Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Festive chocolate whoopie pies are a sweet and easy treat for the busy holiday season! (Updated December 2020)

This year sure has been something, hasn’t it? Whew. I always look forward to the New Year and the chance to start over and do better, but never before has the feeling been so keen.

But, as of this writing, there are still weeks to go and Christmas noshes to think about. The Chocolate Whoopie Pie might not be the first cookie you think of during the holidays, but I think it’s a worthy addition.

Especially this year, when we could use a little over-the-top comfort in the form of chocolate. And cookies.

If you’re not familiar with the whoopie pie (it seems to be a regional thing), it’s two soft chocolate cookies sandwiched around a huge dollop of marshmallow creme filling. Light and sweet and filling all at the same time, they’re a delicious treat when the average chocolate chip cookie just won’t do.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sort of a sucker for marshmallow fluff. It’s the kind of thing that I can eat right off the spoon (although adulting means I don’t).

It’s really the perfect filling for a whoopie pie: regular cake frosting is too heavy and cloying; whipped cream is far too lightweight. The marshmallow fluff is the perfect combo of “sweet” and “texture” to highlight the yummy chocolate cakey cookies surrounding it.

For an extra fancy presentation, pipe the filling with a swirly edge design on one cookie, gently top the filling with the second cookie, and then sprinkle colored sprinkles over the filling.

You can also make different sizes of chocolate whoopie pies, as I did here in the photos. Just watch the baking times to make sure the chocolate cookies set and don’t burn.

Here’s to a better year, with even more delicious food!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Festive chocolate whoopie pies with red and green sparkly sprinkles are a sweet and easy treat for the busy holiday season!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: whoopie pies

Servings: 9 cookies

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

Chocolate cookies:

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural cocoa OR 3 tablespoons each black cocoa and natural cocoa
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
• 1 1/3 cups Marshmallow Fluff or marshmallow creme
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt OR the salt of your choice dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

Cookies:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar and egg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa(s), flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the vanilla into the milk.
• Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture alternately with the milk/vanilla mixture, beating till smooth. Drop the dough by the 1/4-cupful, onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cake. Smooth the tops into shape with an offset spatula
• Bake the cakes for about 15 minutes, or until they're firm to the touch. Remove them from the oven and cool completely on a rack.

Filling:

• Beat together the shortening, sugar and marshmallow, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Spread half of the cakes with the filling; top with the remaining cakes.

Notes

You can make different sizes of cakes; just adjust the baking times so that the cakes set but don't burn.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.