banana peanut butter whoopie pies.

Another favorite at Luke’s party last weekend, these banana peanut butter “mud” pies (as we called them) were quite a hit, especially with the kids.  I think you’ll like them too.

As you start to make the banana cookie dough you might, like me, feel as though you’re actually making banana bread.  But just you wait…

Once mixed up, you drop by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet, making little cake-like cookies that are just screaming to be filled with some peanut butter cream cheese frosting.  They’re screaming.

And so frosting here we come.  Butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter.  The whole thing is kind of out of control.

Here’s the frosting whipped into a frenzy, before you stuff it between two banana cookies.  I’ll have you know people who don’t even like peanut butter (cough, cough…MOM, cough, cough), ate several.

Enjoy!

Banana Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

(makes 30-36 sandwiches)

What You’ll Need:

For the Banana cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 8-oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Instructions:

For the Banana Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Separately, mix the banana and sour cream in a bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated. Alternately add the flour and banana mixtures, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop banana dough onto the baking sheet to form an even circle.  Space them 1-2 inches apart.  Smooth over the top with a butter knife.  Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden.  Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
Match the banana cookies to each other by size. Using a spoon (or a piping bag), place a generous amount of frosting on one cookie and smush together with another cookie, pressing the filing down to the edge of the cookies.

TOTAL:  $6.83 or $.19 per serving.

Nutrition:

155 calories per serving

10 grams of fat

15 carbs

3 grams protein