I must admit, I never had a whoopie pie before I made these. It turns out I like them. They’re like an inverse cupcake, and they were fun and easy to make. They’re also a lot easier to frost than a cupcake, and they look pretty any way you do them. Next time I might pipe the frosting in to make them a bit neater, but just using a knife worked fine.
I had no idea how they’d turn out, since I made up the recipe using a few others for paleo cupcakes, hoping that it would all be alright in the end. Whew! They turned out really well, and I think most people would be hard pressed to realize that they were totally grain free if they weren’t told.
Of course, one star of the whoopie pie show here is my famous chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, which is crazy out-of-this-world delicious. But the other frosting I whipped up, a coconut maple orange frosting, was a yummy contrast to the chocolate, and my guests couldn’t agree which one they liked better.
That means you’ll have to try both fillings and decide for yourself. I’ll give you a clue, though—if you want the easy option, don’t attempt the chocolate frosting. It’s a pain in the butt, but SO worth the effort.
Like the Jamaican patties, The Husband couldn’t resist trying one of these right as they were finished, as you can see from the photo. He may have been persuaded to share it with me. We ate it purely to make sure that the whoopie pies were good enough to serve our guests. The ONLY reason, of course…
CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES (Paleo and gluten free)
Makes about 18 small pies
Cookies
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted & cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Using a mixer, combine the whole eggs, coconut oil and applesauce. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat well.
Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites in carefully.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scoop (about a one-tablespoon capacity), place heaping scoops about 2 inches apart on the trays.
Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate and spin the trays on the oven racks so they bake evenly. Let cool completely before filling with frosting. (And I mean completely, as they will melt the frosting and slide all over the place. I know this from impatient experience!)
Coconut Maple Orange Frosting
1/2 cup coconut butter (manna)
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup pasture-raised butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs orange zest
1/3 cup maple syrup
Blend together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Assemble: Take two similarly sized cookies and frost one of them. Use as much filling as you’d like. Press other cookie on top, and set aside. Repeat until all cookies are paired and stuffed.
