Do you like a soft, cakey cookie sandwich with a fluffy sweet filling? Look no further than these Grain-Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. I wanted to make a grain-free Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ (SCD) version of these because I I used to order some from an SCD bakery every holiday. That bakery is no longer in business and I was missing them.
I had never made whoopie pies before so this involved some trial and error on the cookies – be sure to check out my video below for the near fail. I needed a cookie that would hold together, but was light enough to not squish the filling right out of the cookie sandwich.
Important note: The Marshmallow Cream noted in the the recipe must be homemade for SCD. My recipe is here.
What kind of cookie is used for grain-free whoopie pies?
I used a modification of my Snickerdoodle cookies to make the soft pumpkin cookies for this recipe. I knew the cookies were cake-like so I thought they would be perfect for whoopie pies if I spread them out. I was worried at first, after I made them, that they would be too heavy, but in the end they turned out perfect (again, see the video)!
Tips for making grain-free whoopie pies
- The first lesson I learned is a typical one in SCD baking: Be patient. Getting the filling to set up correctly was the key to getting the perfect sandwich for the whoopie pies. That required a few hours of refrigeration.
- Frost each half and then refrigerate until the frosting is set. It will still be sticky enough to put the cookies together.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting.
- I used a silicone mold to get the round shape for the whoopie pies.
How do you make the filling for the pumpkin whoopie pies?
For these whoopie pies I made a Marshmallow Butter Cream Frosting (see recipe below). It is so delicious you will probably want to use it for frosting cakes or as a filling. To make this I made Marshmallow Cream the day before. When you refrigerate marshmallow cream it turns into a big marshmallow, but it still whipped up perfectly with the frosting.
Grain-Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Buttercream Filling
Equipment
- 2 3-inch round silicone molds see recipe for how to make without molds
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp ginger
- coconut oil for greasing mold
Marshmallow Butter Cream Frosting
- ¼ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 2 cups homemade marshmallow cream
Instructions
- Make the homemade marshmallow cream ahead of time
Pumpkin Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Lightly grease baking mold with coconut oil and place molds on baking sheet(s) to keep them stable
- Add ¼ cup softened butter, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl
- Beat on medium speed until just combined
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and spices
- Beat on medium speed to combine
- Use mixing spoon to form the dough into a ball
- If using molds, spread dough evenly in molds so they are almost full
- If baking on a baking sheet, place dough in freezer for 30 minutes, then form into cookies and space evenly on baking sheet, push down to flatten so they are about a quarter to half-inch thick
- Bake in molds for 20 – 25 minutes until center is soft, but firm to the touch – not doughy
- If baking without molds – bake for 12 – 15 minutes until firm on top
- Cool in pans about ten minutes and then cool the rest of the way on a wire rack
Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
- Add ¼ cup softened butter and ⅓ cup honey to mixing bowl
- Use electric mixer to cream together until smooth
- Add vanilla and almond milk
- Beat to mix the ingredients – they won't incorporate completely
- Add cashew butter
- Beat on medium speed until mixture is creamy
- Add marshmallow cream
- Beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and creamy
Whoopie Pie Assembly
- Once cookies are cool, frost the TOP of each half and place on a plate
- Refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the frosting to set
- Put the cookies together to make your whoopie pie
- Store in refrigerator for 3 – 4 days
Video
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