GINGERBREAD WHOOPIE PIES - Guide Recipe
MEGA SOFT AND CHEWY GINGERBREAD WHOOPIE PIES STUFFED WITH LUSCIOUS CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WILL BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE WAY TO DEVOUR GINGERBREAD! AND BONUS , YOU GET TWO CHRISTMAS COOKIES IN ONE!
Can you guys believe Christmas is SO soon?! I had a gazillion holiday recipe ideas to share with you but there just isn’t enough time so I am only sharing the best of the best like these epic Gingerbread Whoopie Pies that are sure to fill your hearts and bellies with holiday cheer!
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies - everyone always begs me for this recipe! Super soft gingerbread cookies stuffed with luscious cream cheese filling! You won't be able to have just one!Save
I don’t make a lot of cookies , so if I’m going to make them , they have to be worth my time. And these Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are sooo worth my/your time! This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Magazine Christmas Cookies Issue and as I was flipping through , these immediately caught my eye because a) gingerbread , b) cream cheese filling , c) whoopie pies!!!
I love whoopie pies. Its like two reverse frosted cake-like cookies back to back so you get two cookies in one with just the right amount of filling oozing with each bite….but…….that would only be a good thing if you loved the cookies , so let me assure you – you will love these cookies. These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are some of the softest cookies I have ever sunken my teeth into and the cinnamon , ground ginger , crystallized ginger , nutmeg , and cloves add a festive complexity of flavor that compliments the silky sweet cream cheese filling.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies - everyone always begs me for this recipe! Super soft gingerbread cookies stuffed with luscious cream cheese filling! You won't be able to have just one!Save
This recipe calls for crystallized ginger. You do NOT want to skip this! I made two batches of Gingerbread Whoopie Pies – one without crystallized ginger and upping the ground ginger and one with the crystallized ginger. The batch with just ginger powder tasted flat and bland while the batch with crystallized ginger boasted a sweet bite that complimented the sweetness of the filling. In short , adding crystallized ginger is the only way for these cookies to live up to their name “Gingerbread!”
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies - everyone always begs me for this recipe! Super soft gingerbread cookies stuffed with luscious cream cheese filling! You won't be able to have just one!Save
The Cream Cheese filling is a buttery blend of sugar , butter , cream cheese and vanilla for a luscious , silky filling that will have you licking the beaters. You can pipe the filling onto half the cookies or you can simply drop it by the tablespoon and then top with the remaining cookies for adorably petite , zesty Gingerbread Whoopie Pies bursting with molasses , cinnamon and spices. Bursting with holiday cheer
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Mega soft and chewy Gingerbread Whoopie Pies stuffed with luscious cream cheese frosting will be your new favorite way to devour gingerbread! And bonus , you get two Christmas cookies in one!
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Servings 24 pies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp EACH ground ginger , nutmeg , salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger , finely chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , room temperature
1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
6 oz. cream cheese , cut into 6-8 pieces , softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Garnish (a must!)
Powdered sugar for dusting
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies - everyone always begs me for this recipe! Super soft gingerbread cookies stuffed with luscious cream cheese filling! You won't be able to have just one!
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk flour , cinnamon , ground ginger , nutmeg , salt , cloves and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Whisk brown sugar , melted butter , molasses and crystallized ginger in separate large bowl until combined. Whisk in egg , buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture and stir with rubber spatula just until dough comes together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to 24.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mat. Roll dough into balls using 1 scant tablespoon. Space balls evenly on prepared sheets , about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies , 1 sheet at a time , until puffed and just set , 11-13 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment , beat butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy , about 2 minutes. With mixer running , add cream cheese , 1 piece at a time , and continue to beat until smooth , about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla extract and pinch of salt as needed.
*Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon frosting evenly onto bottoms (flat sides) of 24 cookies. Top with remaining 24 cookies , bottom sides down. Dust with powdered sugar. (Note , these cookies need the dusting of powdered sugar or they won’t taste sweet enough).
Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
RECIPE NOTES
*If frosting is very soft , refrigerate for 15 minutes before filling cookies (I didn’t have to do this).
**You can make cookies a day ahead of filling and keep in an airtight container until ready to fill.
https://carlsbadcravings.com/gingerbread-whoopie-pies/
