Description
Warm apple cinnamon spice whoopie pies bring autumn’s comfort right to your plate with a delightful dance of sweet and spicy flavors. Baked to perfection, these treats wrap your senses in a cozy embrace of seasonal goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Supporting Ingredients:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons apple cider
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Reduce apple cider in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until liquid measures ½ cup, which takes about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and spices in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat ½ cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil, ¾ cup applesauce, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on high speed until combined.
- Pour reduced apple cider into wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into the batter on low speed until completely combined.
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoon mounds of batter onto prepared sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Optional: Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Cookies should spring back when touched.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Beat ¾ cup butter until smooth. Add 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, spices, 3 tablespoons apple cider, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Adjust filling with extra cider or spices to taste. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
- Pair cookies by size. Spread or pipe filling on flat side of one cookie, then sandwich with another.
- Refrigerate leftover whoopie pies for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Reducing apple cider concentrates flavor and creates a deeper, more intense taste that makes these whoopie pies sing with autumn essence.
- Curdled-looking batter is totally normal, so don’t panic when your mixture looks slightly separated during mixing.
- Chilling the cookies overnight allows the spices to meld, resulting in a more robust flavor profile that gets better with time.
- For dietary modifications, swap out regular flour with gluten-free blend, use coconut oil instead of butter, and replace eggs with flax eggs to create a vegan-friendly version of this seasonal treat.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Pies
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 290 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg