These whoopie pies and our Salted Caramel Cashew “Cheesecake” feature almonds in lieu of heavy grains. This Paleo-friendly substitute provides
structural stability for the cheesecake’s crust and the cake portion of the pies and adds a hefty dose of protein to each serving: A quarter cup of almond flour,
for instance, has 6 grams of this muscle-building macro, compared to around 3 grams for regular white flour.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups blanched almond flour 
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour (Try: Now Real Food Organic Coconut Flour)
  • 3/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp each baking soda, sea salt, ginger and cloves
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup raw unsalted almond butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Almond cream cheese

  • 8 oz almond milk cream cheese
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. To a large bowl, add almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves, coconut oil, almond butter, eggs, pumpkin purée, honey and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

3. Using a small ice-cream scoop (or about 2 tbsp at a time), transfer dough onto prepared sheet to make 20 cookies; lightly press each with a spatula. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on sheet, 10 minutes; transfer to rack to cool completely.

4. Prepare filling: Whisk cream cheese, maple syrup and cinnamon until smooth. Spread 2 tbsp frosting
onto flat side of 10 cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side toward filling. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.