Last Updated on February 12, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
These pumpkin whoopie pies are two spiced cookies paired together with a maple-sweetened cream cheese frosting. They are such a fun fall dessert!
Traditional Whoopi pies are chocolate, this fall version with pumpkin and spices is a festive fall dessert.
When it comes to baking, I really like to use a light honey like this one from Y.S. Eco Bee Farms. It has a clean, sweet flavor that works so well for both cooking and baking.
If maple syrup is more your jam, I like to go with a grade b pure maple syrup. It has a rich flavor that goes so well with pumpkin and lots of spice.
Here are some other pumpkin recipes that you might enjoy!
Pumpkin Roll Cake
Pumpkin Spice Pecans
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (Gluten Free)
If you’re looking for a diary free/Paleo filling for these pies, check out Elana’s Pantry or Paleo Spirit. To keep with the flavors of the pies, I would still use maple syrup as the sweetener.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 9 pies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or 6 tablespoons coconut oil)
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (I prefer a light honey such as clover)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
For the Filling:
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and adjust rack to middle position. Whisk together melted butter, honey, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt. Pour flour mixture into wet mixture and whisk until just mixed.
- Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, drop 18 mounds of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this will only make 9 pies, since you need 2 mounds per pie). Bake 12 minutes, until springy to the touch. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Whisk together the butter, cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla until fluffy (if it’s not sweet enough for your taste, simply add a bit more maple syrup). Spread the flat side of 8 cakes with the cream cheese frosting and top with another cake.
I love the idea of having treats (OK, I NEED treats) as well as going grain free. My issue is an allergy one – no tree nuts and no coconut. This lack of treats/desserts/comfy food (whatever you want to call it) is probably the main reason I have not gone grain free. I’d love to see a grain free dessert that is also nut free.
If you’re allergic to nuts and coconut, then I can see how going grain free can be challenging. Puddings, custards and homemade ice creams are a fun alternative. Are you familiar with the book “Perfect Scoop” by David Lebovitz? He has some of the most amazing ice cream recipes! I always substitute either honey or maple syrup when he calls for sugar and they’ve all turned out perfectly
I am good to sit back and have a cookie. Honestly, my personal opinion (for us – I don’t care much what other people do!) is that God gave us the materials and intelligence to mix things up and create new foods…so as long as the cookies, cakes, etc. are made from whole foods, I don’t have a problem with them. It’s when foods are processed beyond recognition (or artificially created) that I generally start taking issue.
ANYWAY. These look delicious. I love a good whoopie pie! 🙂 And you’ve set a challenge before me. I honestly do not believe that I can ever stop having sugar cravings. Although I don’t eat a lot of sweets, when I DO, they need to be super sweet for me. It’s frustrating because I know it’s not healthy to keep adding extra honey or maple syrup to things if they’re not sweet enough. 🙂 Of course, 15 years ago, I was addicted to Coke (as in Coca-Cola) and the summer after my senior year in highschool, I decided to see if I could go for a month without drinking it. It was HARD, but what I found is that my cravings went away and so I went for another month. At the end of that month, I decided to have a coke and was surprised to find that it was disgusting to me – I couldn’t even stand the smell and haven’t had even ONE coke since then.
Interesting. So do you think that the same thing could happen to my “regular” sweet cravings? I’m *mostly* grain-free (back on track for a week now, after a loooong binge) and am trying to decide if I would need to quit sweets cold turkey or if I could just teach myself to get used to less sweet things.
So sorry that I hijacked your post! 🙂
Thank you for your comments! That’s fantastic that you were able to give up Coke. I’ve heard that’s a very hard habit to break. Years ago I had a terrible sweet tooth and continued to cut back very slowly. As long as I was getting the proper amount of fat in my diet, the cravings weren’t too bad, but they never went away until I cut out grains. As soon as I gave them up the sweet cravings went away (almost completely). I used to “need” something sweet after every meal and now it doesn’t even cross my mind. I saw the transition happen with my kids too. They have also been grain free (it’s helped them clear up a few minor health issues such as occasional indigestion, etc.) and recently there have been times when they told me I put too much sweetener in something when I barely used any at all! I’m always an advocate for small, slow changes.
YAY can’t wait to try!!!!
Woah Nellie! These look amazing! I like the idea of a grain-free whoopie pie. A cookie made with almond flour?! Yes, please!
Thanks Amber.
This looks delicious! I love the idea of grain free versions of cookies/treats. Like you said, we all know how to grill a piece of chicken, but it’s the little treats and extras that keep this way of eating interesting and sustainable.
Treats? Why, yes, I’ll have one! For me, the occasional treat most certainly has its place in my life especially when it is one of your recipes. So, please keep sharing recipes just like this one!
I’ll keep them coming! 🙂
Just made these. Amazing!!! I was soo happy when I saw this recipe I immediately had to make them;)
Thanks for the feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I feel you should do what works for you. For me and the people around me, it is best if I have treats. I try my best to make them healthy treats. These look great!!
There are a lot of Paleo Purists out there. I take what they have to say with a grain of salt. I’m glad it is working for them and their lifestyle, but there are times I want a bit of a treat either for a birthday, anniversary or social celebration. In order to do that I have to figure out what I can take that I can eat. And these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies look perfect! It’s all about balance.
I’m with you. It’s all about balance!
Do you have the proportions for a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend? Also, can you use all almond flour in this or will it be too heavy? Coconut flour is so expensive.
I used a bit of coconut flour to bind the cookies together, otherwise they will be too soft and won’t hold together very well. I usually buy my coconut flour via Amazon or AzureStandard.com where the prices are much lower than the local health food store. Fortunately, you only need a little at a time, so a bag of coconut flour will last quite a long time. Here is a link for a great homemade pumpkin spice blend: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/
I’ve recently started following your blog and love it! This recipe looks great, perfect for the holidays. Thank you for sharing! Can you tell me what’s in the Pumpkin Spice Blend? The link seems to be broken. Also, for the pumpkin puree, do you use a fresh whole pumpkin and roast it or canned pumpkin? Thanks so much!
Thank you for the kind words. 🙂 You can use either fresh whole pumpkin that has been roasted and pureed or canned pureed pumpkin. The pumpkin spice blend is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. I used the pumpkin spice blend from Mountain Rose Herbs: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/epicurean/seasoning.php
Tis the season for as much pumpkin as I can get my hands on. Love it Carrie!
I am of two minds on this. The first is that for my kids, I want to make sure that they get the chance to feel “normal” about food and denying them sweets, especially my son who has to be gluten free because of an allergy, isn’t fair. For them I bake with as much unprocessed ingredients as possible and your blog is a go-to source for me.
But, for me, I have an eating disorder and a cookie is a cookie is a cookie and I just can’t eat them, no matter what they are made from. I used to try to convince myself that if I ate the whole food unprocessed version that it would be ok becuase it was “healthier”. But I’ve come to realize recently that for me it must be binary: I can’t handle the sweets without it causing me emotional harm. Therefore, no sweets for me at all.
I appreciate your reply. I applaud you for knowing your boundaries and not eating a cookie if you know it wouldn’t be the right choice.
Hi! I just found your site while searching for homemade coffee creamer recipes. 🙂
On a whim yesterday while at Trader Joe’s I grabbed a bag of almond meal with no idea what I would do with it. This recipe is perfectly timed! On the back of the bag it says I can substitute it for half of the flour in a recipe, so I’m guessing almond meal and almond flour are the same thing (or close enough)?
Can I use regular or whole wheat flour in place of coconut flour?
Almond flour is generally made from almonds without the skins. Almond meal is simply ground almonds. They can be used interchangeably, but sometimes the almond meal will lend a heartier texture. I haven’t tested this recipe with ww flour or white flour, so I can’t say how it would work in this recipe.
I LOVE your recipes!!! I seriously don’t know why so many people feel the need to tell other people how they should be eating. I just recently had a conversation with someone who tried to tell me that by using alternative sweeteners and grain substitutes, I was trying to “get away with” something and I would be better off either eating actual sugar and grain or else going Paleo (like him). He was actually wrong on all counts. I just really enjoy challenging myself to learn how to put recipes together in unconventional ways. Challenging myself to try to make grain-free sweets or use different foods for sweeteners is just a fun and interesting challenge that forces me to learn about new foods and their properties and place in a recipe. It doesn’t have anything to do with anything else. I’m not trying to loose weight or be healthier or save the planet or achive some ideal, pristine dietary regimine. It’s a HOBBY that I just happen to ENJOY. So, please, keep up with the awesome, creative recipes. 🙂
I actually have a healthy, unprocessed sweet treat each night, so please keep your wonderful recipes coming our way!
These look so yummy……can you purchase the almond flour and the coconut flour in smaller bags, like a 2 lb , and what is the best way to store it ? Haven’t been able to give up my white flour yet…..but working on it…..did switch to coconut oil and I love it…..
You can buy smaller bags of almond and coconut flours at most local health food stores, but it will probably be more expensive than buying in a larger quantity. Tropical Traditions has great prices and sales on their coconut flour, and Honeyville or Trader Joes are good options for almond flour. I’m glad to hear you switched to coconut oil! It’s all about making small changes!
Looks great! What is the sub for coconut flour? Never heard of it and don’t have any on hand. Thanks!
I don’t have a substitution for the coconut flour, but if grains aren’t an issue you can try this version: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/#s.abyvmbinibaaa
Hi, Can I just use regular white whole wheat flour instead of the almond and coconut flour since we aren’t grain free? Thanks!
Wendy
I haven’t tested that combination, so I don’t know how it would turn out. But, you can try this whole wheat variation that I posted last year: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/#s.abzciqryybiaa
those are so gorgeous, Carrie. I originally saw them on your facebook page and so wanted to eat them right off of my computer.
Thanks, Susan. 🙂
Hi! I was wondering where you find pure pumpkin purée? Or is that something that’s made at home?
You can either buy pure pureed pumpkin in the can at the grocery store, or buy a pumpkin, roast it and puree.
I’m with you Carrie, I see nothing wrong with kicking up my heels and enjoying a few treats that are made with ingredients that won’t make me feel afterwards. A little variety keeps things interesting.
Ooh. Give me some of that whoopie pie goodness. Love these little special treats and the fact that autumn is upon us means this will end up on my table. The more pumpkin the better. And grain free? Better still.
I”m so excited about this recipe! I have made your original version for awhile now and love them (me and everyone that has ever eaten one). I think I’m going to make both this year and see what people have to say. I wonder if they will know the difference or have a preference? Thanks for the great recipes!
They look so yummy! I have to avoid eggs, almonds, corn, all sugar {stevia ok}, rice {and flour}, so can I sub flax for the eggs and maple syrup, and what would you suggest for the flour? Im pretty limited here. 🙁
Thanks for any helpful suggestions you may have 🙂
Becky
Here’s my best guess: I would use this recipe: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/ and use the flax for the eggs, omit the sweetener and use 1/4 cup maple syrup, omit the butter and use coconut oil, omit the flours and use this combination: 1 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup arrowroot flour, and 1/2 cup oat flour (make sure it’s gf), and then add 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin (a good, unprocessed kind such as Bernard Jensen). The gelatin will hold the cookie together w/o it, the batter will most likely spread all over the pan. For the filling I’d use some coconut butter mixed with a little maple syrup. I hope that helps! 🙂
Please forgive me, and dairy! UGH!
Becky
I totally agree with you, Carrie. Grilling a piece of chicken is self explanatory, but it’s nice to have someone like you who makes healthy recipes. I have to confess, I have often gone to the checkout aisle of a natural foods store with all “junk food” because even though it’s processed, I know all the ingredients are natural, and I would prefer giving those things to my kids than things like Fruit-by-the-Foot.
And yes, I like a cookie every now and then. Probably more often than that, actually.
How far ahead can you make these? Just wondering if I could make them in the morning and eat them in the evening. Do they keep?
Yes, you can make them in the morning and then serve them later in the day. Also, you can make the cookies a day a head of time and then assemble them with the filling before serving.
These sound absolutely delicious. And I’m willing to bet even better than the “original” with thanks to almond flour.
I made these this past weekend! When you made them, did you taste the salt? For some reason, mine tasted more salty than sweet to me. The only thing I did differently was I doubled the recipe and used almond meal flour instead of almond flour. I wanted to check to see if yours tasted salty. Maybe my taste buds are really sensitive right now! I was thinking the next time I make them, I’d like to add more honey and less salt. Everyone else that ate them loves them!
I didn’t taste the salt, but it also depends on what kind of salt you are using. I always use Celtic sea salt – an unprocessed salt that tastes less “salty” than other processed brands. If you’re using a different salt, I’d cut back on it a bit the next time you make them. I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve been wheat free since July and grain-free since August. I’m not a Paleo purist by any stretch, I still eat beans and legumes, but I find I feel better when I don’t eat grains. These pies look great! I love anything pumpkin and especially liked that pumpkin shake recipe you posted today. Thanks for a great blog.
Hi Carrie! I made this recipe the other day and it is DE-LISH! The only issue I had was that the next day my cookie turned pretty moist/dense, enough to where they fall apart pretty easily. I cooked them for the suggested time though, perhaps my oven is different and I just need to bake longer next time? Thanks for any feedback!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Was there a lot of humidity in your area when you made them? That’s the only reason I can think that they would be so soft on the second day. You could add 1 tablespoon extra coconut flour next time to help them be more firm.
I live in the Midwest where it’s been quite dry all year. However, I did some research and it seems others that have used Bob’s Red Mill almond flour have experience the same outcome with their baked goods as well. I’ll be eager to try a different brand to see the difference. Thanks for the follow up!
Very interesting. Thanks for the info!
Loved these. But I’m not grain free so I used sprouted wheat. Very tasty and kid approved, with and w/o the filling. I did add more maple syrup to the filling. These were great with a tall glass of raw milk 😉
These were an awesome treat. I track everything that I eat down to the nutrient level (I have lost 30 pounds recently). Do you by chance have the nutritional breakdown of these (calories, carbs, protein, fat, etc). I can probalby calculate it but I thought I would see if you by chance have done it already.
Thanks for the recipe!!
Congrats on your weight loss! I don’t have nutritional information for the recipes.
These look amazing! Do you think one could make it into a double-layered cake? Is the texture cakey at all?
I haven’t tried, it but the texture is cakey enough that I think it would make a great cake.
Cake made 🙂 It was a bit fragile, but it’s lovely and moist. I whipped some coconut cream with pumpkin spice and a dash of whisky to avoid the butter cream (dairy intolerant coming for lunch) for frosting and between the layers. I think it’ll be yum 🙂
Can not find pumpkin spice ?!??
Here’s an easy recipe to make your own:http://www.52kitchenadventures.com/2012/10/11/homemade-pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/
Thank you so much! We’ve enjoyed these a few times now! And when it wasn’t fall anymore & I wanted to change it up, I used banana for the pumpkin & cocoa instead of the spices . . . okay, maybe a little more cocoa than that 🙂 Still yummy! Oh, and I added some peanut butter to some of the filling for the chocolate banana version. YUM!
I love the idea for banana instead of pumpkin! I’ll have to give that a try!
My family and I need to have treats and I appreciate that you have come up with healthier options for us!
I made these for the first time tonight. They turned out good and were easy. That is not usually my experience with new gluten free recipes so I was pleasantly surprised. The pumpkin was a bit strong, just slightly, for me – would it be a big deal if I didn’t put quite as much pumpkin in?
It would change the texture of the cookies, so I don’t recommend it. Maybe you could reduce the amount of spices a bit?
I just got done making a wheat flour/ sugar batch of whoopie pies for some other families and de aided to look for a paleo way to make these for my family, and I stumbled across your recipe. These were absolutely delicious, and I don’t feel like my family was missing out on the ‘yearly whoopie pies’. One comment though; I had them in the oven for about 15 minutes and they never really did get ‘springy’, but were definitely done. What a great recipe!
Can you clarify an ingredient for me please? In between almond flour and coconut flour it says “3 tablespoons plus”. Does that mean 3 extra tablespoons of almond flour? Thanks for the help!
It should read, “3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coconut flour”. I made the edit. Thanks for pointing that out!
No problem, thanks for clarifying!
The recipe looks great. Do you have a recipe to replace for the cream cheese frosting?
I could never stick to a grain-free lifestyle without the occasional treat!! Your recipes and those of other awesome people like The Paleo Mom, Predominantly Paleo, etc. allow me to continue with this lifestyle without feeling completely deprived. THANK YOU!
You’re welcome! 🙂
These were so yummy and relatively easy to make! Light and sweet enough -although I did add an extra tbsp of maple syrup. Sooooo good!