…Whoopie Pies that is!

I’m pretty sure it was our family friend Mrs. Covais who introduced me to my first Whoopie Pie when I was a little Fitness & Spice girl. Ahhhh…the sweet, sweet memories when I didn’t have a care in the world!

Now that I’m a few years older I care a little bit more about what I put into my body. When Michelle and Katy sent an email challenging me and a whole host of other writers to go vegan for a day, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to see how the vegan’s make Whoopie…pies.

A few months ago I bought a cookbook called BabyCakes by Erin McKenna. Erin is the chef and owner of vegan, gluten-free, and mostly sugar-free bakeries in New York City and West Hollywood. All sorts of cool people recommend BabyCakes like Mary-Louise Parker, Pamela Anderson, and I.

I pooled together two BabyCakes recipes and made…

Vegan Whoopie

(BabyCakes calls this recipe Cookie Sandwiches by the way)

Ingredients for the chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 6 Tablespoons homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal (I used Bob’s Red Mill, NuVal score – 100)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven the 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and evaporated cane juice. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a grainy dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed through the dough.

Using a melon baller, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.

Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (I used Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Milk, NuVal score – 90)
• 3/4 cup dry soy milk powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour (I forgot to buy coconut flour so I skipped it)
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups coconut oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Confession? I didn’t use this either)

In a blender or mixer, combine the soy milk, soy powder, coconut flour, agave nectar, and vanilla. Blend the ingredients for about 2 minutes until well combined. With the machine running, slowly add the oil and lemon juice, alternating between the 2 until both are fully mixed. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before frosting.

Once your cookies have cooled completely, frost and sandwich your cookies together. Roll the sides with extra chocolate chips.

It’s safe to say this a very grown up version of the traditional Whoopie Pie. You won’t find any Crisco, animal products, or fluff in this recipe, just good wholesome ingredients. And, while these cookies are very good and very vegan, they are not low in calories so please eat these little bundles of joy in moderation.

While I admit, I do have the cutest little BabyCakes, the vegan lifestyle isn’t exactly for me, I don’t think Little Miss Muffet would want me to live without my Curds and Whey.