I am super excited to bring this post to you today, not only do I have a delightful, healthy, and Fall-festive recipe for you, but thanks to Coaction, I also have a giveaway! Before we dive into the details of these Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, if you missed my last post, go back and take a quick peek at the fun facts and specs on these handy kitchen gadgets, then be sure to register below for a chance to win – the winner will receive one of each product!
Okay so let’s get to the scoop on these Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. It is no secret that I love sweets, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – give me something green and healthy, but don’t leave out dessert! Major sweet tooth. And Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are some of my absolute favorites, who doesn’t love a pair of soft pumpkin-infused cookies with cream cheese frosting sandwiched between the two?! I wanted to create a healthy Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipe last year and failed to do so. This year, I was determined to give these holiday favorites a healthy makeover.
The cookies aren’t complicated and come together with ease. Whole oats are ground to a fine flour like consistency, then combined with cashew meal, pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon, before sweetened with honey. The cream cheese frosting is just as effortless. Softened butter, cream cheese, honey, and vanilla quickly create a lovely frosting that can easily be sweetened to your preference by adding as much or as little honey as you’d like. Fresh ground cinnamon adds the finishing touch to this creamy frosting, while filling the room with a wonderful light scent of Fall.
These pies end up soft and moist with the perfect springy, yet dense texture. The spice flavors are full without being overpowering, and the cream cheese is sweet with just the perfect amount of tang, making these a lovely treat to add to your dessert spread for Thanksgiving. Not quite as rich as the traditional pumpkin whoopie pies, but delightful all the same as they embody the warm, comforting flavors of Fall.
Now lets briefly chat about these handy kitchen gadgets – not only were they a lot of fun to use, but they made both the baking and clean up a breeze.
I mentioned in my last post, that this Supoon from Dreamfarm is perhaps my favorite out of these five products. They are all great tools, each with their own innovative advantages, but I love that this one allows me to easily dish the pumpkin from the can, stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then scrap the bowl clean as I spoon out the cookies. And on top of that, I can set it on the counter without a mess.
These Levoons, also from Dreamfarm, are a unique approach to the traditional measuring spoons, with a convenient scraper that swipes across the top, pushing off any excess ingredients and resulting in the precise measurement – perfect for adding herbs, spices, and powders.
And this Silpat nonstick baking mat makes for very easy clean up. The cookies baked directly on the mat, without the need for cooking spray, and easily lifted off the mat within seconds of coming out of the oven. For clean up, I simply washed the mat in warm soapy water. I can’t wait to use this to roast sweet potatoes or winter squashes – so often the natural sugars release and caramelize or burn on my baking sheets, making clean up a nuisance.
I used this Butterfly Duo Scraper from Casabella to easily lift the cookies off the silpat baking mat, but it can also be used as a spatula to empty the bowl!
And finally, this little spice grater from KitchenIQ was truly a delight. This was my first time to use a spice grater, but it was so simple to use and I loved the fresh cinnamon scent wafting through the air. I have every intention of starting to buy spices, such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg, in their whole form so I can grind them fresh myself!
I hope I’ve convinced you to try these Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Pumpkin Whoopie Pies as well as register to win a set of these five Innovative Kitchen Gadgets! Josh, Brighton, and I are spending the rest of the week with family, we have so very much to be thankful for this year, most of all our sweet baby boy – I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with the ones you love!
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies + Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
Ingredients
- For the Pumpkin Cookies:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 6 tbsp honey {or maple syrup}
- 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
- 2 organic eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups organic oats certified gluten-free if necessary
- 1/4 cup cashew meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 tbsp unsalted organic butter softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup honey {or maple syrup} sweeten to your liking
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
- In a large bowl, add melted butter, honey, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla, then whisk until well combined.
- Add organic oats to NutriBullet and blend 8-10 seconds, to create a fine flour-like consistency.
- Repeat the same process with the cashew meal to create a finer texture, but be careful to only blend for 5-6 seconds or it will begin to create a nut butter texture rather than a fine flour.
- Add oat flour and ground cashew meal to a separate bowl, along with baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Whisk to combine all ingredients.
- Pour oat flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir until just mixed.
- Use a small spoon and scoop out 40-42 small mounds on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick silicone mat. Bake approximately 9 minutes, until slightly springy and a toothpick goes into the center and comes out clean. Remove cookies from pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, add softened butter, softened cream cheese, honey, vanilla, and freshly ground cinnamon to a bowl, beat until a fluffy consistency is reached.
- Once, the cookies have completely cooled and the frosting is ready, flip 20-21 of the cookies on their back, and spread with cream cheese frosting, then top with another cookie to create a mini pie. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving {unless you like them cold, then eat directly from refrigerator!}
Nutrition
