cranberry Scones by Home Stories A to Z | Baked Pumpkin Donuts by Boxwood Avenue | Nutella Pumpkin Spice Croissants by Craftberry Bush

Pumpkin Honey Butter by Tidy Mom | Pumpkin Peach Smoothie by Nesting with Grace | Orange Pumpkin Pie by So Much Better with Age | Pumpkin Sugar Cookies by Zevy Joy | Pumpkin Spiced Rooibos Latte by Farmhouse on Boone

Pumpkin Bread Pudding by Love Grows Wild | Mini GF Keto Pumpkin Cheesecakes by The Chronicles of Home | Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Muffins by Anderson Grant | Pumpkin Butter Goat Cheese & Bacon Appetizer by Nest of Posies | GF Pumpkin Muffins by Maison de Pax

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies by Inspired by Charm | Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo by Town and Country Living | Pumpkin Souffle by My Sweet Savannah | Mini Pumpkin Pies by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | Pumpkin Spice Waffle Recipe Dessert Bar by Summer Adams

The post Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Inspired by Charm.