Love whoopie pies? Well get ready for the ultimate low carb version. Soft dark chocolate cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling. Whoopie!
Delicious keto whoopie pies with the delicious combo of chocolate and peanut butter. These are a total swoon worthy low carb dessert! Also be sure to check out my Strawberry Shortcake Whoopie Pies!
Whoopie pies are relatively recent phenomenon in my life. Being Canadian born and raised, they were not something I grew up with and I’d never heard of them until I moved to Boston.
I’d already been in the US for 5 years by that point, but apparently whoopie pies are not as coveted in the American Southwest as they are in the Northeast. No one in Arizona ever even mentioned whoopie pies to me, but I was offered one practically upon arrival in New England.
I remember it quite distinctly, a plate full of baked goods at a meeting in the early days of my academic advising career and the plump chocolate sandwiches over which a few coworkers were oohing and aahing. I will be frank and say that they didn’t look all that appetizing to me, these cakey cookie crossbreeds.
They looked like something that should come out of a package with Little Debbie emblazoned across it. Not really my style. And so whoopie pies remained untouched by me for many years.
I honestly don’t think I missed out, because regular whoopie pies still have very little attraction for me. Even if I were able to tolerate the carbs and sugars in your average whoopie pie, I would still skip them in favour of something a little more interesting.
But if the average whoopie pie were to be filled with creamy sweet peanut butter, well then you might have my attention. And given that I don’t tolerate carbs and sugars, if the average whoopie pie were also low carb and gluten-free, then you’d really have my attention. Alas, the average whoopie pie is not filled with peanut butter and it is most definitely NOT low carb and gluten-free. So you can see why they hold little interest for me.
But these beauties, these are definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill whoopie pies. These are the whoopies of my dreams – tender low carb chocolate cakes filled with a sugar-free peanut buttery cream cheese filling. Now do I have your attention? I certainly have my own!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Chocolate Cakes:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup Swerve Sweetener or other granulated erythritol
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup almond milk
Peanut Butter Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or other powdered erythritol
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia extract
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment with cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sweetener until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until incorporated and then beat in half of the almond flour mixture. Beat in almond milk and then remaining almond flour mixture until well combined.
- Using wet hands, form dough into generous 1 inch balls (you will need to re-wet your hands frequently). Place at least 2 inches apart on baking sheets and press down with the heal of your hand to about ⅓ inch thickness. You should get about 30 to 32 balls.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sweetener, vanilla and stevia extract until smooth. Beat in whipping cream until well combined.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter filling on the bottom-side of one chocolate cake. Top with another cake, bottom-side in. Repeat with remaining cakes and filling.
Jessica says
Am I just missing it or is it getting covered by an ad….I can’t see where it says how long to bake these?
Carolyn says
It’s a very old recipe that used to live on A Sweet Life, which is now defunct. So… it needs updating but I will have to test it first.
Margaret Schindel says
Carolyn, as an adoptive New Englander married to a native one, whoopie pies were a big deal in our household until we switched to a sugar-free, low carb life’s. So, I’m excited to see this recipe! While I love chocolate and peanut butter together as much as you do, my husband’s favorite whoopie pie is chocolate with a peppermint crème filling. Any suggestions on how to modify the filling to make a peppermint crème version? Thanks in advance for your help!
Kim says
Hi Carolyn, it was already asked but can I substitute egg white protein powder for the whey protein powder? Love your recipes! Kim
Carolyn says
You should be able to, yes.
Lydia says
Hi!
Can I substitute the stevia wirh something else?
Carolyn says
Yes, more Swerve is fine.
Angela says
Hi Carolyn!
I haven’t been eating low carb/sugar free for very long but I have to tell you, your recipes are by far some of my favorite! I LOOOOVVEE the peanut butter filling in this one, sometimes I make it just to eat by the spoonful. I’ve tried (without success) to replicate this cookie sandwich with peanut butter cookies. Can you suggest any tips for making it peanut butter, or point me in a direction for a suitable recipe? All of the low carb/sugar free Peanut buttercookie recipes I’ve tried so far have been gross, too hard or crumbly…or just not good at all! 🙁
Carolyn says
Try the cookie part from this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/06/low-carb-nutter-butter-ice-cream-sandwiches.html
Carolyn says
Actually, try that recipe I gave you but if you want a really soft PB cookie, use all almond flour and no coconut. I used coconut to give these cookies a little more firmness to hold up to the ice cream filling.
Angela says
Thanks muchly! I’ll let you know how it works out. 🙂
Tiffany says
These look delicious, I want to make these and decorate the tops for the holidays. My question is, how could I make these non-gluten free, non-sugar free? What steps/items do I need to change in the recipie?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
I think you should probably look for a conventional recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies. Almond flour and wheat flour do not translate to each other very well
eric says
This sounds interesting, you’re so great carlyne.
Jan says
What can you substitute for whey protein powder?
Can you make it without it?
Carolyn says
You could use hemp protein instead.
Becky says
I’ve eaten whoopee pies since I was a kid in Pennsylvania which was, ahem, a long time ago. Not sure where they originated though different regions of the U.S. claim them for their own. I always thought they were from the Amish, but folks in Boston think otherwise. Either way, I loved them as long as the cream filling wasn’t too sweet. Glad to see this healthy alternative since the original ones are not for me anymore! Thank you!
Ariel says
Mmmm these look good. Might I drop a hint for some seasonal pumpkin whoopie pies with cinnamon cream-cheese filling…? 😀
Cecelia says
Do you have a recipe for that? My granddaughter cannot eat peanut.
Sherrie Lee says
I have the same issue. I have successfully used creamy almond butter from either Whole Foods or Open Nature in the same quantities that have fooled the most avid peanut butter lovers (just be careful of almond allergies, not trying to fool them!). Other brands work just fine, the taste will be slightly different from peanut butter, but still just as delicious!
janet says
Like you, I had never even heard of whoopie pies, not until encountering recipes for them online. I have lived all over the US and abroad, but not since the 1980’s so I guess they must be a relatively recent phenomenom. But a low carb version, sounds like it might be interesting. I am always looking for small treats, both sweet and savory, to serve with tea, to my naturalized but still a “limey” at heart hubby.
mindy says
Whoopie pies are not recent….my mom found a whoopie pie recipe back in the early to mid 70’s in our local newspaper (in Boca Raton, FL) from a snowbird (a woman from Maine) who shared this amazing little delicacy. These little gems were a 4th of July hit every year when I was a kid.
I’m happy to be able to make these keto friendly versions. In fact I am going to make some tomorrow. yum.
Cheri says
I’m from Maine and grew up on Whoopie Pies, they are a favorite of our family. Ever since we have taken on this low carb lifestyle my husband comments how he misses Whoopie Pies. Thank you for positing this recipe I am going to make them for him this weekend. Now can you turn my pumpkin whoopie pies into a low carb recipe please… 🙂
Jody says
Whoopi pies come from Maine. I grew up on them! They are wonderful little treats!