Root Beer Float Whoopie Pies are sure to be a big hit with the kids, and I have the easy recipe to share with you today.
Article brought to you in collaboration with McCormick. Recipe and opinions are my own.
Root Beer Float Whoopie Pies (a recipe to honor memories)
Root Beer brings back a lot of childhood memories for me. My parent's were always into one project or another. When we were kids, my dad made and bottled root beer with my brother and I. We even tried digging up some sassafras roots to make our own extract once, but that didn't work out so well (it was dreadful). Boy, were we excited to drink that homemade soda. It was never quite as bubbly as the store bought stuff, but we thought we were mighty cool making it (or should I say hovering over our father while he made it). Now, root beer floats are a fond memory for any kid, but when you make them with your own homemade root beer... that blows the fun quotient up a little bigger.
Now what could replicate the fun of homemade root beer, without actually making root beer soda, well, the "funnest" of all desserts of course the whoopie pie.
No, I didn't dig up any sassafras roots to make these whoopie pies. I actually think it is illegal to do so in my state & unless treated first does have some mildly poisonous properties. I used good old McCormick Root Beer Concentrate to make them (as well as a Root Beer Float Sugar Scrub, which I will be sharing with you in a few days). It was probably what we used to make that childhood root beer too.
In 1889, Willoughby M. McCormick went door to door selling one of McCormick & Company’s first products, Root Beer Extract. From there, the product quickly rose in popularity and led to a trending sensation of root beer floats and root beer home brewing in the early 1900s.
These would be great served after Instant Pot Root Beer Pulled Chicken!
Ingredients
Cakes
- ¼ cup shortening room temp.
- ½ cup butter room temp.
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups flour
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup milk or water
- 2 ½ teaspoon McCormick Root Beer Extract
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Vanilla Extract
Filling
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 3 cups confectionery sugar
- 2 teaspoon McCormick Vanilla Extract
- **add a teaspoon or two of milk if frosting is too thick for you
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and prep baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream together the butter, shortening, sugars and salt. Add the remaining cake ingredients and mix well.
- Ladle approx. 2 tbs of the batter onto parchment, leaving a couple inches between.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until center of batter has set.
- Cool on racks.
- Whisk together the frosting filling.
- Once the cakes are cool frost underside of one, and place another on top to make a sandwich. Serve.
In 2014, McCormick marks its 125th anniversary by celebrating the role flavor plays in all of our lives, inspiring flavorful conversation, and giving back to communities around the world. McCormick’s Flavor of Together program is a yearlong initiative to share 1.25 million stories about how flavor both unites and defines people across the globe. For every story shared on any of McCormick’s brand websites or social channels, McCormick will donate $1, up to $1.25 million, to United Way to help feed those in need. All are invited to join the conversation at Flavoroftogether.com where they can share their flavor story and discover globally inspired dishes, videos, news articles and more. Stories can also be shared on social using #flavorstory.
Well, I've Shared my Flavor Story with you. What flavors bring memories and stories to your mind?
debbie says
I like making breakfast for dinner every once in a while. I will put pumpkin pie spice in the pancakes, and sauté apples with cinnamon and brown sugar to go over them. #flavorstory
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Oh. My. Gawd.
It's like you are inside my head sometimes and know exactly the kind of treats I like. I need to invite myself down to your house sometime so I can actually try some of these goodies you make 🙂
Robin Gagnon says
When my kitchen isn't under construction anymore... it's like a 3rd World country around here right now...lol.
brett says
no WAY. root beer is my FAVORITE!! these look amaaaaaazing! now you have me wanting to create a root beer something
Robin Gagnon says
You should, because I want to see it 🙂
Debbie L. says
#flavorstory I am mainly a vanilla user. I need to venture out and try more flavors! These look delicious! I am going to give these a try!
mer says
wow! so yummy! i've never heard of root beer concentrate before but would be fun to try!
Stacey @ Glamour-Zine says
I LOVE root beer, but haven't really had it since I was younger. Occasionally I have the diet version, but it just isn't the same. These look really good, I am going to try them!
Helene Cohen Bludman says
Oh this brings back memories! We used to have an A&W drive -in in our neighborhood and my favorite thing to get was a root beer float. I must try this recipe.
Brandi says
I actually just saw a box mix for Rootbeer float cookies the other. It is definitely getting close to summer now!
Lois Alter Mark says
YUM! I don't think I've ever tried using root beer extract. What a great idea. My daughter will love this!
Francine @ Teresa's Family Cleaning says
What a interesting recipe!
Shauna says
Oh my goodness, I had no clue they had root beer flavored extract. How cool... thanks for letting me know.
Robin Gagnon says
Funny, that is exactly what my mom said this morning. It's like a hidden treasure...lol.
Aly Mashrah says
Those look delicious! I can't wait to make them.
rachel says
I tried making Mexican spiced hot cocoa before...spicy but pretty good! #flavorstory
Lisa Jones says
I Love Rootbeer So I'm Sure I Will LOVE It!!
Pam says
Whoopie Pies are so fun! Making them root beer float flavor makes them even better!
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
I've made root beer float cookies before. They were good. I'm going to have to try these.
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
I've never tried making whoopie pies. I want this to be my first! #Flavorstory
Sandra says
This is the bomb! So excited to try it out, so excited. Thanks for sharing!
D Schmidt says
I love to replace vanilla flavoring with lemon, maple or raspberry flavorings to see if they improve a recipe sometimes. Never considered root beer before but I will have to try it. Eeek that was a bit of a dull #flavorstory
Donna Becker says
I add some Nutmeg and Cinnamon to my pancakes and waffles when I make them. I will also use apple pie spice mix if I have it
Mama to 5 BLessings says
oh my goodness these looks awesome, that is the brand of spices we use too!
Jody Cowan says
Wow! These sound amazing! I love root beer! But in a cookie! I can't wait to make these! Thanks so much I found you on Friday Frenzy and boy am I glad!
Rebecca Orr says
What? Root beer extract?! That is awesome. My grandfather used to make the best root beer floats when we were kids. My sister and I along with two of our cousin would all gather around and beg to bet the first to get their float. Sadly, our grandfather passed away many years ago. But we all still make them during the holidays in memory of him, but they just are not the same. I will have to get some of this extract and see if we can make them even better! #flavorstory
Melissa says
I don't really have an exciting #flavorstory, but I recently discovered coconut extract, and it is great!
Liz Mays says
I have that extract but haven't used it yet. This surely is the reason to do it!
Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
My husband would love these! He adores root beer.