Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are soft, spiced cookies filled with a creamy cream cheese frosting. I like making these during December for holiday baking. These Christmas cookies have all the warm spices you expect.
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These sandwich cookies are great for Christmas dessert trays, cookie swaps, or even packaged up as homemade gifts. They hold up well and look so pretty with a dusting of powdered sugar.
You might also want to try my Gingerbread House Macarons and Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies.
How to Make Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Ingredients you’ll need for gingerbread
Ingredients you’ll need for cream cheese filling
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Start by melting your butter and let it cool slightly.
2. While that’s happening, whisk together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl—flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together your brown sugar, melted butter, molasses (or sorghum), and finely chopped crystallized ginger.
4. Once combined, toss in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
5. Finally, stir in the flour mixture using a spatula, and just like that, your dough is ready to roll!
6. Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. This chilling step helps the dough firm up and develop even more flavor. (You can chill it for up to 48 hours, which makes it easy to prep ahead of time.)
7. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll your dough into tablespoon-sized balls (about 35 grams each if you’re using a kitchen scale), and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.
8. Once out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
9. In a mixer, beat your butter for about 2 minutes until it’s nice and fluffy. Slowly add in cubes of softened cream cheese, blending fully after each addition.
10. Next, beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter. You’ll end up with a creamy, rich filling that pairs perfectly with those spiced cookies.
11. Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon or pipe a generous amount of filling onto the flat side of 12 cookies, then top them with the remaining cookies. For that final touch, dust with powdered sugar.
Serve and Enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Chilling the dough is important—it helps keep the cookies from spreading too much.
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese for a smooth filling.
- If the filling is too soft, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes to firm up.
- You can make the cookies a day ahead and fill them the next day.
- Dusting with powdered sugar before serving makes them look extra festive.
- Store the pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For Gingerbread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup molasses (or sorghum)
- 3 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
Instructions
- Start by melting your butter and let it cool slightly.
- While that’s happening, whisk together all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl—flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Set this aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your brown sugar, melted butter, molasses (or sorghum), and finely chopped crystallized ginger.
- Once combined, toss in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Finally, stir in the flour mixture using a spatula, and just like that, your dough is ready to roll!
- Then, cover the dough with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least an hour. This chilling step helps the dough firm up and develop even more flavor. (You can chill it for up to 48 hours, which makes it easy to prep ahead of time.)
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll your dough into tablespoon-sized balls (about 35 grams each if you’re using a kitchen scale), and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.
- Once out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- In a mixer, beat your butter for about 2 minutes until it’s nice and fluffy. Slowly add in cubes of softened cream cheese, blending fully after each addition.
- Next, beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt if you used unsalted butter. You’ll end up with a creamy, rich filling that pairs perfectly with those spiced cookies.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon or pipe a generous amount of filling onto the flat side of 12 cookies, then top them with the remaining cookies. For that final touch, dust with powdered sugar.
Check Out More Christmas Treat Recipe Ideas!
Chocolate Covered Christmas Light Oreos
