Salted Caramel Apple Cider Whoopie Pies for Fall Baking

These spiced apple cider whoopie pies are warmly scented with cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla, and finished with a creamy salted caramel frosting. They’re the perfect cozy treat for sweater weather, leaf-strewn sidewalks, and chilly autumn afternoons.

Shortly after moving into our new house we discovered an apple tree in the front yard. We celebrated — and then realized we’ll have a lot of apples to pick in a couple of months. Fortunately, fall baking is the best way to use them.

Now that temperatures have dropped, I’m layering chunky knits and warming the house with spiced baking. To celebrate the season, I’m making apple hand pies, mini caramel apple cheesecakes, and these whoopie pies, which have been a favorite since pastry school.

Apple cider concentrate

To get an intense apple flavor, reduce good-quality apple cider to a concentrated syrup. I prefer Martinelli’s or fresh cider from a local orchard. Other pantry staples for the cookies and frosting include all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda, apple pie spice, cinnamon, salt, neutral oil, dark brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, heavy cream and powdered sugar.

Important: use apple cider, not apple juice. Juice is more diluted and won’t give the same depth of flavor.

Make these cookies

1. Make the apple cider concentrate: pour 1 1/2 cups apple cider into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce until you have about 1/3 cup. This concentrates the apple flavor and takes roughly 20–30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment. Whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp apple pie spice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, whisk 1/2 cup neutral oil with 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup no-sugar-added applesauce, 2 large room-temperature eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Add half the dry ingredients and half the apple cider concentrate to the wet mixture, mix gently, then add the remaining dry ingredients and concentrate. Stir until just combined; the batter should be thick and creamy—avoid overmixing.
5. Spoon the batter 2 tablespoons at a time (or 1 tablespoon for minis) onto the prepared pans, leaving at least 2 inches between mounds. Bake, beginning to check at 8 minutes. To test doneness, lightly press the top of a cookie; it should spring back. Bake until set but still soft. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
6. Make the salted caramel frosting while the cookies cool: combine 1 cup packed dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream and let the mixture boil until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and let cool for about 20 minutes.
7. Beat 2 cups powdered sugar into the caramel until smooth and fluffy. Add additional cream to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken, and adjust salt to taste. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the flat side of half the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies.

Poke test

To avoid overbaking, start checking at about 8 minutes. A light press with your fingertip should leave the cookie springing back. If it springs back immediately, they’re done.

Storing the cookies

Store leftover whoopie pies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. Because the filling can be sticky, line the container with parchment between layers to prevent sticking.

Freezing the cookies

To freeze, wrap individual whoopie pies in parchment, place them in a zipper bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review — I read every comment and love hearing your feedback. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

Apple Cider Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Frosting

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 50 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Soft, spiced apple cider whoopie pies with cinnamon and brown sugar, sandwiched with homemade salted caramel frosting.

Ingredients

Apple Cider Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Frosting

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (+ more for thinning)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (+ more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Apple Cookies

1. Pour apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce until you have about 1/3 cup, about 20–25 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and line sheet pans with parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, apple pie spice and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Add half the dry ingredients, then half the cider reduction. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and cider. Mix until just combined.
4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter per cookie (1 tablespoon for minis) at least 2 inches apart. Bake, checking at 8 minutes. Cookies are done when they spring back to a light touch. Cool completely on a rack.

Salted Caramel Frosting

1. Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add heavy cream and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Cool for about 20 minutes.
2. Beat powdered sugar into the caramel until smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency with more cream or powdered sugar as needed and taste for salt.
3. Pipe or spread frosting onto the flat side of half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Make sure you’re buying apple cider, not apple juice. Juice is less concentrated and won’t deliver the same intense apple flavor.

Cuisine: American

Course: Cookies

Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka

Serving: 1 whoopie pie • Calories: 446 kcal • Carbohydrates: 67.5 g • Protein: 3.6 g • Fat: 18.7 g • Saturated Fat: 7.5 g • Cholesterol: 51 mg • Sodium: 326 mg • Potassium: 165 mg • Fiber: 0.9 g • Sugar: 48.2 g