Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Caramel Pecan Filling

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Here we go again with the pumpkin craze! I seriously can never get enough. I don’t know about you, but I feel like pumpkin treats always taste better in the Fall, just like turkey tastes better at Thanksgiving. Is that weird? I mean, could it actually be true or is it all in my head?

Actually, don’t answer that.

Whenever I’m on the hunt for something delicious to make, I tend to steer clear of whoopie pies. Why? Because I feel like they are labor intensive and I could never get the recipe right. Well, friends. I’m here to tell you, I GOT THE RECIPE RIGHT! {I love a challenge.} And these are no more labor intensive than baking regular cookies and adding frosting. I’m not sure why I had such a low opinion of whoopie pies, but hallelujah, my opinions have changed.

This recipe produces soft and sweet cake-like cookies that are filled with a marshmallowy caramel pecan filling. A fun variation of the chocolate original. Oh yessssssss. Because I start this recipe with Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening, I end up getting a lighter-textured, moist and tender finished product. Also, Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening is a great alternative to butter, with zero grams trans-fat per serving so that totally means these are healthy for you, right?

Don’t answer that either.

Here’s how to make them:

First grab a Crisco® All-Vegetable Butter Flavor Shortening Stick. These are easy to use and come in a no mess, measurable package. Always convenient and available when you need them!

Also, some granulated and brown sugar.

Throw these into a bowl and mix together to cream.

Add in your eggs, vanilla and…

…pumpkin!

Mix mix mix. Be sure to consistently scrape the sides of your bowl as you add more ingredients to ensure even mixing 🙂

Now come the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda.

And don’t forget your spices and salt.

Mix your batter together and voila!

Scoop the batter onto parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake.

After 8-9 minutes, ta-da! You have your whoopie pie shells.

For the filling, you simply measure out all your ingredients and mix until smooth. What is required: butter, more Crisco® shortening, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, vanilla and caramel extract.

Whip this together until smooth!

Now comes the optional part. Feel free to stir in chopped pecans to the filling. It’ll add a nice texture to the overall cookie. OR if you don’t want to do that {my husband objects to pecans} you can simply just leave them plain or roll the edges in the nuts.

Ok, so match up your baked whoopie pie shells with similarly shaped partners. Some are more round, some are more oval. Then spread some of that filling onto one of those cookies.

Smoosh the partner cookie together and then roll the edge in the chopped nuts.

Keep it up until you’ve got a lot of whoopie pies to share!

So so soft and delicious, especially with that caramel pecan filling.

The plain ones are just as tasty and my husband preferred them all this way. Even though I prefer my pumpkin whoopie pies with pecans, I was a nice wife and made a few without. So, what I’m trying to say is our marriage survived this trauma.

If we can make it through, so can you.

Hello beautiful thing, you.

So if you’re looking for the perfect Fall-inspired dessert, I’ve got your back.

But seriously though. Go make these.

¹See nutrition information for fat and saturated fat content.

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Caramel Pecan Filling

Course Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 18 whoopie pies

Author Lauren Brennan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening Stick
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST™ All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Filling:

• 1/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening Stick
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow fluff
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon caramel extract
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

1. HEAT oven to 350°F and line two light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. MIX Crisco® shortening, sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer. Scrape the sides and mix again. Stir in eggs, 1 at a time, then add vanilla and pumpkin. Scrape sides again and stir to evenly incorporate ingredients.
3. WHISK spices, salt, leavenings and flour together in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients slowly. Add in the sour cream and mix again. Scrape the sides and mix again briefly. Remove from mixer and mix for about 10 seconds by hand to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
4. SCOOP batter onto prepared baking sheets using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and bake 10 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool 10 minutes before removing from baking pan to cooling rack. I like to remove the entire sheet of parchment paper with the whoopie pies attached and place that on the cooling racks. Wait 1-2 hours before filling.

Filling:

1. WHIP Crisco® shortening, butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff, vanilla and caramel extract until light and fluffy. Fold in toasted pecans to frosting. Fill each whoopie pie with about 1 tablespoon of filling and spread to the edges. If desired, roll the edges in more chopped pecans. Serve.

As a participant of a Crisco® Ambassador Program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. All opinions are my own.