Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies
Ok so I officially wish I were hosting a huge Easter gala purely for the potential dessert buffet. Monday’s Coconut Cream Cake would be front and center as well as some Mini Vanilla Bean Strawberry Layer Cakes and Chocolate Easter Nest Cupcakes. These Whoopie Pies would of course be piled high on a fancy cake stand as part of the spread. Because you know- bunnies eat carrots so carrot cake everything means Easter right?
Whoopie Pies are basically like a cupcake with the filling on the inside, packaged up in an easily stackable way. In a way- they make way more sense than cupcakes because each bite has a perfect amount of cake to frosting. In this case- cream cheese frosting which is obviously the best bet for carrot cake. Though perfect for Easter, it wouldn’t take much convincing for me to eat these beauties any old time!
Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, either light or dark will work!
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots*
For the Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, powder, spices and salt together in a medium sized bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Fold in the grated carrots.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion the batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake each batch for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Match the cookies up into pairs based on size and fill with cream cheese frosting (directions below.) Store in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
For Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy and lump-free.
Notes
Recipe adapted from: Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell via Tracey's Culinary Adventures
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
I love this twist on the classic chocolate and vanilla combo Audra. Yummy and totally fun for the kids on Easter. Pinning!
During this time of year I’m all about carrot cake anything! And these little babies would make for a great dessert to serve to my guests on Easter (even if I have a feeling I’ll be making them all spring and summer long!) , thanks for the inspiration!
These cookies look just beautiful! I really would like to try them.
These whoopie pies look so yummy Audra!! Love this recipe :)
I love carrot cake so these are a shoe-in! They look like like portable carrot cakes, YUM!
I love any cookie stuffed with frosting. Oh my, these are perfect! A dessert buffet sounds like a great idea.
Seriously droolworthy! And I love that you used cream cheese frosting. Pinned!
What a great idea! These are super cute!
We just came back from a long weekend in Pittsburgh where my English mister sampled his first whoopee pie. He was super excited to see me reading this :)
I made these for Easter and they were delicious! I’m excited to make more of your recipes!
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I made these last night on a whim and they turned out great! They aren’t quite as “puffy” as I’m used to with many whoopie pies I’ve made but the flavor and texture really delivers! Before adding the carrots, I divided the batter in half–just for fun–and, to one half I added the carrots, and to the other half I used diced banana and mini chocolate chips. Both were delicious! I baked the banana version longer, as they seemed a bit more moist and I didn’t want them to fall apart or get gummy. These are going to be a hit with my coworkers! I will say they aren’t the ‘prettiest’ treat I’ve ever made but they are just so down-to-earth and reminiscent of a treat you’d find at a small local bakery. Thanks spreading the word of this great recipe!
these are very moist & delicious! easy to make, as well. i made 1/2 recipe & got 6 pies from it. will probably add chopped walnuts next time (& there will definitely be a next time). also, do you know they make “clear vanilla?” it blew my mind & has greatly improved my bakes. thanks for the recipe!