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Apple Cider Whoopie Pies

Apple cider whoopie pies with soft, spiced cookie rounds and a cinnamon-vanilla cream cheese filling. Reduced apple cider adds warm flavor, while a light glaze-like cider sweetness is built into the batter for tender, puffed cakes.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 18 whoopie pies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cakes
  • 2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
  • 0.25 tsp cloves
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 cup apple cider Reduce to 1/3 cup, then use 1/4 cup in the batter.
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
For filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Reduce the apple cider
  1. Simmer apple cider until reduced to 1/3 cup, then cool completely so it won’t curdle the batter.
Make the spiced cakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line sheet pan(s) with parchment.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth, then beat in egg, vanilla, and the reduced cider.
  3. Alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream to the batter until just combined.
  4. Drop 2-tablespoon rounds onto the baking sheet, spacing them apart for even spreading.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F until the cookies are puffed and set around the edges.
  6. Cool the cakes completely before filling so the cream stays thick and holds its shape.
Fill and assemble
  1. Beat the filling ingredients until smooth, with no lumps for an even sandwich.
  2. Sandwich the filling between two cooled cakes, pressing lightly so the filling spreads to the edges without squeezing out.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the reduced cider and the baked cakes fully before mixing and assembling—warm components can soften the cream cheese filling. Store assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze unassembled baked cakes up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge) and assemble after thawing; you can also freeze assembled pies up to 1 month for best texture if tightly wrapped. For a dairy-light swap, use low-fat cream cheese and low-fat butter sticks, keeping the filling smooth.