Pumpkin scooter pies are two soft little pumpkin cakes with cream cheese filling tucked between them. They start with a cake mix, taste like fall, and don’t require a fork. What’s not to love?
These would be right at home at a fall potluck, beside a cup of afternoon coffee, or on your Thanksgiving dessert table. Sometimes you want a little pumpkin something without committing to a whole slice of pie. Although I certainly wouldn’t discourage you from having both pumpkin pie AND pumpkin scooter pies!.
You might call these pumpkin whoopie pies, but I’m keeping the scooter-pie name. It makes me smile, and a dessert this good deserves a fun name.
The cream cheese filling is delicious as-is. If you’d like a little bourbon in yours, I’ve included that as an optional variation below.
These little cakes are easy because they start with a yellow or golden butter or spice cake mix. Add canned pumpkin puree, eggs, plain whole milk Greek yogurt, and vegetable oil.
Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. If you choose a yellow or golden butter cake mix, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves listed in the recipe. A spice cake mix already brings its own seasoning.
Beat everything together until well blended. That’s your batter!
Precision was never my gift, so I used my #12 ice cream scoop to portion it onto parchment-lined baking sheets. It helps me keep the cakes a similar size, which is handy when you’re matching tops and bottoms.
Mine are about 3½ inches across. You can make yours smaller if you’d like a more dainty treat. Around here, we are not dainty, and we have hearty appetites, so mine are about the size of a regular donut.
Leave some space between the cakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and the edges look slightly dry. Smaller cakes will need less baking time.
Let the cakes cool completely before adding the filling. Warm cake and cream cheese frosting can make a delicious mess, but we’re trying to build sandwiches here.
Confession: I licked the beaters because the batter tasted amazing. I know you are not supposed to, but I couldn’t help myself. I took the risk- I consider it my right as the dishwasher and cleanup crew! 😉
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the filling is thick enough to spread and hold its place between the cakes.
Start with three cups of powdered sugar and add more as needed. Without the bourbon, you may not need the full four cups.
This filling makes you hope there’s a little left in the bowl, you know?
Match the cooled cakes into pairs of similar size. Spread filling on the flat side of one cake, leaving a little room around the edge. Put its partner on top, flat side down, and press gently.
The filling will squish outward when you add the top, so don’t get carried away spreading it all the way to the edge.
A light dusting of powdered sugar makes a pretty finishing touch. Tap it through a small sieve if you have one.
And there you have it: pumpkin scooter pies, ready for sharing. Or for enjoying with your coffee before anybody discovers you made them.
These are finger food! Pick one up, nibble around the edges, and keep a napkin handy. So. Darn. Tasty.
For a grown-ups-only variation, beat one to two tablespoons of bourbon into the filling along with the vanilla. Add a little more powdered sugar if needed to keep the filling thick and spreadable.
That’s optional, not required. The plain cream cheese filling deserves its own fan club. 🧡
Two soft pumpkin cakes sandwiched around sweet cream cheese filling, with an optional dusting of powdered sugar.
For smaller scooter pies, use smaller scoops of batter and begin checking for doneness earlier. The yield will increase.
For the optional bourbon filling, add one to two tablespoons of bourbon with the vanilla, then adjust the powdered sugar as needed.
If you’re still in a pumpkin mood, try my easy pumpkin bread with cake mix, pumpkin poke cake with caramel, or my five-ingredient pumpkin cheesecake bites. Easy recipes are always welcome around here, especially when fall gets busy!
If you make these scooter pies, I’d love to hear about them. A ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐comment or review helps my little business, and knowing you’re making my recipes tickles me more than you know.
Love,
GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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