Another season. Another reason. For makin’ whoopeeee.

Pies, that is.

Whoopie Pies. They are not really pies. They’re more like cookies with a filling. Actually the cookies are more like cake than cookies. Kinda.

Yeah, I don’t know what they are. But I know I like ’em.

I had never made whoopie pies until this venture, but I’ve always wanted to. I had no idea what I was missing. Well, I had a little bit of an idea what I was missing. I mean two cookies/cakes with a creamy filling… how can that not be a good thing? Today’s recipe is basically a cookie/cake/pumpkin creme sandwich. Mmmmmyyeeeesss.

These autumnal whoopie pies feature soft, moist yet fluffy, gingerbread cookies, with a pumpkin cream cheese filling. They are also gluten-free, vegan (egg free/ dairy free). As always, I tried to cut back oil and sweetener as much as possible while still keeping it yummy and absolutely dessert-worthy. I used a blend of oat, buckwheat, and potato starch for the flour, which results in the most perfect cake-like texture. The creme is made from blended cashews (of course, what else? You know I love my cashews), a little pumpkin puree, spices, and a bit of lemon juice for a luscious filling you’re going to want to really pile on. The entire cookie (er, cake?) is like a soft, pillowy bite of gingerbread and pumpkin heaven.

I have so many things to be thankful for this year, the health of my family, the love I get to share with them, that we have a nice warm house and plenty of food to eat. I’m thankful for all of you who come and check out my recipes and leave such thoughtful and kind comments. I’m thankful for all these things, and many, many more.

Not least of all, these whoopie pies.

(Did I mention they are like a pillowy cake/cookie/pumpkin creme sandwich? Totally deserving of a gratitude honorable mention, if you ask me.)

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin Creme Filling

Ingredients:

Dry

• 3/4 cup oat flour (I blended my own from rolled oats)
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour (I blended these as well, from raw buckwheat groats)
• 1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 – 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• scant 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• pinch of cloves

Wet

• 3 Tbsp of coconut oil, room temperature, not melted
• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup unsulphered blackstrap molasses
• 1/4 cup almond milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 2 Tbsp of water (for 1 “egg”)

Instructions for cookies (see below for ingredients and instructions for filling):

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, use a whisk to thoroughly mix the flours and other dry ingredients. getting all of the lumps out.
3. In a small bowl blend the oil and sugar together. I just used the back of a spoon to press the oil into the sugar and smoosh it together until it’s smooth. Then, add the remaining wet ingredients and stir again.
4. Pour wet into dry and mix together completely.
5. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. Very important!
6. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the batter and drop onto the parchment lined pan. Sort of smooth the tops with oiled fingers so they don’t bake with peaks or lumps. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a baking rack and cool completely.

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cashews, preferably soaked for few hours (not necessary with a high speed blender)
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 Tbsp water + more as needed

Pumpkin Cream Cheeze Filling Instructions:

1. In a high speed blender, using  a tamper with a Vitamix, blend all the ingredients, adding as little water as possible to get it going. If you have a Vitamix, your arm is going to get a workout using the tamper to push the mixture into the blades. Blend until smooth and then scrape into a lidded container and allow it to set up in the fridge for a half hour or so while the cookies cool. For easier blending, double the ingredients, yes you will have pumpkin cream cheeze coming out of your ears, but it does make a delicious spread or a dip for graham crackers or fruit.
2. Make your Whoopie Pies! Either use a knife to spread the filling on one cookie, before topping with another cookie, or pipe it on to the cookie with a plastic bag fitted with a coupler and icing tip.

Notes: If you don’t have a high speed blender, I have some ideas. Instead of a cashew cream cheeze, you could try mixing a non-dairy “cool whip” type product, like So Delicious Cocowhip with a little pumpkin, spices, and maple syrup for a yummy whipped topping. Or try refrigerating a can of coconut milk over night, skimming off the thick coconut cream and whipping it with a few tablespoons of pumpkin, 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup to taste. Or you could try the latest chickpea marshmallow fluff craze or a vegan buttercream frosting. Also know that the cookies are just plain good on their own too, but making a cookie sandwich is so very fun.