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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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This is by far one of my favorite treats. This recipe is easy & oh are they delicious! Thanks for sharing this one!
Thanks Maurie!
So good!! I do t usually have luck making these but these are amazing!!
Thanks Jill!
Can this recipe be turned into a whoopie cake
I’ve never tried doing so Tara. With some adaptations, you probably can!
Disgustingly sweet filling. I couldn’t eat even one. The kids didn’t like them either.
Sorry you were disappointed Saria
I’m from New England Portsmouth NH, now live in Georgia. i make these every Christmas for myself and granddaughter. My recipe is similar but I use Hershey dark cocoa instead. And I was sifting instead of whisking dry ingred togeaher. So I will try your way this time.
Hope you enjoy the Whoopie Pies Marilyn! The dark cocoa is fine to use and whisking is a little easier than sifting, but accomplishes the same.
My first thought when I saw this photo was that these would be “chocolate sandwich cookie” flavored. ; ) Can you tell me if the dark chocolate cocoa powder would make them taste that way?
Yes – it’s very similar to Oreo cookies but the filling is a soft marshmallow, not a firm sugar.
just wondering why the whoopie pie (cake) is baked at such a high temperture (450)? I’m thinking they would burn at this temp and could I bake them at 375 instead? Any info is great. Thank you and can’t wait to make these!
Hi Lau – This is the recipe (and temp) as it was shared with me. As written, the cakes bake up quickly into a dome which gives the assembled whoopie pies their distinctive look – we’ve always had good luck following the recipe as is, so never tested a lower oven temperature. We have had some readers in the past complain that theirs burned, so if you are worried about the temperature or if your oven tends to run hot, I’d suggest baking one in the center of the cookie sheet to see how it comes out – then adjust accordingly. Hope that helps.
Wow! These are delicious! I was nervous because I didn’t love the taste of the filling on its own, but once it was all put together—incredible! great recipe!
Thanks Amanda!
Made these and they turned out delicious – will for sure be making them again
Thanks Allison!
Could I substitute Butter for the shortening in the filling? I only have the butter flavor shortening and don’t really like it
In general yes – butter will make the filling more dense and add some buttery flavor (more like a buttercream frosting) – but if that doesn’t bother you, it should work!