Sandwich maple-sweetened cream cheese filling between two of these lightly spiced carrot cake cookies for a sweet treat indeed!

Preparation

For the carrot cake cookies, heat oven to 350°F and line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and nutmeg. (If using fresh ginger, it will be added later.)

In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla.

With a large spatula, fold in the grated carrots, coconut, pecans, and fresh ginger (if using). Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to place cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet with 2 inches of space in between them. 

Bake until cookies are set, 10–12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to cooling racks, then cool completely before filling. (If you prefer a more refined look, you can use a cookie cutter to trim off the edges of each cookie.)

For the maple cream cheese filling, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Beat in the powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time until smooth. If you find the filling is too soft, refrigerate to stiffen before filling the cookie sandwiches.

To assemble the whoopie pies, flip one cookie bottom-side up and pipe about 3–4 tablespoons of filling into the center, with about ¼ inch of space around the edge. Top with another cookie and press lightly to finish. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.