Description
Delight in these soft and spiced Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies filled with a creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting. Perfectly pillowy carrot cookies sandwich a rich, smooth filling, capturing all the beloved flavors of carrot cake in a convenient handheld treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 ½ cups grated carrots (about 6 full-size carrots)
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted (optional)
For the Filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside for easy cleanup and non-stick baking.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, providing a smooth base for your batter.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Continue beating as you add in the eggs and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and ground ginger to the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined to avoid developing gluten, which can toughen the cookies.
- Incorporate Carrots and Walnuts: Fold in the grated carrots and toasted walnuts gently, ensuring an even distribution without overmixing the dough.
- Scoop and Bake: Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop dough mounds about 2 inches apart onto the prepared parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cookies feel set.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for best frosting results.
- Prepare Filling: In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together for 3 to 4 minutes until creamy and well combined.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Vanilla: Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture, beating until smooth and fluffy to create a luscious frosting.
- Assemble Whoopie Pies: Transfer the filling to a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a small corner snipped off. Pipe a swirl of filling onto the flat side of half the cooled cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies on top gently to create whoopie pies.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough; mixing just until combined keeps cookies tender and soft.
- Watch the baking time carefully to avoid overbaking which can lead to dry cookies; they will firm up after removal from the oven.
- Use an even scoop to maintain uniform cookie size for consistent baking and presentation.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent the filling from melting.
- Store assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 whoopie pie (1 cookie sandwich)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
