This irresistible gluten-free whoopie pie recipe is made with two moist chocolate cake mounds filled with a creamy and fluffy pumpkin buttercream frosting. These pillowy whoopie pies won’t last long! This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
If you’ve ever had a whoopie pie, you’ll understand my motivation for wanting to desperately recreate this classic treat. I have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease where my immune system attacks my small intestine every time I eat gluten. The only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and sometimes oats, is found in most baked goods including whoopie pies, but when you make a baked good at home using gluten-free flour, you can safely enjoy your favorite treats without any worry of gluten in sight!
What is a Whoopie Pie?
A whoopie pie is made by sandwiching together two mound shape cake-like cookies that are filled with a creamy buttercream or Swiss meringue filling.
It goes by many names, including a black moon, a gob, a cookie sandwich, or a giant Oreo. I’ve always called it a whoopie pie, so that is the name I’ll be using going forward.
There is one brand that makes gluten-free whoopie pies, in case you don’t feel like making your own. It’s Katz Oatmeal Cream Pies (do not eat if you cannot tolerate or experience cross-reactivity to oats). There used to be a wonderful brand of gluten-free whoopie pies called The Piping Gourmet, but the company closed due in 2020.
This recipe is inspired by How to Bake Anything Gluten Free by Becky Excell, one of my favorite cookbooks and one I recommend for all budding and ambitious gluten-free bakers.
I stuffed my gluten-free whoopie pie recipe with a smooth and creamy pumpkin buttercream filling because it’s smack dab in the middle of fall and I’m craving anything pumpkin, but you could also use a simple buttercream (without pumpkin). I’ve included a simple vanilla buttercream recipe (without pumpkin) in the notes in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gluten-Free Whoopie Pies
To make these pillowy and perfectly sweetened gluten-free whoopie pies, start by making your chocolate cake cookie mounds.
Combine 1/2 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Then add 1 large egg to the milk mixture and whisk everything together with a fork.
Using a standing or handheld mixer, beat 3/4 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together 1 1/2 cups (222 grams) of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour blend, 2/3 cup of cacao powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. I highly suggest measuring the flour by weight vs. volume using a kitchen scale.
Alternate adding the milk mixture and the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing everything between additions until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add 1/4 cup of hot water and beat the batter until smooth.
Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, place 24 even mounds of the cake batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, then bake the cookies at 375º F for 10-12 minutes until they’re firm and lightly spring back when touched.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once they’re cooled completely, you can add the buttercream filling.
How to Make Pumpkin Buttercream
Using your standing or handheld mixer, mix 1 cup of salted butter, ½ cup of pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. Add 4 ½ cups of powdered sugar, adding 1 cup at a time, and beating the mixture in between additions.
Continuing beating the buttercream mixture until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. You can add up to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar for thicker frosting.
Pipe the buttercream frosting onto the flat side of one of the cookie mounds, then place a second cookie mound on top to form sandwich cookies.
Why We Love Whoopie Pies
If you haven’t had a whoopie pie, we need to change that ASAP. We love these gluten-free whoopie pies for so many reasons:
The Texture: The cake mounds turn out soft and spongy with the perfect texture you’ve been craving despite being made without gluten.
The Taste: These whoopie pies almost taste a little like a giant soft-baked Oreo cookie. They’re rich in chocolate flavor and offer a wonderful creamy filling.
The Creamy Frosting: The creamy pumpkin frosting offers the right amount of sweetness and a wonderful creamy texture, all of which take these whoopie pies to new heights. We love adding the touch of pumpkin in the fall.
They’re Fun: You won’t easily find gluten-free whoopie pies, so making homemade ones offers up a rare opportunity to enjoy this fun treat.
FAQs and Troubleshooting
How do you get the cakes to be evenly sized? You want the cookies to be as evenly sized as possible. Be sure to use a medium-sized cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to form your mounds.
Are there other filling options? Yes, you could use a vanilla buttercream (recipe in the Notes section of the Recipe Card below) or a Swiss Meringue filling.
Can I make them dairy free? You can try using plant-based milk (choose something rich and creamy like cashew milk) and plant-based butter; however, the texture may not be the same.
Can I make them egg free? I have not tried making them egg free, but if you do, I suggest trying this egg substitute.
Can I use a different gluten-free flour blend? I’ve only tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, but you could try making it with another blend. If you do, choose a 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup blend with xanthan gum or, if the mix doesn’t include xanthan gum, add 1 1/2 tsp of it. Also, be sure to measure the flour by weight with a kitchen scale. Check on the label of the flour you’re using to see what 1 1/2 cups of flour is in grams. Measuring flour by weight vs. volume for a better result.
Gluten-Free Whoopie Pies with Pumpkin Buttercream Filling
Ingredients
For the Whoopie Pie Cakes
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour 222 grams
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup hot water
For the Pumpkin Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to at 375º F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Combine the milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Then add 1 large egg to the milk mixture and whisk everything together with a fork.
- Using a standing or handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Alternate adding the milk mixture and the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing everything together between additions until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Add the hot water and beat the batter until smooth.
- Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, place 24 even mounds of the cake batter onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, then bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they're firm and lightly spring back when touched. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Once they're cooled completely, prepare the buttercream in your standing or handheld mixer. Beat together the butter, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Beat the mixture until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. You can add up to 1/2 cup more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting.
- Pipe the buttercream frosting onto the flat side of half of the cookie mounds, then place a second cookie mound on top to form sandwich cookies.
Notes
- 1/3 cup softened butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
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