Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Gingerbread whoopie pies are soft and fluffy gingerbread cookies, full of warm Christmas spices and are filled with luscious cream cheese frosting.
These are part of this year’s 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Yay!
If you’re looking for other Christmas cookie recipes, check out my chewy gingerbread cookies, cut-out sugar cookies, chocolate dipped peppermint sugar cookies, Christmas kitchen sink cookies, chocolate thumbprint cookies, brownie cookies, chewy peanut butter cookies, chocolate peppermint blossoms, peppermint bark Christmas crack, spritz cookies or double chocolate peppermint cookies!
This post is sponsored by Lifeway Kefir. Thank you for supporting the brands that make In Bloom Bakery possible!
Why You’ll Love Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
They’re full of warm Christmas spices. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice give these cookies the absolute best flavor.
They’re filled with cream cheese frosting. Is there any other frosting that’s better?! Cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with the warm spices of these cookies.
They’re soft and fluffy. These are kind of a mix between mini cakes and cookies. They’re soft and fluffy like cake and filled with frosting, yet small like a cookie!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
- Flour– all-purpose flour is used for the best crumb
- Spice Blend– ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice bring warm Christmas flavors to these cookies
- Baking Soda & Powder– helps the cookies to rise
- Salt– brings out all the flavors in these cookies
- Butter– make sure it’s softened
- Brown Sugar– used to sweeten the gingerbread cookies and gives them a very soft texture
- Eggs– make sure they’re room temperature
- Vanilla– I recommend using vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, but extract works as well
- Molasses– gives these cookies their iconic flavor, we’re using unsulphured molasses
- Kefir– helps keep the gingerbread cookies soft
- Cream Cheese– used for the delicious cream cheese frosting
- Powdered Sugar– used to sweeten the cream cheese frosting
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe below for complete measurements and baking times.
STEP ONE: Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
STEP TWO: Cream butter and brown sugar together.
STEP THREE: Then mix in eggs, vanilla and molasses.
STEP FOUR: Add in the dry ingredients and kefir a little at a time until everything is combined together.
STEP FIVE: Scoop the dough onto baking sheets, bake the cookies then let them cool.
STEP SIX: Make the cream cheese frosting. Pipe frosting onto half of the cookies, then place the remaining cookies over top.
Please see the recipe below for complete measurements and baking times.
FAQs
How do I store these cookies? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying.
Can I substitute something for the kefir? Kefir really gives these cookies the best texture, but if you don’t have any, buttermilk works as a great substitute.
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. (Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to measure properly!) Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
For the cream cheese frosting make sure your butter is softened, but your cream cheese is cold. This will give you the best cream cheese frosting that will hold it’s form much better and won’t get “soupy” on you.
Trouble shooting cream cheese frosting. The frosting can be tricky to work with sometimes if it gets too warm. Pop the frosting in the fridge for 10-15 minutes if you notice it gets too soft. Then when ready to use, remove and whip again to get it back to it’s fluffy texture. Then pipe it onto the cookies!
Make sure all your wet ingredients for the cookies are room temperature. This will yield the best cookie texture. Cold wet ingredients can make them “gummy” and not rise as well.
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Other Desserts to Try
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 344 g
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 140 g
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 220 g
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses 170 g
- 1/2 cup whole milk kefir, at room temperature 120 ml
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 170 g
- 12 oz. cream cheese, cold 340 g
- 3 cups powdered sugar 390 g
Instructions
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a medium sized bowl. Whisk together and then set aside.
- Add butter and brown sugar to a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in eggs, vanilla and molasses to the butter/sugar and mix together until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add in the dry ingredients and kefir a little at a time. Mix until everything is combined.
- Scoop 1 tbsp portions of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. (Cover dough that's still in the bowl while the other cookies are baking.)
- Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops have domed and a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened, unsalted butter to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the cold cream cheese and mix until combined.
- Then sift in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time. Mix until combined.
- Mix the frosting until it is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Assembling the Whoopie Pies
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.
- Pipe frosting onto the back side of half of the cookies.
- Place the other cookies over top, then serve!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Let the cookies come to room temperature before eating for the best taste!
Hi Ginny, I have a couple of questions before I try your recipe. After you mix dry and wet ingredients, does the dough need to be refrigerated for about 2 hours? I have seen some recipes saying it should be refrigerated. I am also a little nervous about the cream cheese frosting that might become runny. It makes sense to use cold cream cheese but my question is, cold cream cheese meaning straight out of the fridge? I am not a baker so my questions might sound silly. Thank you.
Mya
Hi Mya! The dough doesn’t need to be refrigerated. The cream cheese frosting won’t get runny! Yes, use cream cheese straight out of the fridge, but make sure you’re using room temperature, softened butter. If you’re concerned the frosting is too soft, after making it refrigerate it for 15 minutes, then rewhip and it should be super firm! 🙂
Thank you so much for your reply Ginny. I will let you know how my whoopie pies turnout.
These were so delicious!!
Dear everyone. This is THE recipe for Christmas. I don’t have a cookie scoop so they didn’t come out perfectly circle and I was afraid of that but now I’m left with HUGE AMAZING WHOOPIE PIES that’s almost the size of a chickfila sandwich. It’s literally SO amazing I want to eat so many. They are decadent yet somehow simple and have ALL the flavors of Christmas. The frosting is insane. They also are amazing the next day when they come to room temp. Wow. You NEED to try this!
What can I use in place of kefir?