I texted a friend in Atlanta the other day and told her I was testing a new gluten-free recipe for chocolate pumpkin whoopie pies, and her response was, “what’s a whoopie pie?”
It turns out that whoopie pies are unique to New England and Pennsylvania. As a resident of Massachusetts, whoopie pies are pretty commonplace around here, but they are unfamiliar to people pretty much everyone else. Whoopie pies are a hand-held dessert made with two soft, round cake-like cookies, and they are filled with vanilla buttercream frosting and marshmallow fluff in between. While they are similar to an Oreo cookie in shape, they are bigger and softer, and the filling is creamier.
My dietitian riff on whoopie pies takes them in a new, healthier direction. For this recipe, I created gluten-free cookies with almond flour and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to1 baking flour, and I added puréed pumpkin to the cookie batter (it’s autumn and Halloween after all) to eliminate the need for added butter or oil. For the filling, I simplified and healthified things by using light cream cheese, pumpkin, and just half a cup of powdered sugar.
My whoopie pies are easy to make, lighter in fat and calories than the traditional treat, and they contain fiber and vitamin A from the puréed pumpkin.
When it comes to canned pumpkin purée, I’m a super fan. Here’s why:
– Canned pumpkin contains one ingredient: PUMPKIN!
– It’s nutritious. One serving (1/2 cup) has 3 grams of fiber, a day’s worth of vitamin A (which supports a healthy immune system), zero added sugar, and just 45 calories
– It’s versatile. If you search my blog, you’ll find all sorts of recipes that call for pumpkin purée including my Pumpkin Maple Pancakes, Pumpkin Turkey Chili, Black Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce, and Gingersnap Pumpkin Mousse.
– Leftover pumpkin purée can be portioned out, placed into resealable plastic bags, and frozen for later use.
I created a similar whoopie pie a few years ago and it’s been a favorite with my friends at Kids Cooking Green for their hands-on cooking classes (in person and now via Zoom). I decided to simplify and streamline the recipe this year and to also make it gluten-free so those who follow a GF diet can also enjoy it.
- 1 cup gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Filling:
- One 8-ounce package ⅓ less fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature for about 30 minutes
- ¼ cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside, Whisk together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the egg, milk, sugar, pumpkin, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk together until well combined. Whisk or stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients until well combined.
- Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between the cakes. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, about 8 minutes, or until the cakes are puffed and springy to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining batter. You should make a total of 24 cakes.
- For the filling, place the cream cheese, pumpkin, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, and whisk until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt until blended.
- To assemble, spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling on the flat side of half of the cakes (a total of 12), and then top with the remaining cakes to create the pies.
Let me know if you give these whoopie pies a try. They do not disappoint!
yum yum and yum. Thanks Liz. Been using your recipe in our Kids Cooking Green class with great results. Looking forward to following this newest version!
It’s just as awesome as the original!! The kids can make them bigger or smaller. Whatever they prefer. But the GF version makes this recipe accessible to everyone (but not those w/ a nut allergy, of course).