Whoopie Pies
on Feb 11, 2021, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Whoopie Pies are giant bakery style chocolate cookies with a delicious, light, and fluffy icing in the center. Every bite is a party in your mouth! These chocolate cookies are soft and tender, almost cake like but with a bit more structure. The filling is incredibly light, sweet, and fluffy. The combination of the two is a match made in heaven.
I love how whoopie pies were named. This dessert hails from New England. It is rumored that when working men opened up their lunch box and discovered one of these cookies they would exclaim, “Whoopie!” Trust me- you will say the same thing when you devour these decadent little numbers.
Whoopie pies make for a delicious dessert, a fun after school treat, or something extra special for a holiday. This recipe only makes 6 giant cookies. They are over the top and so fun! Add these whoopie pies as a sweet treat to one of my 8 wholesome lunch-box ideas.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is a classic that will remind you of your childhood
- They are decadently chocolatey while still light and fluffy
- While the recipe offers a delicious base, you can easily customize it and add a twist! Sprinkle some chopped nuts or chocolate chips into the batter, or even experiment with different flavored extracts for the filling.
- No need for a fancy pantry! This recipe uses common baking ingredients that you might already have on hand.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – All-purpose
- Cocoa powder – I used dutch-processed cocoa
- Butter – I like unsalted for this sweet recipe
- Buttermilk – Click here to make your own buttermilk
- Sugar – You will need brown and confectioners’ sugar
- Marshmallow creme
- Egg
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Whoopie Pies
Step 1. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream softened butter and sugar, then beat in egg and vanilla.
Step 2. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Scoop batter onto baking sheets and bake.
Step 3. Beat butter and sugar, then mix in vanilla, salt and marshmallow creme. Chill for 30 minutes.
Step 4. Spread filling on half the cookies, top with remaining cookies, and press gently. Eat or store in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
A whoopie pie is basically a chocolate cake sandwich with frosting in the middle. But it’s next level and better than just cake and icing!
To avoid the cookies from spreading too much when baked, try refrigerating the dough for about 20 minutes. This should help!
Absolutely! You can make around 24 whoopie pies that are the size of a traditional cookie by placing 1 rounded tablespoon of batter on your prepared sheets and baking the cookies for around 10 minutes.
No problem! To make your own buttermilk substitute, simply add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Click here to view my buttermilk recipe.
While a stand mixer can make things easier, you can definitely mix the batter and filling by hand with a whisk and some elbow grease!
Expert Tips
- For perfectly textured cookies, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This allows the butter to cream properly, leading to fluffy cakes.
- Once you’ve combined the dry and wet ingredients, resist the urge to over-mix! Over-mixing can lead to tough cookies. Mix until just incorporated.
- The marshmallow creme filling can get soft at room temperature. To make it easier to spread and prevent it from squishing out the sides, chill the filling for at least 30 minutes before assembling your whoopie pies.
- For an extra fancy touch, consider using a piping bag to spread the filling. This will give you clean, even lines of filling and a professional look.
How to Store and Serve Whoopie Pies
A cold glass of milk is a quintessential pairing for whoopie pies. Since they are relatively large treats, consider serving them on individual plates or wrapping them in small cellophane bags for a grab-and-go treat. Add them to a lunch box with one of my my six quick and easy hummus lunch boxes, 6 easy pinwheel recipes for lunch boxes, my 6 simple salad in a jar recipes.
These cookies will stay fresh when stored in an airtight container. Avoid stacking them because they tend to stick together. Whoopie pies also freeze nicely for a treat that can be enjoyed later.
More Sandwich Cookie Recipes to Consider
Snacks for Kids
Quick and Easy Oven S’mores
Dessert Recipes
Cream Puffs
Halloween Recipes
Easy Oreo Spider Halloween Snacks
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Cakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Filling:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups marshmallow creme
Instructions
For the Cakes:
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350℉.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle, beat butter and sugar about 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add egg and beat until incorporated.
- Add vanilla and mix on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions. Stir batter by hand to ensure no flour pockets remain.
- Using a ⅓-cup measuring cup, scoop 6 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet (about 3 inches apart), making 12 mounds total. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking, until centers spring back when lightly pressed.
- Let cakes cool completely on sheets.
For the Filling:
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle, beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt and mix. Add marshmallow creme and mix for about 2 minutes until combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place ⅓ cup of filling on the bottom half of cakes, then top with remaining cakes. Press together to spread the filling to the edge. Serve.
Notes
- You can make around 24 whoopie pies that are the size of a traditional cookie by placing 1 rounded tablespoon of batter on your prepared sheets and baking the cookies for around 10 minutes. These are giant!
- For perfectly textured cookies, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This allows the butter to cream properly, leading to fluffy cakes.
- The marshmallow creme filling can get soft at room temperature. To make it easier to spread and prevent it from squishing out the sides, chill the filling for at least 30 minutes before assembling your Whoopie Pies.
- For an extra fancy touch, consider using a piping bag to spread the filling. This will give you clean, even lines of filling and a professional look.
