These sweetpotato protein whoopie pies are a nutritious twist on a classic dessert! Featuring soft, spiced cakes sandwiched together with a tangy cream cheese frosting, these whoopie pies are packed with flavor. And by using protein powder as a primary ingredient in the recipe, you’ll end up with a tasty dessert that provides 13 grams of protein each. Great to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission Inc.
Ingredients
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the sweetpotato cakes:
And here’s what you’ll need for the cream cheese frosting:
Here are some helpful selected ingredient notes:
- Sweetpotatoes – Did you know this is one word?! I just learned that a few years ago. Anyway, sweetpotatoes offer a lovely slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with the cinnamon used in the cakes in this recipe.
- Protein powder – These were made and tested several times using vanilla whey protein powder in both the cakes and the frosting. They have not been tested with other types of protein powder, and different types can be very finicky in baked goods. Stick with whey protein for optimal results.
- Neufchatel cheese – Also sometimes referred to as “reduced fat cream cheese”, this offers that classic tangy cream cheese flavor for the frosting.
- Whole milk Greek yogurt – Whole milk Greek yogurt has a thicker texture than nonfat, so it’s what I recommend to ensure the correct frosting texture. If all you have on hand is nonfat Greek yogurt, use a little less than called for in the recipe to ensure the frosting does not thin out too much.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.
Start by making the sweetpotato puree. Generally, one medium-large sweetpotato should give you about ¾ cup of puree, which is what you need for this recipe. To make the puree, peel the sweetpotatoes and chop them into cubes. Put those in a pot and cover with water.
Bring that to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, let it cook for around 12-15 minutes, or until they’re fork tender. Once tender, drain, let cool for a few minutes, then process in a mini food processor or blender for a minute until smooth. Set that aside for now.
Now that the puree is ready, preheat the oven to 350°F, and line some baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine the protein powder, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
In another large mixing bowl, combine the sweetpotato puree, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until combined.
Portion out the batter onto the parchment lined baking sheets. Try to keep each portion around the same size – around 1 ½ tablespoons each – but don’t worry if they’re slightly different. Aim to make 20 cakes so that you’ll end up with 10 whoopie pies once they’re assembled.
Bake those for about 10-13 minutes, then let cool on the pan.
While those are cooling, make the frosting: add the Neufchatel cream cheese, Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and vanilla whey protein powder to the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also make this in a regular mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
Start with the whisk attachment on low speed until everything starts to combine (this will prevent the powdered sugar and protein powder from flying everywhere). Then increase to high speed and continue to mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. It won’t be exactly the same texture as a buttercream frosting, but it will be easily spreadable.
When the sweetpotato cakes are completely cool, spread the frosting on one, then sandwich another on top. Repeat with all the cakes to make the full batch of whoopie pies!
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
Because the filling contains yogurt and cream cheese, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This recipe uses regular granulated sugar in the cakes as well as powdered sugar in the frosting. If you’d prefer, you can use 1-1 sugar substitutes in place of these. For example, you could use allulose in place of granulated sugar, and a powdered allulose or erythritol in place of the powdered sugar. Note that substitutes may alter the taste and texture, though.
Yes. Use a 1-1 gluten free measure-for-measure flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
Lumpy frosting happens when you try to use Neufchatel cream cheese that’s too cold. It must be softened at room temperature for a while before using so that it blends correctly with the other ingredients to prevent lumps. The later issue, a thin frosting, can come from using nonfat yogurt in place of whole milk yogurt. If you’ve made it and it seems thin, sometimes popping it in the fridge for 30 minutes can help it thicken up. If it’s still too thin, try adding a little more powdered sugar and protein powder.
Sure! To make a chocolate protein frosting, just combine: 1 cup chocolate whey protein powder, ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp milk (more or less as needed to achieve the right texture). This tastes great on these whoopie pies too.
Why You’ll Love These Whoopie Pies
As a dietitian, I love this recipe – and I think you will too! Here are the highlights:
- Tastes amazing! So many protein recipes on the internet lack taste (just sayin’) or have weird textures. These actually taste like a good dessert.
- Packs in 13 grams of protein, important for muscular fitness as well as satiety
- Portion controlled dessert – easy to fit into any meal plan
- Contains a blend of carbs, protein, and fat, making it a more satisfying snack or dessert
- Provides Vitamin A, important for eye health and immune health
More Sweetpotato Recipes
If you’re looking for more fun ways to use sweetpotatoes, be sure to give one of these a try:
- Chocolate sweetpotato cupcakes
- Savory twice baked sweetpotatoes
- Brussels sprouts, plantain, and sweetpotato hash
- Sweetpotato fish cakes
- BBQ ground beef stuffed sweetpotatoes
- Sweetpotato and peanut butter breakfast bowl
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try these protein whoopie pies, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Sweetpotato Protein Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- ¾ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sweetpotato puree (amount of puree from approximately 1 medium-large sweetpotato)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz Neufchatel cheese, softened
- ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt (or vanilla whole milk Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the protein powder, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large mixing bowl, combine the sweetpotato puree, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Portion the batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheets in heaping spoonfuls; about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of batter each to make 20 cakes. Bake at 350°F for 10-13 minutes, until the cakes are cooked through. Let cool on the pan.
- As the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Combine the Neufchatel cream cheese, yogurt, protein powder, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Use the whisk attachment of the mixer to beat these together, starting on low speed until combined, then turning to high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- When the sweetpotato cakes have completely cooled, spread a layer of frosting on one cake and sandwich another cake on top. Repeat to make all the whoopie pies. Enjoy now, or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Notes
- To prepare sweetpotato puree to use in this recipe, peel a large sweetpotato and chop into 1-inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook for 12-15 minutes over high heat, until sweetpotatoes are tender. Drain and let cool for a few minutes, then puree in a food processor or blender. Measure out ¾ cup of puree for this recipe.
- The Neufchatel cream cheese must be softened to get a smooth frosting filling – using cold cream cheese will result in a lumpy filling.
- Because the filling contains Neufchatel cream cheese and yogurt, these must be refrigerated if they are not consumed within 2 hours.
- The flavor and quality of this recipe can vary significantly based on the protein powder you use. I recommend using a high-quality vanilla whey protein powder. This recipe has not been tested with plant-based protein powder.
Nutrition
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