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Whoopie Pies are a classic New England dessert. Fudgy chocolate cake sandwiching a creamy and sweet marshmallow filling. So good!
Whenever my side of the family gets together for a visit, I always look forward to the delicious Whoopie Pies that my sister-in-law Pam brings along for dessert. This is one of Pam’s signature recipes (as well as this and this) – and when she sent me the recipe to share here on A Family Feast, she described these as the best whoopie pies ever! (She’s tried a number of different recipes over the years – so she knows!)
I have to agree! Soft, rich, dark chocolate mounds of cake sandwich a light and creamy marshmallow fluff filling. (I personally think this particular recipe for whoopie pies is the best because it isn’t too sweet. )
The history of whoopie pies (sometimes also called ‘gobs’) is interesting to read – and according to What’s Cooking America they are “…considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition… According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!” (You can read more of the history here.)
And – before I share Pam’s delicious Whoopie Pie recipe, I wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you. Today, A Family Feast officially turns two years old. Back then, Jack and I never dreamed that this little spot of ours on the web would grow into what it is today and we couldn’t have done it without you – our loyal and appreciative readers! We’re so excited to be starting another year of sharing great recipes and stories with all of you.
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Whoopie Pies
Whoopie Pies are a classic New England dessert. Fudgy chocolate cake sandwiching a creamy and sweet marshmallow filling. So good!
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (we used Nestle’s Special Dark)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (we used Crisco)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 8 ounces marshmallow fluff (half of a 16-ounce container)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (we used Crisco)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Approximately 1 tablespoon milk (to get filling to good consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to mix. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Slowly add dry mixture to the mixing bowl with the wet mixture and mix well.
- Using a medium (1½ ounce) scoop, place scoops of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets (about 12 per sheet).
- Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 6-7 minutes (they may look a little bit wet on top but that is OK). With a spatula, remove immediately to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Once the cake mounds have cooled completely, prepare the filling by combining the marshmallow fluff, confectioners’ sugar, shortening and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until completely combined. Add milk as necessary to get to a soft (but not too soft consistency.)
- Using a scoop, place a dollop of the filling in the center of the flat side of one cake. Place a matching piece of cake against the filling and push to spread the filling evenly between the two halves. Repeat until all of the pies have been filled.
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Made these tonight and they were delicious! First time making whoopie pies and this recipe is a keeper. I live in Maine and these were better than any I’ve had before! Thanks!
Wow Beth – as someone commenting from Maine (home of the Whoopie Pie!) your comment has really made our day and I’ll be sure to let my sister-in-law (who gave us the recipe) know too! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious! The recipe was easy to follow. I made some small size ones, also. They really are tasty. I’ve only made them once before, a long time ago. I live in Maine, also.
Thank you Wendy! 🙂
I use this recipe every time I make whoopie pies! Awesome recipe! Thank you. 🙂
You’re very welcome Rachel – glad you enjoy the recipe as much as we do! 🙂
These look divine! I know the filling probably wouldn’t hold well but could you freeze the little cakes and whip up some fresh filling when ready to serve?
Hi – You can definitely freeze them! The cake is slightly sticky at room temperature so I’d suggest laying them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and freezing them individually before you wrap them up for longer term storage. Hope that helps!
Great recipe. If you want to make a double batch I recommend following the recipe, washing your dishes and doing it all over. I doubled and the results were much better without doubling. Serving them tomorrow. So I haven’t tasted them yet.
Thanks Dani – hope you enjoy the whoopie pies!
They were awesome! Thank you!
What if I wanted to use home-made marshmallow fluff? Should I mix it with the other ingredients anyway?
This looks awesome and I am definitely going to try it! : )
Hi Nadine – If your homemade marshmallow is soft and fluffy with a creamy texture you might be able to get away with just that. We add the other ingredients to the store bought marshmallow fluff to make it a little creamier and a more whipped consistency. Hope that helps!
Hi. I live in England and want to make Whoopie Pies for my friends ‘bring a local dish’ party in a few weeks. As the lone American I figured why not! But lots of the recipes I have found said fluff is not used for a traditional whoppie pie. It should be more like a cream than marshmallow filling. But your recipe looks so nice. Help! I can get fluff here and don’t really want to use raw eggs.
Hi Lauren – I don’t have a recipe for a cream filling to share with you. But to address you other concern, I have seen some other types of recipes using meringue powder in place of raw egg whites. That might be an option for you if you can find it where you live. Hope that helps!
Hi! Do you refrigerate afterward or leave out??? Thanks!!!
Hi Caroline – We left them at room temperature for a day or so (that’s as long as they lasted before they got eaten) – stored in an air tight plastic container. Refrigerating them won’t hurt either!
I love them refrigerated and not at room tempt.. makes them fudgy. Everybody loves them.. I am going to make a batch with butter milk and a batch with regular milk for a taste test.
Thanks John.
Have you ever made these with a small scoop instead of a medium one? I’m wondering how long to bake them.
No – Sorry Kim – I’ve only made them using the medium scoop. Perhaps you can start with a small test batch to see what the timing is using the smaller scoop before you bake all of it?
I don’t have a stand mixer so could this be creamed with a regular hand mixer? I really would like to try these.
Yes Kris! A regular hand mixer will work fine!
Thanks so much for your quick reply! I’m making these for the first time for a bake sale. Wish me luck!
Good luck!
I was given this recipe in 1974 and have made it ever since…truly the best pie recipe
I so agree Steve!