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Apple Cider Whoopie Pies

Apple cider whoopie pies with golden-spiced cake rounds and a smooth cream cheese filling. The apple cider is reduced for deep flavor, then baked into soft, puffed cookies before sandwiching.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Servings: 18 whoopie pies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
ginger
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
cloves
  • 0.25 tsp cloves
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt
unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened, for the cakes
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened, for the filling
brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
egg
  • 1 egg
vanilla
  • 1 tsp vanilla for the cakes
  • 1 tsp vanilla for the filling
apple cider, reduced to 1/3 cup
  • 0.75 cup apple cider, reduced to 1/3 cup reduce until reduced by half
sour cream
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
cream cheese
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
powdered sugar
  • 2 cup powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 small saucepan

Method
 

Make the apple cider reduction and prep
  1. Reduce apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes, then cool until just warm. The liquid should look darker and more syrupy as it reduces.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line sheet pans with parchment. The papers should lie flat so the cookie rounds bake evenly.
Mix and bake the whoopie pie cakes
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl until evenly speckled. Dry ingredients should look uniform with no spice clumps.
  2. Beat softened unsalted butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. The mixture should lighten in color and appear airy.
  3. Add egg, vanilla, and reduced apple cider to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until smooth. The batter should look cohesive and glossy.
  4. Alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream, mixing just until combined after each addition. Stop when you no longer see dry streaks to keep the cakes tender.
  5. Drop 2-tablespoon rounds onto the prepared sheet pans, spacing them apart. The tops should be mounded and uniform in size.
  6. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes until the cookies puff and the centers look set. They should spring back lightly when touched.
  7. Cool the cakes completely on the sheet pans or racks before filling. They should feel firm and room temperature so the filling won’t melt.
Fill and assemble
  1. Beat cream cheese, softened unsalted butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. The filling should be thick, spreadable, and free of lumps.
  2. Sandwich the filling between cooled cakes, pressing gently to spread to the edges. The final whoopie pies should look thick with even filling lines.

Notes

Pro tip: Reduce the apple cider until it’s visibly syrupy, then cool it so the batter doesn’t get too loose. Store assembled whoopie pies in the refrigerator up to 4 days for best texture; freeze up to 1 month with parchment between layers and thaw in the fridge. For a dietary swap, use a dairy-free cream cheese and butter substitute in the filling to make them lactose-free (texture may be slightly softer).