With molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, these gingerbread whoopie pies are rich with robust flavor. Tangy and cool cream cheese filling adds the perfect contrast to these soft-baked holiday cookie sandwiches.
Whoopie pies… the cookie that’s not really a cookie at all. Are you familiar with this treat? Whoopie pies are actually little cake mounds sandwiched with a sweet filling. We love them and I’ve published a bunch of variations including red velvet whoopie pies, chocolate whoopie pies (with salted caramel frosting!), apple cinnamon spice whoopie pies, pumpkin whoopie pies in Sally’s Cookie Addiction, and traditional whoopie pies in the paperback version of Sally’s Baking Addiction. Did you know that in western PA, where my MIL is from, whoopie pies are called gobs? Whatever their name, they’re fantastic with the holiday season’s favorite baking spices and a fun addition to any platter of Christmas cookies.
Tell Me About these Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
- Texture: The cookies aren’t as cakey as traditional whoopie pies—they taste more like an actual cookie. Soft and moist in the centers with slightly chewy edges. Overbaking will dry them out, so keep a close eye on the bake time.
- Flavor: If you enjoy gingerbread cookies, you’ll love these gingerbread whoopie pies. (Plus, no cookie cutters needed!) Spiced with generous amounts of ginger and cinnamon, plus nutmeg, cloves, and molasses, there’s no arguing these are flavorful. What’s more, the creamy tangy cream cheese filling adds the perfect contrast to the cookie’s robust flavor. What a combo!
- Ease: We have a pretty straightforward recipe on our hands here. The cookie dough comes together with 2 bowls, a whisk, and spatula. No complicated shaping required, but a cookie scoop is helpful. Though you don’t *need* an electric mixer for the cookie dough, you can certainly use one. You need one for the filling anyway.
- Yield: This recipe yields 24 cookies which make 12 large whoopie pies—2 cookies in 1 sandwich. You could also simply pipe or spread the filling on top of each cookie for a batch of 2 dozen frosted cookies.
Recipe Testing These Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
The starting point for these seasonal whoopie pies was my gingerbread cake. Determined (and with a gingerbread craving), I spent several days perfecting these. 5 batches, 6 batches, 7, or more? I lost count. What began with creamed butter and sugar transitioned into an oil-based cookie dough/cake batter of sorts. Creamed butter and sugar are ideal for cakey baked goods, but dried out the texture of the whoopie pies. Oil is a key ingredient in some cakes, so I made that swap. Brown sugar weighed down the cookie sandwiches, so stick with regular granulated sugar. There’s molasses in this cookie dough/batter anyway. A little baking powder, in addition to the baking soda, adds extra lift.
By the way, if you’re ever looking for a dairy free cookie recipe, make these gingerbread cookies without the filling/frosting. It’s an oil based cookie dough with no dairy needed. They’re tasty on their own!
3 Helpful Notes:
- Add some hot water. It’s an odd ingredient in cookies, but there’s a reason for its addition. Molasses is very thick and sticky. A consistency like this is pretty difficult to evenly mix into cake batters and cookie doughs. When mixed with hot water, its viscous consistency loosens. We do the same thing when we make gingerbread loaf. Hot water ends up being a useful addition because we usually add liquid (like milk) to whoopie pies anyway.
- Chill the dough. The dough may seem a little loose and oily. That’s completely normal and expected. (See left photo below.) I tested the recipe without chilling the dough and the cookies spread quite thin. The edges were unfavorably crispy, too. This recipe definitely benefits from 2 hours in the refrigerator before baking. In the right photo below, you can see how the dough thickened up after chilling. By the way, if you need a quick no-chill cookie to make while you’re waiting for this batter to chill, try my shortbread cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop. Since the cookies are sandwiched together, it’s important they’re all the same size. A cookie scoop makes that easy. Each cookie should be 1.5 Tablespoons of dough, so I recommend using a medium cookie scoop. It’s the same size scoop I recommend for equally flavorful iced gingerbread oatmeal cookies and chocolate ginger cookies. If desired, you can make smaller whoopie pies to yield more sandwiches. See recipe note.
Spiced Cream Cheese Filling
I swear by the combination of tangy and cool cream cheese frosting with deeply spiced gingerbread. If you’ve ever tried these gingerbread cupcakes, you understand the hype of this delicious duo. I used the same cream cheese filling from these red velvet whoopie pies and added the spices used in the cookie dough—just a smidge of each is plenty. You can spread the filling onto the flat side of the cookie with a knife or you can use a piping tip. I used Wilton 1A.
Does the Filling Squish Out?
Yes, when you take a bite of the whoopie pies, the filling squishes out the sides. Not the neatest cookie to eat, so have a napkin handy. Hey, aren’t all the best foods messy?!
However! If you chill the assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator and serve them cold, the filling thickens and stays more intact. Might seep out a little, but not nearly as much. The cookies are best stored in the refrigerator anyway.
If you’re looking for a thicker filling that doesn’t squish out the sides quite as much, try the buttercream I use for these apple cinnamon spice whoopie pies or the marshmallow buttercream filling I use for these s’mores cupcakes. For more holiday flavor, you could also use the eggnog buttercream from these spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies.
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Stained Glass Window Cookies
- White Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies
- Peppermint Snowballs
- Coconut Macaroons
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12 sandwiches
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These gingerbread whoopie pies combine soft ginger molasses cookies with cool and creamy cream cheese filling. Chilling the cookie dough is an important step because the cookies will spread out and crisp up otherwise—don’t skip it.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) hot water
- 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Spiced Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch of each: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves (see note)
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
- Whisk the molasses and hot water together. Give it a minute to slightly cool down, then whisk in the sugar and oil. Finally, whisk in the egg. Pour these wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold everything together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined—or use a mixer on medium speed. (It’s a bit too heavy for a whisk.) Dough/batter is heavy and looks a bit oily.
- Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Spoon or scoop mounds of batter, a scant 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons each, onto prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes or until the edges appear set. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the filling as they cool.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and spices, then beat on medium speed until combined. Taste. Add a pinch more of the spices if desired.
- Pair the cookies up based on their size. Spread or pipe (I used Wilton 1A piping tip) the frosting onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the other. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Cover leftover whoopie pies and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Filling can be made 2 days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can prepare the whoopie pie cookie batter, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. No need to bring to room temperature before scooping and baking. You can freeze the baked and filled whoopie pies for up to 3 months. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and place in a large freezer container. Thaw wrapped whoopie pies overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Small Straight Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1A Piping Tip
- Doubling This Recipe: This recipe yields 24 cookies, which is 12 whoopie pies since there’s 2 cookies in 1 sandwich. If you’d like to double the recipe, double each ingredient except for the oil. Instead of 1 cup of oil, use 3/4 cup (180ml). The dough will be too greasy otherwise.
- Smaller Whoopie Pies: Measure 1 scant Tablespoon of batter for each cookie to yield about 18 smaller pies. Bake time is about 1 minute less
- Molasses: 6 Tablespoons is an easy measurement—measure 1/3 cup, then add 1 more Tablespoon. I found 1/3 cup wasn’t enough and 1/2 cup was too much. I use and recommend unsulphured or dark molasses. (I like Grandma’s brand. The kind I use is labeled “original” molasses.) Blackstrap molasses is extremely bitter and not ideal in this recipe.
- Spices in Filling: You only want a small pinch of each spice in the filling. I recommend half of 1/8 teaspoon, which is 1/16 teaspoon. Feel free to add only a little of each, taste after beating the filling ingredients together, then beat in more of any spice if desired. I usually go a little heavier on the cinnamon.
I made these and they taste fab – every single one got eaten and I got a lot of positive comments on them. Only thing I’d do different is make them a little smaller, as these came out pretty big.
I have a loved family cake recipe from my grandmother and would love to turn it into a whoopie pie. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Carla! It will take some testing and depend on the recipe. You’ll want a thicker batter for whoopie pies. Let us know what you try!
So I have everything besides ginger (And cardamon which is used in your other spiced desserts), would I either be able to skip those or use a chai tea mix which has all these spices just not measurements, or what would you suggest?
Hi Fi! You can use your chai spice mix for a different flavor profile, or leave out the ginger. The flavor will be different either way and we aren’t exactly sure which would be best. If you can get a hold of ground ginger, we highly suggest it!
I also just made this, and the dough was a more liquid than dough. I measure carefully. I added a little more flour – almost a 1/4 cup more. We will see how they turn out.
These were pretty darn good! Although it was more of a cookie than a traditional cakey whoopie pie, I still really enjoyed them. Unlike many other recipes I’ve had, the dough was actually very nicely spiced. I did switch things up a bit and use a brown butter cream cheese frosting with more spices in it instead. A great recipe!
I tried making this recipe today, and I have it chilling overnight. It seems too liquid, and I have no idea what I might have done wrong. Maybe I’ll try adding a tablespoon of flour to firm it up if needed.
Hi Sandy, was your flour under measured by chance? Spooning and leveling (or using a kitchen scale) will ensure just the right amount. You could certainly try adding an additional tablespoon of flour to help thicken it a bit. The chilling overnight will be helpful, too. Hope you enjoy the whoopie pies!
My dough is so much thinner and runnier than I expected. My dough has been chilling for several hours. I scooped one cookie out and baked it, and it’s pretty thin and flat (but the taste is delicious!) Should I add more flour or baking powder/baking soda? I followed the recipe exactly! Even weighed my flour.
Hi Traci, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Were any of the wet ingredients over measured by accident? The dough should be heavy but look a bit oily. We don’t recommend adding any more baking powder or baking soda at this point, but make sure both are fresh for optimal rise in future batches. We find the start to lose their power after about 3 months or so. Thank you for giving these a try!
Can these be made to ship for Christmas or is the cream cheese filling not suitable for that? I love this idea for cookie boxes but wasn’t sure about the filling!
Hi Sarah, it’s best to store these in the refrigerator, so they’re unfortunately not the best candidate for shipping. You can see some of our favorite holiday cookies to ship in our best way to ship cookies post. Hope this helps!
I want to make smaller cookies so that I can yield more to share with my large group of coworkers. Could you in theory use the same recipe but a smaller cookie scoop so that you got more, but smaller, cookies?
Hi Traci, yes! Let us know if you give it a try.
I love the idea of this recipe and am going to try it for Christmas this year. My question is that I love the combination of Gingerbread and Lemon Curd. Could that be added to the filling perhaps with a reduction of cream cheese to accomplish the flavor but perhaps also the thickness?
Hi Peggy, you could definitely give that a try! Or, you could try a thin layer of frosting, then pipe an outer layer of frosting as a dam of sorts, and then put lemon curd in the middle (although it may be a bit messy to eat!). Or, you could use our lemon cream cheese frosting in the middle instead. Let us know what you try!
Hey! I’m wanting to do this recipe, but I want to use maple syrup instead of molasses. Do I still need to do the water? Thanks.
Hi Hannah! Using maple syrup here will likely take some testing to get right. Let us know what you try!
Made these today for a friend, as single cookies instead of the whoopie pies. So far, nothing but compliments. Also, added a lemon icing, from Sally’s Lemon Ricotta cookies – per my friends request. I don’t do gingerbread, so can’t say how they taste. Very easy to make and no rolling and cutting.
My family loves this recipe. Definitely a keeper!
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I love this recipe. My kids, who are all adults love the recipe. Easy to put together. Easy to bake. One question.
I was just wondering can I omit the water and replace it with something else? I felt like the water diluted the flavor of the molasses slightly.
Hi Heidi, We’re so glad you love this recipe! Water is an odd ingredient in cookies, but there’s a reason for its addition. Molasses is very thick and sticky. A consistency like this is pretty difficult to evenly mix into cake batters and cookie doughs. When mixed with hot water, its viscous consistency loosens. If yours was too diluted, you can try a little less.