Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The cocoa cakes and marshmallow filling are SO nostalgic.
Texture: The whoopie pies are cakey while the filling is smooth and thick.
Ease: As long as you have a stand or hand-held mixer, this recipe is super easy. It does dirty a few dishes, but it’s totally worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Simple, delicious, crowd-pleasing flavors in an easily-transportable package.
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Classic Whoopie Pies are like little cake sandwiches. What could possibly be better than that!?
While testing this recipe, I took some to our friends’ house to share. Mere moments after arriving, their two kids both had a Whoopie Pie in each hand and were chowing down. I guess we had a hit on our hands!
Typically, I do not prefer a cakey texture in my desserts. I prefer my cookies to be chewy (like my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies) and my brownies to be fudgy (like my go-to Brownie Recipe) … but there’s something about a Whoopie Pie that just makes me feel like a kid again.
They’re slightly chewy around the edges but soft and cakey throughout. Not to mention each ‘pie’ is filled with thick, luscious marshmallow fluff frosting.
What’s not to love about that?
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Whoopie Pies
The Cocoa Powder
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa because it provides a deep color, more moisture, and a flavor that I think complements the marshmallow filling perfectly. But why am I using Dutch-process cocoa with baking soda for this recipe? Shouldn’t it be baking powder?
Dutch-process cocoa has more fat than most grocery store natural/unsweetened cocoa powder products, which is what we want for flavor and moisture in this specific recipe. The buttermilk in this recipe activates the baking soda.
If you must use natural cocoa powder, go ahead – just note that your Whoopie Pies may be lighter in color and slightly dryer in texture. You can learn more about the differences between cocoa powders here.
You can typically find Dutch-process cocoa at grocery stores or many gourmet food stores like Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma, or Penzeys. I actually order a big container on Amazon because it’s such a great value!
Tip: Measure Your Ingredients Correctly!
If you add too much flour or cocoa powder, you may end up with dense, hard Whoopie Pies. This happens super easily when measuring with cups. I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method instead.
The Buttermilk
Buttermilk works best in this recipe to provide rich and tender ‘cakes.’ We need it not only for flavor and moisture, but to help the leavening action by activating the baking soda. I don’t recommend using a buttermilk substitute. You can learn more about the science of buttermilk, and see baked goods made with buttermilk substitutes, in my Buttermilk 101 article.
The Butter
Always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s important that your butter is at a cool room temperature. Your sticks of butter should give slightly when pressed with your finger but still hold its shape. To be precise, your butter should be 67°F, or even a couple degrees cooler if your kitchen is very warm.
The Sugar
We are using dark brown sugar for additional moisture, but you can use light brown instead if needed. Whatever you do, don’t reduce the sugar. Learn about everything sugar does in baking here.
The Egg
We just need one large egg for this recipe, at room temperature. Don’t use extra large eggs or medium eggs, as this will alter the chemistry of the recipe.
The Marshmallow Creme
This is an easy, quick way to make this filling full of marshmallow flavor, without having to make your own marshmallow or mess with melting down regular marshmallows. You’ll need either one of the larger 13-ounce containers or two of the smaller 7-ounce ones. Marshmallow Creme or Marshmallow Fluff work here. Marshmallow creme has a slightly thinner consistency than fluff, so you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to sufficiently thicken it up.
How to Portion Out the Whoopie Pies & How to Fill Them
This Whoopie Pie batter is similar in consistency to a very thick cake batter. My favorite way to portion these out is to use my medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons), which not only creates perfectly consistent Whoopie Pies that bake evenly, but it also makes quick work of portioning out the batter/dough.
The same scoop also makes easy work of adding the marshmallow creme filling, but if you prefer, you can pipe it on to half the Whoopie Pies using a disposable piping bag and a large round tip, before sandwiching with the other half of the Whoopie Pies.
If your mounds of batter are misshapen, your ‘pies’ will not bake up as evenly round. Use a spoon to re-shape the batter into more even circles before baking if you want them to be picture perfect!
Whoopie Pie FAQs
What is a Whoopie Pie?
Despite the name, Whoopie Pies aren’t pies at all! The base is neither cake nor cookie. The texture is somewhere between the two. I fill mine with marshmallow creme frosting, but you could also use Buttercream or Cream Cheese Frosting.
Originally created in either New England or Pennsylvania (the origins are unclear), they are also known as ‘gobs.’ The store-bought varieties are often dry and overly sweet… much better to make them from scratch!
Pro tip: store these in the fridge and enjoy chilled, for maximum fudgy deliciousness.
How to Store Whoopie Pies?
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a day, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. If transporting, chill the whoopie pies in the fridge for at least an hour before transporting, as refrigeration makes them firmer and less fragile. Serve Whoopie Pies chilled for a deliciously fudgy texture.
Can You Freeze Whoopie Pies?
Yes! I recommend placing the Whoopie Pies on a baking sheet in a single layer and freezing for an hour or so, until just solid enough to prevent them from sticking together. Then, simply place in a ziptop bag or an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw for a few hours or overnight in the fridge or at room temperature (either is fine) before serving.
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies (perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas!)
- Homemade Oreo Cookies
- Best Ever Chewy Brownies
- The Best Chocolate Cupcakes
- Hostess Cupcake Cookies
Whoopie Pies
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Ingredients
For the Chocolate Whoopie Pies:
- 1 2/3 cups (212 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (57 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (296 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the Marshmallow Filling:
- 297 grams marshmallow creme fluff (a little less than 1 13-ounce container)
- 15 tablespoons (212 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (140 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
For the Whoopie Pies:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for another 3 minutes, or until very well combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture then half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add remaining buttermilk and flour, beating until combined. Mixture will be fluffy and slightly sticky like a very thick cake batter.
- Use a medium 1 ½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop to drop mounds of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes, or until pies spring back slightly when pressed gently and appear dry on top. Let cakes cool on pans for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the marshmallow creme and butter on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on low speed until combined then increase to medium high and beat until very smooth, about 3 minutes.
To assemble:
- Use a medium 1 ½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop to dollop marshmallow filling on the flat side of half the whoopie pies. Sandwich gently with the remaining whoopie pies.
- If transporting, chill the whoopie pies in the fridge for at least an hour before transporting to make firmer and less fragile. Serve chilled for a more fudgy texture. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a day or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
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This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Are there any changes in this Whoopie Pie recipe for high-altitude baking?
Hi Debora! Unfortunately, no one at Team Handle the Heat lives at high altitudes, so we are not able to test our recipes to see what adjustments are needed for high altitudes – but this King Arthur Baking resource has some great tips. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
So very very easy to make and delicious!
Going to try a couple of more of your recipes soon
These came out great! Delicious and easy. Filling is really good. I’ll use that filling for a cake at some point.
The cake itself was amazing. I refrigerated the pies as suggested for transportation. They were unbelievably fudgy. I did add the ganache, which just made a great “bite” to the pie because it was refrigerated.
My only slight disappointment was the filling. I used JetPuff, and had to add a lot of confectioners’ sugar to get it to firm up. My butter was still cool, but I didn’t refrigerate it before spreading.
They were loved by all, but I’ll look for another filling recipe next time.
Tried this recipe today as a trial run as I wanted to make mini whoopie pies as part of a dessert table at a bridal shower. The cookie part is fine, but the filling was soft and the tops of the whoopie pies started sliding off. My husband and son liked the taste. I think that 1 and 1/2 Tbles of vanilla in filling usus a bit too much though. Any suggestions on how to make filling more stable, please do not say to add more sugar as it is sweet enough already
Hi Sylvia! So glad to hear that your husband and son enjoyed these whoopie pies! Try using butter that’s a bit cooler, to thicken the filling. Butter should be around 67°F when creamed, or even a few degrees cooler – especially if the filling was too loose on your previous try. It’s so warm this time of year that your butter may have gotten far too warm much quicker than usual! You can also try refrigerating the filling for a little bit before filling your ‘pies’. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more the butter will re-solidify. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
The cookies spread in the oven more than the photos even though I measured everything by weight. I refrigerated it overnight and it was a little better but still a bit thin. Then when I pressed the sandwiches together, some of the chocolate on each one stuck to my hands so they ended up being ugly =(. They tasted great, though! Any tips on them not sticking to my fingers or to each other?
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry to hear that your Whoopie Pies didn’t quite turn out as they should! A few things could have gone wrong here:
– Is your baking soda still fresh and active? Leavening agents can lose their effectiveness even before the expiration date printed on the can – especially if you live in a humid climate. Expired baking soda will not be able to lift and leaven your baked goods effectively. Check out this article where Tessa explains how to test for leavener freshness.
– How warm was your butter at the time of creaming? I know it doesn’t seem that important, but when butter gets too warm, all kinds of things can happen and impact the outcome of your baking. This time of year particularly, butter can get too warm super quickly. Learn more about the importance of the temperature of your butter and creaming time here.
– Hopefully one of these things resolve the issues you experienced with spreading and sticking to your fingers, but just in case the stickiness is a humidity issue, maybe pop the cooled cookies in the freezer (on a parchment-lined baking tray) until firm, and then fill, sandwich and serve. Hopefully that might solve your stickiness issue if all else fails.
We hope you give these Whoopie Pies another try sometime! Happy baking 🙂
These were amazing! Thank you for updating the recipe. How would I go about making these vanilla and still using the brown sugar? What would I replace the cocoa powder for? Is this possible? I don’t see a vanilla Whoopie pie recipe on your site so hoping to convert this one. Thank you!
Hi there! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these Whoopie Pies! We don’t currently have a vanilla Whoopie Pie recipe, and eliminating the cocoa powder is actually pretty complicated. Cocoa powder is a very drying ingredient, so it’s not as simple as replacing the cocoa with flour, as they react differently to ingredients and absorb liquids differently. You would also likely need to adjust the liquid and possibly the leavening. Feel free to give it a try, but this will take a lot of experimentation and some patience to nail! Good luck and happy baking 🙂
Could you make this as a cake with the same ratio of ingredients?
Hi Susan! We haven’t tried that and I’m honestly not sure how well that would work. I would instead recommend trying Tessa’s Best Ever Chocolate Cake recipe, or her delicious Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe.
These are phenomenal whoopie pies. They aren’t too sweet, and they bake nicely. I used the weight measurements and they turned out perfectly.
Hello- can these be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Dana! They sure can! Check out the very bottom of the pink tip box (above the recipe) for instructions on how to best freeze these! 🙂
I have made Whoopie pies for years with no problem at all. Now, for the second time, my filling has come our curdled. Any idea why? They are a wonderful go to recipe for a quick dessert to bring anywhere. Just frustrated because nothing is different! Help….please???
Thanks Dianne
Hi Dianne! Hmm, that sounds so strange! You mentioned that nothing is different, but I just want to verify that you haven’t changed brands of marshmallow fluff or a different type of powdered sugar (some are finer than others). The only other thing I can think of is that your butter might be getting too warm. When butter gets too warm, this can cause all sorts of problems. Around 67°F is perfect for baking and making buttercreams, but this time of year, when it’s sooo hot, a few degrees cooler is ideal. Hopefully that helps, but if not, also try whipping the buttercream a little longer, as this can save your buttercream and bring it back together. Good luck and happy baking!
Fantastic Recipe! I will definitely be using this again!