These Apple Cider Whoopie Pies are tender and flavorful cakes made with apple cider and applesauce, plus a rich caramel cream cheese frosting to bring them together. And for good measure, sprinkled over the top is a little salted caramel sugar. Yum! These are a definite worth making fall season recipe!

Apple Cider Whoopie Pies with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting | All Images © Sovuh, LLC

A Brief History of the Whoopie Pie

Is a Whoopie Pie a Cake, a Pie, or Cookie?

Whoopie pies are small cakes that are baked as cookies on a baking sheet. You take one of the small chocolate cakes, spread on the frosting or filling, then you top it with another small cake. Wah-la, a whoopie pie!

Some people have even referred to them as inside-out cupcakes, but I've always thought of them as sandwiched cakes.

Why Is It Called a Whoopie Pie?

Whoopie pies are a well-known Pennsylvania German and Lancaster Amish tradition that are also known as “Gobs” to those that live out in Western PA. They are also considered to be a familiar from the New England states as well.

It's believed that whoopie pies came from left over cake batter that were placed in children's lunches.

When the children would open up their lunch and saw them, they'd (allegedly) yell, “Whoopie!” I don't know if this is exactly true or not, but what I do know is they are unbelievably flavorful!

And over the years there have been many different variations of whoopie pies made, but the familiar has always been chocolate cake with marshmallow filling or vanilla buttercream frosting.

And if you ever get the chance, you need to make your way to Strasburg, PA for the Whoopie Pie Festival! I missed it the last couple of years, but I've been to it twice before and sweet Lord, there are so many whoopie pies it's crazy!

To give you an idea of what it's like, there is literally a giant tent filled with every whoopie pie imaginable! They even have the largest whoopie pie ever on display!

House-made Apple Cider Whoopie Pies | All Images © Sovuh, LLC

What goes in

To make these apple cider whoopie pies, you will need the following ingredients:

Apple Cider. Not to be confused with apple cider vinegar—do not use that, please. The apple cider gets boiled down to 1/4 cup.
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Spices. You will need ground cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice, and salt.
Unsalted Butter. For the best results, use room-temperature butter.
Granulated Sugar
Light Brown Sugar
Eggs. Just like the unsalted butter, it's good to have these at room temperature too.
Unsweetened Applesauce
Salted Caramel Sugar. Used only for sprinkling the apple cider whoopie pie tops — that is this optional ingredient.

Apple Cider Whoopie Pies | All Images © Sovuh, LLC

Essential Whoopie Pie Baking Tools

Below are some helpful tools when making this house-made apple cider whoopie pies recipe.

The Best Apple Cider Whoopie Pies recipe | All Images © Sovuh, LLC

Tips for Making the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

You can use any store-bought jar of caramel sauce or topping for this caramel cream cheese frosting recipe.
If you can't find salted caramel sugar for sprinkling, you can omit that step and instead use a salted caramel sauce in the frosting recipe.
You can use an offset spatula to add the frosting to the whoopie pie cakes. You can also pipe the frosting on, which is what I did.
I used the Wilton 1A piping tip and a large piping bag. Worked evenly!
If needed, the caramel cream cheese frosting can be kept tightly covered in the mixing bowl in the fridge overnight. Before using, allow the frosting to come to room temperature, then re-whip using your mixer.

Apple Cider Whoopie Pie FAQs

Why do I need to boil down the apple cider before using it in the method?

The reason we boil down the apple cider in this method is to give it a stronger, more concentrated flavor.

Can Use apple cider vinegar in place of apple cider.

No, please do not use this as a replacement.

How long should it take to boil down apple cider?

Boiling down the apple cider takes roughly 10-15 minutes. And make sure to cool the cider down before you add it to the whoopie pie cake batter.

How many apple cider whoopie pies does this method yield?

This method yields 10 fully assembled whoopie pies.

What size cookie scoop should Use?

You can use a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop for smaller whoopie pies or a 2-3 tablespoon-size cookie scoop for larger whoopie pies. Using the larger cookie scoops will yield fewer whoopie pies.

Do I have to use the salted caramel sugar?

No, this is an optional ingredient used only for garnish on the tops of each whoopie pie.

What is the best way to store apple cider whoopie pies?

Try keep the apple cider whoopie pies tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. In the refrigerator, they will last 3 to 5 days. Freezing them will last about 3 months. Allow them to come to room temperature before eating.

Ingredients

whoopie pie cakes

1 cup Apple Cider, boiled down to 1/4 cup (not to be confused with apple cider vinegar)

2 cup All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Apple Pie Spice

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce

Salted Caramel Sugar, for sprinkling the whoopie pie tops

caramel cream cheese frosting

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened

2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/4 cup Caramel Sauce, store-bought

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted

1-2 tbsp Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream, only to be used if needed to thin out the frosting

Method

whoopie pie cakes

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the 1 cup of apple cider to a rapid boil until it's reduced to 1/4 cup (takes about 10-15 minutes). Allow to cool completely.

Adjust oven rack to 2nd level position (just above center) and heat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and very lightly spray with a flour-based baking spray (this prevents them from sticking to the paper). Alternatively, you can use a silicone baking mat without spraying it. Set to the side.

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice, and salt. Set to the side.

Using your hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the eggs, unsweetened applesauce, and cooled apple cider (remember, only 1/4 cup), then mix until completely blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add in the whisked dry mixture. Stir together until just combined.

Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop (recommended), drop a generous scoop of apple cider cake batter on to the prepared baking sheet, spacing each cake about 1 1/2- to 2-inches apart (they will spread out, but not by a lot).

Sprinkle the tops with a little of the salted caramel sugar, then place in the oven and bake at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes or until the center of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.

Remove from oven and, if so desired, sprinkle the tops with just a little more salted caramel sugar.

Allow cakes to cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.

caramel cream cheese frosting

Using your hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter together until smooth and creamy. Add in the caramel sauce and vanilla extract.

Switch the mixer speed to low and gradually add in the sifted powdered sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

If your frosting is too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream or milk to thin it out a little. Likewise, if you feel your frosting isn't thick enough, add a little more sifted powdered sugar.

assembling the apple cider whoopie pies

Using a small offset spatula or a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip of your choice (I used the Wilton 1A decorating tip), add the caramel cream cheese frosting to the bottom of a whoopie pie cake. Then top with another cake. Repeat until all the whoopie pies have been assembled, then enjoy!

Apple cider whoopie pies can be kept tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container, and in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Or, you can tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a sealed freezer bag or container, and keep in the freezer where they can last about 3 months. Allow them to come to room temperature before eating.