Vegan Whoopie Pies

In July I took my birthday cake over to some friends' house to share with them and their 3-year-old daughter. She always gets excited when I bring over treats. She likes sugar, so obviously we're friends. While we were all enjoying our dessert, I remarked that the cake consistency with the coconut whipped cream frosting reminded me of whoopie pies! Actually, I said, "I could totally make these into ho hos." But after a quick google search, my terminology was corrected. Vegan Whoopie Pies it was! These little gems are kind of amazing. Fluffy little chocolate cake-cookie hybrids filled with fluffy coconut whipped cream make a light, satisfying "cookies and cream" dessert. I think I'm in love. This recipe is simple, requiring just 1 bowl, easy methods, and basic ingredients. Plus, it also comes together in about 2 hours (after your coconut cream is chilled overnight). The extra planning ahead is totally worth the effort. These whoopie pies are amazing! They're: Fluffy Tender Chocolate-y Coconut-y Perfectly sweet & Satisfying Make these as a lighter dessert to have on hand during the week, or for special occasions like birthdays, baby showers, parties and more. Since they're both vegan and gluten free, they're the perfect treat everyone can enjoy. Three more perks? They're naturally sweetened (besides the coconut whipped cream), 170 calories each, and can be made up to a couple days in advance so you can plan ahead and save time. If you give these a try, let us know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe! It's super helpful for us. And while you're at it, take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see! We love seeing what you come up with. Cheers, friends! Vegan Whoopie Pies   Print Friendly Version Prep time 1 hour 30 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 2 hours   Fluffy, amazing vegan whoopie pies made in just 1 bowl with simple methods! Almost 100% naturally sweetened, gluten free, and so delicious. Author: Minimalist Baker Recipe type: Dessert Cuisine: Vegan Serves: 24 whoopie pies Ingredients CAKES 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened plain almond milk 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp (14 g) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp (75 ml) water) 1/4 cup (60 ml) grape seed or canola oil 1/3 cup (63 g) coconut sugar (or sub organic cane sugar) 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (75 ml) maple syrup or agave nectar 3/4 cups (185 g) unsweetened applesauce 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (54 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup (55 g) almond meal (finely ground from raw almonds) 1/4 cup (22 g) gluten free oat flour (finely ground from raw oats) 3/4 cups + 1 Tbsp (~130 g) gluten free flour blend* FILLING Two batches coconut whipped cream (NOTE: requires 2 14-ounce cans coconut cream chilled overnight in the refrigerator) Instructions In a large mixing bowl, prepare your coconut whipped cream with your chilled coconut cream. Follow these instructions to make a double batch, sweetened to taste (I found 6-8 Tbsp (42-56 g) to be the right amount). Transfer whipped cream to a large freezer bag (for piping) and set in the refrigerator to chill completely. Rinse out the mixing bowl to use for the batter. Measure out almond milk in a liquid measuring cup and add apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and baking soda and stir. Set aside. In your large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs by combining water and flaxseed meal. Let rest for 5 minutes while you prepare your other ingredients. Add the oil, coconut sugar, and maple syrup, and whisk to combine. Next add applesauce, vanilla, and salt, and whisk to combine. Then add almond milk mixture and whisk again until everything is thoroughly incorporated - about 30 seconds. Lastly, add baking powder, cocoa powder, almond meal, oat flour, and gluten free flour, and whisk to combine, making sure no large clumps remain. Transfer batter to the refrigerator to chill/thicken for 20 minutes, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two large baking sheets with non-stick spray (if you don’t have two baking sheets, just use one and bake the cakes in 4 batches). Once the oven is preheated, scoop out 1 heaping Tbsp amount of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1-inch of room for spreading. Use your tablespoon to slightly spread them into a small disc. One standard baking sheet should fit 12 cakes. Repeat on second baking sheet. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the edges appear dry. (I found 12 minutes to be the perfect time.) Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Repeat this process, baking the mini cakes until all batter is used - you should have about 48 total cakes. Once the cakes are completely cooled to the touch, clip a small corner of the coconut whipped cream bag off and pipe a generous amount (see photo) of coconut whipped cream onto the under-side of 24 cakes. Carefully top with another cake of similar size and shape and press down slightly. Arrange on large serving plates or a cooled baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. You can enjoy these immediately; however, I found them to hold up better after 1 hour of refrigeration (and even better after 6 hours or overnight). Leftovers will keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Notes *For the gluten free flour blend, I've tested both with my DIY Blend and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Blend and found that I slightly preferred the Bob's blend in terms of the cake's texture. However, both will do!*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 whoopie pie of 24 with generous amounts of coconut whipped cream filling.*Prep time does not include chilling coconut cream overnight.*Adapted from my 1-Bowl Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. Nutrition Information Serving size: 1 whoopie pie of 24 Calories: 170 Fat: 11.8 g Saturated fat: 7.6 g Carbohydrates: 16.9 g Sugar: 9.1 g Sodium: 109 mg Fiber: 2.7 g Protein: 2.4 g 3.3.3077  

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