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
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.
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.
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 Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies (perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas!)
- Homemade Oreo Cookies
- Dutch Apple Pie With Caramel Streusel Topping
- Best Ever Chewy Brownies
- The Best Chocolate Cupcakes
- Hostess Cupcake Cookies
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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.
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Have u ever used home made marshmallow fluff/cream?
We haven’t, but you’re more than welcome to! 🙂
These remind me of being a kid (and sneaking extras when the grownups weren’t looking 😋)! I followed every step and am happy with the results. I didn’t have a choice so I’m sure they would be thicker if I used real buttermilk. I’ve already got plans to follow the advice for storing the buttermilk in usable portions.
So basically I wanted to thank you for the yummy recipe as well as the various tips for achieving best possible results.
I do have one question. My filling was a smidge to runny. It oozed off and the tops slid to the side before I could get them in the fridge. Would a bit more powdered sugar be the best fix?
Have a good night!!
So happy you enjoyed them, Cheryl! If your filling was too runny, double check the temp of your butter. You want your butter to be at a cool room temperature, which is about 67°F. If your butter is at that temp and the filling is still a little too runny, then I’d add about a tablespoon at a time of additional powdered sugar.
I consider myself a bit of a whoopie pie connoisseur… and I can honestly say this is one of my favorite recipes. Agree the Dutch process cocoa makes a huge difference. I’m still in search of a recipe similar to the amazing whoopie pies from Two Fat Cats bakery in Portland, Maine, but this one may just have to be my go to. Love the excellent vanilla flavor and creaminess with the butter.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/classic-maine-chocolate-whoopie-pies-recipe
I just baked them right now and they are cooling before being filled. They are for a Fourth of July party and I’m doing all American desserts . This is a classic dessert and I cheated and tasted one. If you love devildogs this is what they remind me of taste and texture. I will definitely save and reuse this recipe. I can tell it’s going to be a favorite. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Simple recipe. Liked this one. I was debating whether to do my “go-to” chocolate cake recipe and decided to try this one on a lark as it is now officially whoopie pie season here on Delmarva. Great recipe. I did the fluff from scratch to make a better quality product. This turned out pretty good though the filling was a bit loose and my bake time was 10 minutes per run. I found that using a pastry bag gives you the chance for the most consistent application and sizing of pies.
IT TURNED OUT GOOD. VERY CHOCOLATELY AND YUMMY.
Do these freeze well?
Hi Dacia! These whoopie pies freeze super well! See the Tip Box here or (above the recipe) for details 🙂
They were delicious! Why dd they all have cracks in them. They were very moist. What did I do wrong?
Hi Claire! I’m glad to hear they were delicious! Without baking alongside you, it’s hard to say exactly what may have gone wrong, but here are a few possible culprits:
– Your oven might be running a little hot. If the oven temperature is too high, the outside of the pies can set too quickly, causing cracks. Do you have an oven thermometer to check that? Check out Tessa’s article here about ovens, full of tips!
– Another thing could be how long you creamed your butter and sugars together, and how warm your butter was at this time. If you overmix the batter, you can incorporate too much air, potentially leading to cracks when baked. Have a look at this article, where Tessa discusses both and the repercussions on the resulting baked goods. If you don’t have an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is at the temperature it says it is, invest in one now! They are inexpensive and really help your baking so much. This oven thermometer is one of Tessa’s favorites.
– How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mismeasure ingredients (particularly flour and cocoa powder) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to measure ingredients correctly to ensure accuracy every time.
– How old are your leavening agents? If your baking soda/powder are not fresh, they won’t do their jobs and your baked goods can fail to rise properly, fall after baking, and much more. Baking powder and baking soda can also lose their effectiveness long before the expiration date on the packaging. Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents, and how to test for leavener freshness, in this article here.
I hope something here helps, and I hope you give these whoopie pies another try sometime! Happy Baking! 🙂
Going to make these on Mon 4/8/24 for the Senior Center Solar Eclipse party! Only my filling will be yellow food coloring for the sun.
That sounds so fun, Darlene! I hope they’re a huge hit! 🙂
Followed recipe as is and they turned out fantastic. Hubby kept eating them. Had to hide them so we had some for company. The cookie was perfect. Held up nicely with all the cream in it. Delicious.
PERFECT! And I’m not even good at baking. Thank you so much !
Um… yes. LOL
I just made these for my family and had to taste test one…. oh… my god LOL.
I used the buttercream frosting recipe you guys have up to make the filling. Not a fan of marshmallow. Was like heaven in a bite! Took me back to when I was young in Pennsylvania with a single bite of a gob <3