Mini Oatmeal-Cranberry Whoopie Pies

By Melissa Clark

Published Nov. 16, 2022

Mini Oatmeal-Cranberry Whoopie Pies
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(411)
Comments
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These whoopie pies may be small, but they are packed with flavor. Chewy oatmeal cookies are spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and studded with dried cranberries. After baking, they’re sandwiched around a tangy, fluffy cream cheese and cranberry filling. Make them up to three days ahead and store them in the refrigerator, stacked between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container, or freeze them for up to 1 month. Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, and substitute other dried fruit (raisins, chopped apricots, diced apple) for the cranberries. These are as adaptable as they are adorable.

Featured in: Yes, There Are Great Thanksgiving Desserts That Aren’t Pie

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 dozen sandwich cookies

    For the Cookies

    • ¾cup/170 grams unsalted butter, softened
    • 1cup/210 grams dark brown sugar
    • ⅓cup/66 grams granulated sugar
    • 2large eggs
    • 1tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
    • 1teaspoon baking soda
    • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¾teaspoon fine sea or table salt
    • ¼teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • ¼teaspoon ground ginger
    • 3cups/350 grams rolled oats (not instant)
    • 1½cups/225 grams dried cranberries

    For the Filling

    • 8ounces/227 grams cream cheese, softened
    • 2cups/230 grams confectioners’ sugar
    • 1cup/228 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • ⅛teaspoon fine sea or table salt
    • ⅓cup/100 grams whole-berry cranberry sauce, preferably homemade but canned is OK (don’t use jellied sauce, as it’s too thin)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

360 calories; 18 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 179 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees with racks in top and bottom thirds, and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the cookies: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully combined, then beat in vanilla.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Beat into egg mixture just until combined, then fold in oats and cranberries.

  4. Step 4

    Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and place on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake (in two batches) until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, make the filling: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk, beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in sugar, butter and salt, beating until well combined, 2 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cranberry sauce into the filling mixture, leaving streaks. Refrigerate the filling until it firms up enough to spread but doesn’t completely solidify, 10 to 30 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    To assemble the sandwiches, turn over half the cooled cookies. Top with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling, and sandwich with remaining cookies. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
411 user ratings
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Comments

Lolly

This says the cookies can be frozen for one month. Is that before or after after filling them? Or just freeze the cookies without the filling, and thaw them and fill them when you’re wanting to serve them? Please clarify, thanks.

Joy

The cookies are tasty, as is the frosting, but I'm not convinced the combination made a good whoopie pie. The texture is just all wrong to me. By the time you bite through the chewy cookie the frosting has all squeezed out - unless you freeze it, and then the cookie is hard as rock. I think in future I'll stick with whoopie pies with a more cakey texture, which better compliments the soft filling.

Mrs. Young

Pastry chef here: I’ve noticed commenters complaining about the sugar content of these cookies, reducing it, then complaining the cookies weren’t soft. I’m always frustrated & amused by hobby bakers who make adjustments in formulas which are fatal to texture, taste, mouthfeel or the overall quality of a dish, then “rate” it a failure. Sugar is a tenderizer & needed in its quantity here for proper texture. If you cannot have sugar - don’t bake. But don’t screw around with the ingredients.

Sarah

I made these more summer friendly by folding in 3/4 cup of wild blueberries (always sweeter than mass-produced blueberries) to the filling. Gave a beautiful, violet color to the frosting! I also substituted golden raisins in the cookie mix rather than dried cranberries. It was also helpful to make the filling first and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least an hour prior to applying to the cookies as this helped to firm it up more so.

JemmaJane

These have become a family favorite since I first made them for Thanksgiving last year!! My step-son asks for them specifically!! Wonderful recipe!!

Louise A

I only used two cups of oatmeal and they came out perfect.

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