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Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies are created by filling two soft carrot cake cookies with a generous swirl of cream cheese icing! The soft carrot cake cookies are packed with coconut and pecans, making a delicious whoopie pie, full of texture and flavor.

This whoopie pies recipe makes the perfect sweet treat for spring, Easter, or any other time of the year. Using my tried and true Moist Carrot Cake Recipe was key to making this fabulous treat.

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie sitting on a bed of flaked coconut
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Should Make These
2 Reader Endorsement:
3 Frequently Asked Questions
4 Tips for Making Whoopie Pies
5 Ingredient Notes
6 More Carrot Cake Recipes:
7 Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Why You Should Make These

The family did pretty much revolt when I let them know I made a carrot cake version of their beloved traditional chocolate whoopie pies. Katie first asked if I added nuts. Ummm, yeah. The picky hubby doesn’t do nuts, either, and I think coconut is even higher on his dislike list. Our oldest was over for our usual Sunday night family meal and though he was a willing taste tester,  his response was that they “taste like carrot cake.” Period. Well, I guess I would have been disappointed if they didn’t! Not so helpful.

But if you love carrot cake as much as I do, this recipe provides an easier way to get your fix with built-in portion control. A slice of carrot cake enveloped in rich cream cheese frosting has many more calories than one of these frosting-filled cakelets.

Plus, they’re incredibly delicious! I gave up sweets for Lent, but “some” say that Sunday is a free day. Since I wasn’t getting any usable feedback from the family, I considered it my duty to give these filled carrot cake cookies a taste. I was only going to eat half, but I just couldn’t let that poor little remnant go uneaten. I even thought of nibbling on a second until I snapped out of my sugar coma and came to my senses. Carrot cake desserts are very high on my favorites list. These carrot cake whoopie pies were terrific!

Reader Endorsement:

From Amy: Delish! Many compliments. Made mini versions. Added chopped toasted nuts and toasted coconut to the outside of the filling. Added nice color and texture.

2 Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies stacked in a white bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Whoopie Pie?

Whoopie Pies originated in New England by the Pennsylvanian Amish, and are two soft cookies or mounds of cake with a creamy filling. Typically chocolate, there are also spiced cookie, pumpkin, and now carrot cake versions. The traditional chocolate whoopie pies have a vanilla cream filling, but my favorite is a marshmallow creme-based filling. This cream cheese filling is pretty darn tasty, too.

According to Wikipedia, whoopie pies are also known as Black moons, gobs, black-and-whites, bobs, BFO, and Big Fat Oreos.

How Do You Store Whoopie Pies?

The cakes can get too moist if stored at room temperature. I recommend keeping them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap or place a layer of waxed paper between layers if you stack them. Bring them to room temperature to serve for the best flavor and texture.

Can You Freeze Whoopie Pies?

Yes, they freeze well for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving plus, as noted above, bring to room temperature for the tastiest indulgence.

Tips for Making Whoopie Pies

  • I’ve used a Whoopie Pie Pan (affiliate link) for baking up my chocolate whoopie pies and red velvet whoopie pies, but I found these worked just fine baked on a baking sheet.
  • PRO-Tip: To make them consistent sized,  use a 2 1/2-3-inch diameter biscuit cutter and draw circles, leaving 2 inches of space between them, on a piece of parchment. Flip it over and place it on a baking sheet. Use that template to drop and spread out your dough.
  • Let the carrot cake “cookies” completely cool before filling them. If you want to get fancy, you can use a piping bag and a star tip to swirl the frosting on the flat bottom of one of the whoopie pies, then add the top with the flat side down.
  • If the nuts are the only thing keeping you from trying this recipe, it’s perfectly fine to omit them!

Ingredient Notes

  • Eggs, Butter, Cream Cheese should be at room temperature for the best blending and incorporation. Set them out 1-2 hours, but nor longer, before you plan to use them.
  • Nuts should be toasted, cooled then chopped. Roasting brings out the natural oils and makes the nuts more flavorful. Cook for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees, shaking the pan at the halfway point and watching carefully as they can easilly burn.
  • Sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumpy filling.
  • Always use real, not imitation, vanilla extract. There is a world of difference in the flavor, and imitation won’t provide the best results.

More Carrot Cake Recipes:

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies - All the magnificent flavors of carrot cake in these fabulous whoopie pies
The Recipe:

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 18 whoopie pies

All the spectacular flavors of carrot cake in whoopie pie form!

Ingredients

For cookies:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups grated carrots (2-3 carrots)
  • 1/2 cup chopped, roasted pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.
  3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and both sugars until light. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in the flour mixture just until combined, then add the carrots, nuts and coconut. Chill the batter for an hour before scooping.
  4. Using a medium cookie disher, drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes each or until the cakes spring back when pressed with a finger. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely before filling.
  5. To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and butter till combined. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, and beat until smooth.
  6. To assemble the whoopie pies, spread or pipe the filling onto the flat side of one cake. Top it with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

Notes

Adapted from Serious Eats.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1 whoopie pie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 273Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 287mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts