Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are so much fun! For me, it isn’t the holiday season until I have gingerbread. Packed with flavor from the spices and the luscious creamy white chocolate filling, these baby Whoopie pies will be the hit of the night when you serve them and your guests swoon with delight!
Whoopie pies are typically made of chocolate cakey cookies sandwiched with a marshmallow based cream filling. They are said to have originated in Colonial America and are the official state treat of Maine.
Cookie dough ready for the oven plus the tiny cookie scoop that is perfect for these cookies
Today’s version is made with a cakey gingerbread cookie and they are filled with a cream cheese/white chocolate/butter filling. A cross between cream cheese frosting and buttercream. Absolutely delicious and it mellows the spiciness of the cookies!
The list of spices may seem daunting, but they all go together so well and will stand up beautifully to the molasses. Most of them you probably already have on hand. You get all the punch of flavor you expect from gingerbread, balanced by the creamy filling.
In most baking, when it calls for molasses, unless otherwise noted, it means to use a mild variety and to avoid blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap is the result of the third boiling of sugar cane or sugar beets, the thickest and darkest type of molasses. It is slightly more bitter than regular molasses. Be sure you’re using the right one.
One of the lesser known ingredients in this recipe is ClearJel, a product sold by King Arthur Flour. It is simply modified food starch made from corn. It works in much the same way as cornstarch except it doesn’t make anything cloudy. It provides gelling properties for fruit pies, stabilizes whipped cream, thickens other fillings, and sugary fillings in coffee cakes, etc. It MUST be carefully and thoroughly blended with the sugar before introducing any liquids because it will clump badly if it isn’t distributed evenly.
The safest way to melt white chocolate with little risk of scorching it is to use the microwave. Place the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each heating. Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate is melted, smooth, and creamy.
While you can use two spoons to form and portion the batter, using a cookie scoop is so much easier and faster. I have several sizes and use them for many tasks in the kitchen. They are one of my indispensable tools. You can find a 1-teaspoon scoop (recommended in the recipe) here on Amazon.
If you want perfect two-bite treats for dessert or on a buffet make these Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with White Chocolate Filling. Your guests will love them and be begging for seconds! They are perfect for upcoming holiday gatherings. The recipe makes about 35 pieces so you can easily serve two each. If you need more, double the recipe!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies:
- Cookies: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, black pepper, butter, brown sugar, egg, molasses, buttermilk, candied ginger
- Filling: white chocolate, confectioners’ sugar, ClearJel or cornstarch, cream cheese, butter, vanilla
PRO Tip:
Using a cookie scoop makes portioning doughs and batters very quick and easy, plus each piece is the same size and bake at the same rate. You will be amazed how fast you have your baking sheets or cupcake pans filled!
How to make Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies:
- Make the Cookies: Line baking sheet pans with parchment or lightly grease them. Whisk together the flour, salt, leaveners, and spices; set aside.
- Beat together the butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add in the egg, beat it in and scrape the bowl. Add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined, then the molasses, and finally the remaining dry ingredients. Mix in the buttermilk and scrape the bowl. Stir in the candied ginger.
- Bake the Cookies: Scoop the batter by rounded teaspoons and drop on the lined baking sheet, 12 to a pan. Bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and set. Cool on the pans until firm enough to transfer to wire racks to fully cool.
- Make the Filling: Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in bursts, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth. Set aside. In your mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted sugar and ClearJel or cornstarch thoroughly or you’ll get lumps. Add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and melted white chocolate, beating until smooth.
- Assemble the Cookies: Spread a heaping teaspoon of the filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top each on with a second cookie, rounded side up, sandwiching the filling between the cookies. Press gently if needed to spread the filling to the edges.
- Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Bring them out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving and bring to room temperature.
PRO Tip:
When I read a recipe and see that you have to beat the ingredients until fluffy for several minutes, I pull out my stand mixer. You can do this with a hand mixer but your arm will be tired by the time it is ready for the next step. And because most hand mixers have smaller motors, it takes longer. Make this adjustment if you are using a hand mixer.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Baking sheet pans
- Parchment sheets
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 teaspoon cookie scoop, extra small
- Wire cooling racks
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies (GF)
Mini Gingerbread Whoopie Pies are so much fun! For me, it isn’t the holiday season until I have gingerbread, preferably in several forms. These baby Whoopie pies will be the hit of the night when you serve them and win all the prizes!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2-1/2 cups (300g*) GF all-purpose flour blend* or regular all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum (only if using GF flour that doesn't already contain it)
- 1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp finely ground black pepper, optional
- 8 tbsp (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter, at warm room temperature
- 1/4 cup (53g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg (50g), at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (255g) mild molasses, not blackstrap
- 1/2 cup (113g) buttermilk or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) finely diced candied ginger
Filling
- 1/2 cup (85g) white chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
- 1-1/2 (170g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp Instant ClearJel** (from King Arthur Flour, see note) or cornstarch
- 6 oz (170g) cream cheese, at room temperature, cubed
- 5 tbsp (71g) butter, at warm room temperature, sliced
- 1-1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. To Make the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Line baking sheet pans with parchment or lightly grease them.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices; set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar, beating until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Beat in the egg, scraping the bowl. Add half the dry ingredients. Mix to combine, then beat in the molasses. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and finally the buttermilk. Scrape the bowl again. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger.
5. Use a rounded teaspoon or a 1-teaspoon cookie scoop (my preference) to drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 1-inch between cookies to allow for spreading, no more than 12 per sheet pan. You'll need to bake these in batches.
6. Bake the whoopie pies until puffed and set, about 9 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven, and cool on the pans until set enough to move, about a minute. Then transfer them to a wire rack. Refill the baking sheet and continue baking until all the dough is baked. Once they are all cool, make the filling.
7. To Make the Filling: Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each heating, until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the rest of the filling.
8. Whisk the sifted sugar with the ClearJel or cornstarch thoroughly in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. (If you don't mix completely, you will get lumps in your final filling!) Add the cubed cream cheese, sliced butter, vanilla, melted white chocolate, and salt, then gently mix until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high, beating until smooth, fluffy, and lighter in color.
9. Assemble the Cookies: Scoop a heaping teaspoonful of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. A 1-teaspoon cookie scoop worked perfectly for me.
10. Top each filled cookie with a second plain cookie, rounded side up, pressing gently to spread the filling to the edges. Cover and refrigerate until serving. These are best eaten on the day they are made.
11. About 1 hour before serving, remove the mini whoopie pies from the refrigerator and warm to room temperature … the filling is much more luscious this way. Share and enjoy!
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
* * ClearJel is a product made and sold by King Arthur Flour. It is simply modified food starch made from corn. It works in much the same way as cornstarch except it doesn’t make anything cloudy. It provides gelling properties for fruit pies, stabilizes whipped cream, thickens other fillings, and sugary fillings in coffee cakes, etc. It MUST be carefully blended with the sugar before introducing any liquids because it will clump badly if it isn’t distributed evenly.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a King Arthur Flour Recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
35Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 3g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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