Sweetpotato Protein Whoopie Pies
These sweetpotato protein whoopie pies are a wholesome twist on a classic dessert, featuring soft, cinnamon-spiced sweetpotato cakes paired with a creamy frosting – and packing in 13 grams of protein each!
Servings 10 whoopie pies
Calories 283kcal
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
Calories: 283kcal