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.

 

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.