Recipe: Whoopie Pie Brownies, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free [Sponsored]

Chocolate and marshmallow - this flavor-texture-sweet-treat combination is one of my go-to for desserts. When I stumbled upon a recipe from Betty Crocker called “Whoopie Pie Brownies”, I jumped at the chance to create a version that is safe for those of us with food allergies and/or dietary restrictions. 

And guess what? Every single one of my tasters, none of whom have any dietary restrictions, gobbled them up! These are treats most everyone can enjoy, whether you have food allergies, dietary restrictions or unrestricted eaters alike. And simply perfect for your holiday table, they are a snap to pull together, with easy-to-find ingredients. Make this!

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Whoopie Pie Brownies, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free [Sponsored]
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Makes 16 small squares or 8 mega squares

Brownies
15 ounce Namaste Brownie mix
1 large Fairway Market organic egg 
1/3 cup oil
½ cup water

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch square pan with cooking parchment paper.
In large bowl, beat mix, egg, water and oil with electric mixer on low speed until well combined. Batter will be thick.

Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan.

As cookies are cooling, make the filling. Place the filling ingredients (sugar, butter, fluff and vanilla) in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Pop into the fridge to chill for a few minutes.

Once brownies are cool, frost the brownies. You can shave some chocolate over the top, sift some cocoa or drizzle some melted chocolate. Cut into small squares and enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES:
This recipe is free from tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. 

It does use eggs and butter.

If you need the brownies to be egg free, check the Namaste Foods website, they have suggestions for how to make the brownies egg free. 

I also use Betty Crocker GF mixes and they have an egg replacer suggestion page here.

If you need egg-free marshmallows, there are vegan marshmallows (check Google), and Jet Puffed marshmallows doesn’t use eggs. 

The frosting also uses butter and I have a dairy-free version handy. 

The marshmallow buttercream is the star here as the creamy sweetness mixed perfectly with the dark, flat of the chocolate cake.  I’ve made it with dairy-free shortening and with butter, both are excellent.

Now here’s my trick: I use a box mix for the “whoopee pie”. Yup. Especially when it comes to gluten-free cooking, the big companies have perfected it. So use them, they are cheaper than buying individual flours and if you can use eggs, you’re golden.

I’ve made this recipe three ways and they are all DI-VINE. It simply depends upon your texture preference (cake, cookie or brownie) and what’s available to you at your local Fairway Market.

--Box chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting, that was my birthday cake a few years back and this year. 

--Box chocolate cake mix turned into cookies with marshmallow frosting to make a kind of sandwich cookies: so good. 

--Box brownie mix with marshmallow frosting. This recipe.

I use Marshmallow Fluff from Durkee, made in a nut-free facility (says it on the tub). 

I use Dominos Confectioners’ sugar.  

I use Nielsen-Massey Tahitian vanilla. 

I used organic butter (usually Horizon Organic). 

I use Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

I use organic eggs, usually Fairway Market brand organic eggs, size large.

I used Namaste Foods brownie mix and followed the directions on the box.  See pictures of below of box/ingredients as of December 2017.

You can use any brownie recipe or any brownie box mix that you like and that is safe for you.

You could add chocolate chips to these brownies and no one would complain.

I shaved chocolate on a micro-planer for that chocolate on top. You could dust safe for you cocoa or melt some chocolate and drizzle on top. 

I use Enjoy Life Foods chocolate. 

The frosting can be made ahead and will keep for a week or two just fine in the fridge. I also double the frosting because it just that good and I like to slather it on!

I bought all of my ingredients at Fairway Market in Manhattan. Fairway Market graciously sponsored the making of these Whoopie Pie Brownies. Thank you, Fairway Market! (*Here are my policies regarding my sponsored posts.*)