Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

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5 from 4 votes

Soft gingerbread whoopie pies with a lemony cream cheese filling - a wonderful holiday treat!

Prep Time1 15

Cook Time11

Total Time1 26

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookies, gingerbread

Servings: sandwich cookies

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the gingerbread:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground all-spice
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup unsulphured molasses
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped fine
1 large egg
¼ cup buttermilk

For the filling:

6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 6-8 pieces, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted plus extra for garnish (measure, then sift)
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, molasses and crystallized ginger. Whisk until combined. Add the egg and buttermilk and continue to whisk until blended.
Add the flour mixture and fold together using a rubber spatula. Do not over mix.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, roll the dough into a ball and place 2-inches apart on the cold baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are puffy, about 11-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool in the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough using a cold baking sheet each time.
To prepare the filling, beat together the 6 tablespoons butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar. Once smooth and blended, add the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. With the mixer running on medium, add the cream cheese one piece at a time then add the vanilla and lemon zest. Pipe onto half the cookies and top with a matching size cookie, bottom side down.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

Refrigerate leftover cookies in an airtight container.
Cookie recipe adapted from December/January 2016 Cook's Country Magazine

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition