Family Favorite Whoopie Pies

Name: Family Favorite Whoopie Pies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 67 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Butter ((room temperature)); 2 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 cup Buttermilk; 2 Eggs; 2 Egg Yolks ((save whites for filling)); 2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 cup Natural Unsweetened Cocoa ((we use Hershey's)); ½ tsp Salt; 2 tsp Baking Soda; 5.5 cups All Purpose Flour; 1 cup Hot Water; 3 Egg Whites; 4 tbsp Milk; 6 tbsp All Purpose Flour; 3 tbsp Powdered Sugar; 3 tsp Vanilla Extract; 2.25 cup Vegetable Shortening ((we use Crisco)); 5 cup Powdered Sugar

Family Favorite Whoopie Pies have been one of my family’s most loved desserts for over 25 years!

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Whoopie Pies. One of my all-time favorite desserts. They are called “gobs” by some parts of the country, but I’m a stalwart for the Whoopie Pie name. Whoopie pies are essentially the bakery version of an Oreo which means they HAVE to be delicious.

This recipe has been in my family for decades. When someone bakes whoopie pies, they last a few days at most. As a kid, my mom would help me put a few in a container under my bed to give me a few extra once they ran out in the kitchen. (Sorry for the deception, Dad.) I’m not sure how many times my mom or my sister has made these for me for a special occasion (including my baby shower) or even just as a random “I love you” gift because they know just how much I crave them.

Prepare for a few hours (but it’s worth it)

Depending on how many ovens you have the ability to use, this recipe could take some time to create. I bake one sheet at a time with 12 cookies each. At 11-12 minutes per sheet, that’s 70 minutes just to make the cookies. Mixing the batter, allowing the cookies to cool, making the filling, completing the whoopie pies, and wrapping the excess in plastic wrap usually takes me about 2-2.5 hours from start to finish.

Caution: Raw Eggs

This recipe uses egg whites in the filling. Our family has never encountered an illness from this process, but we are aware of the risks of consuming raw eggs. There is also a small amount of flour in the filling. We do not heat treat the flour, but you can if that would make you more comfortable.

How to Store, Freeze, and Thaw

To store after baking, keep them in an airtight container. If using a large storage dish and stacking in layers, separate layers using wax paper. Eat within 4-5 days for the best quality. The cookie will get sticky to the touch; that is normal.

If you somehow don’t eat all of these in a few days, whoopie pies refrigerate and freeze well. Wrap the whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap to refrigerate, or refrigerate in an air-tight container. Both options should give good quality for about a week.

To freeze, wrap individually in plastic wrap. To thaw from the freezer, let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours or in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

I actually prefer to eat my whoopies pies cooled. I LOVE when the filling is cold.

FAQs & Tips

Is using parchment paper on the baking sheet preferred over greasing the baking sheet?

Using parchment paper when baking the cookies will lead to the best results, but it isn’t necessary. If only greasing the baking sheet, expect the bottom of the cookies to crumble a little bit more, and less baking time is needed. I prefer to use parchment paper now, but for years I didn’t use it.

Tip #1: Don’t close whoopie pies until all the filling is applied.

I recommend leaving the whoopie pies open as you add the filling. That way, if you are a bit too generous in the beginning, you can scoop some off the cookies you’ve already done and add it to the cookies that still need filling. If you were stingy and have filling left over, you can add the remaining filling to the cookies in order to use it all up.

Tip #2: Have extra powdered sugar available.

The recipe calls for 5 cup + 3 tbsp of powdered sugar for the filling. I’d recommend keeping 1-2 cups extra powdered sugar so that you can adjust the thickness of the filling to your preference. I’d used anywhere form 4.5 cups (yes, I left half a cup out) up to 6 cups.

Recipe Quick Stats

Cost:

Total Recipe Cost = $12.76 · $0.35 per serving

Nutrition:

Recipe makes 36 Whoopie Pies. One Serving = 1 Whoopie Pie

Calories: 354 kcal · Total Fat: 17.8 g · Sodium: 159.4 mg · Total Carb: 44.9 g · Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g · Protein: 3 g

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