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?
Nicole Brady says
My mom used to have peppermint and maple extracts in the cabinet while I was growing up. When I got married and wanted to stock my own pantry, all I could find was imitation extracts and they weren't nearly as good. Then I gave up trying to find it. Your post has reignited my interest in looking for extracts to use in baking! #flavorstory
Danielle says
These look so amazing, I would love to give these a go! Plus, root beer is the only soda I actually like 😉
Vicki Wurgler says
#flavorstory my mother used to go to our local A&W when we were having a BBQ and buy a jug of root beer, that was a treat we hardly ever had pop in our house
Danielle @ We Have It All says
How in the world did I NOT know there was a 'root beer float' extract!?!
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
Sounds yummy. I've never heard of Root Beer float whoopie pies. I've only ever heard of or made chocolate.
My husband just bought Root Beer in an "old" glass bottle. Don't know the brand but he wanted to see if it tasted the same.
Brittany Koelmel says
#flavorstory I use butterscotch extract. Its very unique but adds a sweet taste to everything!
Kathleen B says
Oh, my mom would love these, she is not big on sweets, but she can't pass up rootbeer!
Debbie Denny says
These looks so good! Must make them.
LaCindaB says
Fantastic recipe, such a great idea! My #flavorstory ? Hmm, I'm a fool for anything lemon and it doesn't get enough press! We call these whoopie pies, gobs. My favorite variation was pumpkin gobs with cream cheese icing.
deana c says
#flavorstory love to use anise flavor in my Italian cookies!
Jillian-News Anchor To Homemaker says
You had me at root beer! What a fun dessert, pinning this now!
latanya says
I love vanilla and lemon flavors.
Sara Sullivan says
I love to keep fruit extracts on hand to brighten the flavor of desserts. Right now I have orange, banana and pineapple. #flavorstory
Sherry says
These look yummy!
As for sassafras - back in 1960 it was determined that sassafras had traces of carcinogens and the FDA banned its use in foods. There have been no further studies to debunk or substantiate this claim. Today artificial root beer flavoring probably has wintergreen and then artificial flavors and colorings.
Me? I still have a glass or two of sassafras tea every spring from the roots of trees on my property.
Cynthia C says
While reaching for the cinnamon to sprinkle on my morning oatmeal, I accidentally grabbed the chili powder. I'll just say that the flavor was "interesting." #flavorstory
Jennifer Reed says
#flavorstory I am a ginger lover so food and drink with added ginger makes my heart sing!
kyl neusch says
#flavorstory Use butterscotch extract in my cakes, taste great!
Brutus Duffy says
#flavorstory I use McCormick vanilla in plain greek yogurt because I like the taste better than buying it already flavored. BTW, I think bubble-gum woopi pies would also be awesome.
Robin Gagnon says
Terrific idea... now how to pull that one off is a mystery to me 🙂
Penny Snyder says
Love adding almond extract to my frostings!
Gina Alfani says
Awesome recipe! Love root beer and didn't know about the extract. I usually use different flavored extracts with Vanilla Slim Fast powder smoothies . . . can't wait to try it with root beer extract 🙂
Gotta make those whoopie pies!!! I pinned it 🙂
Have a wonderful day . . . Gina
Mihaela Day says
I don’t really have an exciting #flavorstory, but I recently discovered hibiscus extract 🙂
Eugenia Hall says
I like to add a bit of cinnamon and vanilla to brownies, it brings out the chocolate flavor! #flavorstory
joe gersch says
#flavorstory I add jello to frosting for a kick
Kimberly Hilbert says
#flavorstory I like using butter extract in my vanilla smoothies. It really makes it taste like birthday cake. Love it!
matt lehman says
french toast is mere garbage to me without adding a couple drops of McCormick vanilla, only way i make it.