Apple Cider Whoopie Pies

Fall desserts are my favorite. Pumpkins and apples and all the warm spices; I love it all. These easy apple cider whoopie pies are as delicious as they sound, and my family can't wait for these to get out of the oven when I make them.

They actually remind me of my apple cider donuts, which are just as tasty. Honestly, I can't think of any apple cider desserts that are not amazing.

🍏🍺 What Is Apple Cider?

While apple juice is filtered and pasteurized, apple cider is not. It is still the same juice from pressed apples but has not gone through the pasteurization and filtration process.

**PS. Apple cider is not the same as hard apple cider (an alcohol-based drink) or apple cider vinegar (definitely not a sweet drink).

🥘 Ingredients

Apple Cider Whoopie Pie Cakes

• Apple Cider - You can use my homemade apple cider recipe or store-bought apple cider. I recommend reducing it first (instructions included) to enhance the flavor.
• Butter - Let your butter warm to room temperature before getting started.
• Sugars - You'll need both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. I enjoy using light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is tasty too.
• Eggs - Let your eggs come to room temperature to help the whoopie pies bake quickly and evenly. Set the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes to take the chill off last minute.
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract for extra flavor.
• Apple Butter - If you don't have apple butter, you can make your own instead of making a trip to the store. I highly recommend the extra step.
• Apple Pie Spice - Try my homemade apple pie spice blend or use a store-bought version.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda - Some baking powder and baking soda will help the cakes to rise, making the familiar whoopie pie shape and look.
• Salt - A small amount of salt will help to offset all the sweetness.
• Flour - All-purpose flour makes up the bulk of these cakes.

For Topping

• Butter - Melt your butter so that you can easily brush it onto your freshly baked cakes.
• Sugar & Cinnamon - Cinnamon sugar will be sprinkled over the top of the cakes.

Brown Sugar Buttercream (above, right photo)

• Butter - When making buttercream, it is best for your butter to be between 68-70°F (20-21°C), and not so soft that you can easily indent it with your fingertip.
• Brown Sugar - I also used light brown sugar for this buttercream, but dark would work too.
• Confectioners Sugar - Powdered sugar adds sweetness and thickens the frosting.
• Vanilla Extract - I always recommend pure vanilla extract.
• Heavy Cream - If you need to thin the frosting, a tiny bit of heavy cream will do the job.
• Salt - A small amount of salt is great for any frosting recipe, it balances out the sweetness. A splash of distilled white vinegar works too.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Apple Cider Whoopie Pies

These whoopie pies are easy to make from scratch. You will need a small saucepan, a baking sheet, a stand mixer, and measuring utensils.

This recipe will make 13 whoopie pies. Mini apple cider whoopie pies will yield 26 whoopie pies.

Step 1: Pour. Pour 2 cups (473 milliliters) of apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (photo 1).

Step 2: Simmer the apple cider. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes or until it is reduced to about ¼ cup. Set it aside to cool.

Step 3: Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Prepare the Whoopie Pie Batter

Step 4: Cream the butter. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together 6 tablespoons of butter, ½ cup (100 grams) of sugar, and ¼ cup (55 grams) of light brown sugar at medium speed until smooth and creamy (photo 2).

Step 5: Keep mixing. Add 2 large eggs and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix again until combined (photo 3).

Step 6: Add. Pour in the cooled ¼ cup of apple cider, ¼ cup (70 grams) of apple butter, 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix again until everything is well incorporated (photo 4).

Step 7: Mix in the flour. Add 1¾ cups (219 grams) of all-purpose flour and mix on low speed just until combined (photos 5 and 6).

Portion & Bake

Step 8: Portion. Use a cookie scoop to drop the balls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between each one (photo 7).

Step 9: Bake. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 11-13 minutes or until the cakes spring back slightly when poked (photo 8).

Step 10: Cool. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes.

Add Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Step 11: Make the topping. Meanwhile, mix ¼ cup (50 grams) of sugar and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (photo 9) and melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 12: Add the topping. Brush the cakes with the melted butter and either sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top or flip the cakes and dip the tops into the bowl of cinnamon sugar.

Step 13: Cool. Transfer the coated cakes to a wire rack to finish cooling (photo 10).

Prepare the Brown Sugar Buttercream

Step 14: Cream the butter. Cream together ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter and ¼ cup (55 grams) of light brown sugar using your stand mixer or a hand mixer until light and fluffy (photo 11).

Step 15: Add. Add 2 cups (240 grams) of confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon of salt (photo 12) and mix, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing the mixing speed until the frosting is thick and fluffy.

Step 16: Adjust the consistency. Pour in 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix again at medium-high speed until smooth.

Assemble the Whoopie Pies

Step 17: Add filling. Match up your cakes based on size and then pipe or spread the buttercream onto the bottom cake (photo 13).

Step 18: Finish. Place the second cake on top and serve immediately or chill for later.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• Make your own apple pie spice. Most store-bought apple pie spices contain cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. If using a store-bought spice mix, you could add an additional ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger to your spices for extra flavor. My homemade apple pie spice already includes ginger as an optional ingredient.  
• Reduce the apple cider first. Reducing the apple cider helps to strengthen its flavor. If you use regular apple cider that has not been reduced first, the flavor will be weaker. 
• Don't skip the apple butter. I really recommend picking up some apple butter for this recipe (it is so delicious!) You could get away with substituting it for applesauce, but I enjoy the extra depth of flavor that apple butter brings. 
• Make them minis! Portion out the whoopie pie dough in half the cookie scoop portion noted above (a scant tablespoon). Bake for 6-8 minutes.
• Add some caramel. There are a couple of ways that I like to incorporate caramel into these tasty cookies. Add a couple of tablespoons of caramel into your buttercream to make it a caramel brown sugar buttercream. Or, add a drizzle after piping the buttercream, before adding the top cake.

🥡 Storing

Keep any leftover whoopie pies stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Freezing

You can also freeze whoopie pies for up to 3 months. Individually wrap the cookies in plastic wrap or separate them using parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. 

Alternatively, you can freeze the cakes and frosting separately. Flash-freeze the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet after coating them with the cinnamon sugar.

After 1 hour transfer the cookies into a freezer storage bag or airtight container. Place the frosting in a bag or container and freeze together.

📖 Recipe Card