This Classic Whoopie Pie Recipe is the perfect ratio of chocolate cake and sweet vanilla marshmallow filling in a hand-held treat the whole family will love!
Nothing says dessert like chocolate! Try my double chocolate chip Nutella Stuffed Cookies or rich Classic Homemade Fudge Brownies for another delicious chocolaty treat!
These Classic Maine Whoopie Pies have perfectly cracked chocolate cakes that are filled with an incredible vanilla marshmallow cream frosting! Each bite has just the right amount of cake and filling, the only thing that makes these whoopie pies better is pairing it with a tall glass of ice-cold milk!
Here in Maine, we get pretty serious about our whoopie pies which is why we’re home to the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival! It’s so fun walking around to all of the booths to try different kinds of whoopie pies people come up with! Most recipes are passed down from generation to generation, making them just as special as they are sweet.
This particular recipe was brought to me by a friend of mine that kindly shared her Grandmother’s recipe with me! After a few adaptations, I’m now passing it along for others to enjoy as well!
5 Reasons Why I Love This Recipe!
- Easy Ingredients! This recipe uses mostly pantry staple ingredients to deliver these tasty treats!
- Hand-Held! These whoopie pies fit perfectly in your hand making them easy to snack on or to wrap up individually to share with friends and family!
- Everyone Loves Them! From adults down to kids of all ages, everyone gets excited to see this dessert coming!
- Variations! You can easily tailor these whoopie pies to exactly what you want just by choosing whatever frosting you love! Scroll down below for some delicious ideas!
- Enough To Share! This recipe delivers well over a dozen finished whoopie pies! That’s plenty to tuck some away at home while also giving a few away for others to enjoy as well!
Ingredient Notes
When it comes to making this irresistible classic Maine dessert all you need is basic, pantry staple ingredients! In fact, you likely have almost everything you need right inside your pantry!
For the chocolate cakes you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Salt
- Ground Nutmeg
- Salted Butter
- Granulated White Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Chocolate Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Juice
While the chocolate cakes are cooling you’ll be whipping up the filling. However, I have to admit, these aren’t exactly “Classic” whoopie pies as those tend to have raw egg whites worked into the filling.
I’m not really a fan of what most consider to be the traditional filling and decided to go with a sweet vanilla marshmallow frosting instead. So in my mind, they’re still pretty classic and they still taste amazing! Get started with the filling recipe by gathering up:
- Marshmallow Fluff
- Powdered Sugar
- Salted Butter
- Vanilla
For a fun twist on this classic dessert you could also try my Gingerbread Whoopie Pies With Brown Sugar Filling! Trust me, one bite into them and you’ll realize gingerbread doesn’t have to be only a seasonal flavor! You’ll be making these year round!
How To Make Classic Maine Whoopie Pies
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, heavy cream, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients and beat until completely combined.
- Drop batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper using a medium cookie or ice cream scoop and then bake. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
- Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the filling by beating together the marshmallow fluff, 1 cup of powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the remaining powdered sugar as needed to allow the filling to stiffen and set.
- Chill the marshmallow cream filling in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
- Assemble the whoopie pies by spreading a layer of filling onto the inside of one cake and placing the top cake on the filling to create a sandwich. Chill until ready to enjoy!
Delicious Variations To Try!
These chocolate whoopie pies are so easy to customize to your exact taste buds just by simply switching up the filling! Here are some tasty ideas you may want to try!
- Make these whoopie pies a chocolate lover’s dream come true by filling them with Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Malt Buttercream!
- Add my sweet Peanut Butter Frosting or tangy Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting between these two chocolate cakes for everyone’s favorite dessert combination!
- Easy Salted Caramel Frosting would make another great option!
- How about a taste of hazelnut? Nutella Frosting!
- My Easy Brown Sugar Frosting would add a smooth warm brown sugar flavor to this dessert!
You might also enjoy these Apple Cider Whoopie Pies or Red Velvet Whoopie Pies too!
Why Do They Call It A Whoopie Pie?
Whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter from chocolate cakes. According to Amish legend when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!”
Do Whoopie Pies Need To Be Refrigerated?
This answer would probably vary based on who you asked. I personally would refrigerate them if you don’t plan on enjoying them the same day you assemble them.
The cakes can be made up a day in advance, but once frosted, you want the integrity of the filling to stay intact, and refrigerating them will help with that.
Wrap each individual whoopie pie in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days for best taste.
How Do You Freeze Whoopie Pies?
To freeze Whoopie Pies, wrap them individually in aluminum foil (I personally like to wrap them in plastic wrap first) and place them in the freezer for up to three months. Let the Whoopie Pies thaw at room temperature overnight before serving.
These Classic Maine Whoopie Pies are always requested when we’re planning parties with friends and family! Something about a bite of chocolate cake mixed with marshmallow cream filling makes everyone happy! Here are more chocolate desserts that I bet you’ll love!
- Chocolate Milkshake Cupcakes – Silky chocolate malt buttercream covers rich chocolate cupcakes for a dessert you’ll instantly become obsessed with!
- Air Fryer Chocolate Cake – Fix your sweet tooth in a hurry with a dense, moist chocolate cake that’s ready in just 30 minutes!
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Slightly crisp outside with a chewy and gooey brownie-like center!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Macarons – A classic french dessert that delivers you the perfect combination of chocolate AND peanut butter!
- Microwave Brownie Mug Cake – The best quick and easy dessert option when you want to sneak in a chocolaty, fudgy treat at night!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
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Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Cakes
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Filling
- 8 ounces marshmallow fluff
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
- 7 tablespoons salted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, heavy cream, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 additional minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until completely combined.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon medium cookie scoop or spoon to drop batches of batter on the sheet pan, keeping them 2 inches apart. Bake in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes.
- In the meantime, use the mixer to beat together the marshmallow fluff, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat for several minutes until light and fluffy. Gradually incorporate the rest of the powdered sugar as needed to allow the filling to stiffen and set.
- Chill the marshmallow mixture for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Let the cakes completely cool before assembling your whoopie pies.
- To assemble your whoopie pie, take two cakes and spread a layer of filling on the inside of one cake (leaving some space at the outer edge) then place the top cake on the filling creating a sandwich and lightly press down.
- Chill until ready to plate and serve.
Notes
- You can replace the salted butter with unsalted butter, but I would recommend adding ½ teaspoon of salt at least in order to cut through the sugar.
- You can use just the marshmallow fluff/cream for the inside of the whoopie pies if you want a slightly simpler recipe.
- How do I store these Whoopie Pies? The can be stored at room temperature for a few days, but the filling may soften and become messy. You can also store them in the refrigerator, I recommend wrapping them individually to prevent them from drying out. If you want to freeze them, make sure you wrap them individually, and then they will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Can I use a different type of filling for these pies? The filling for these pies can be kind of tricky. It needs to be stiff enough to hold the weight of the cookies, but soft enough to eat. If you don’t use the marshmallow fluff mixture from this recipe, try a light frosting. But be aware that when you eat these, any filling you include is going to squeeze out the sides as you take a bite. Whoopie pies are messy desserts
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Megan says
So delicious!!
Jayne Rummel says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I will do so in the next few days. I’m from Pennsylvania and I also grew up with “gobs” wjich is what they are called in our area. .In fact my family love them so much that my Mother would actually make them by the bushel basket.
The best thing I I liked about them was the Iincredible icing which you don’t mention as a filling.
This icing is make from the old fashioned recipe using cooked flour and milk mixture. However, I now add 4 ounces of Cream cheese to the sugar and butter mixture. The old recipe called for Crisco but butter and the addition of Cream cheese gives it a richer flavor. This feeling it’s soft and it is best that you refrigerate the gobs in the refrigater.
The other difference in the cake recipe is that we never added spices so it’ll be interesting to try your recipe and see if it’s any better.
Rebecca Hubbell says
We make ours with marshmallow Fluff here in Maine!
Lisa Dwyer Andrews says
Woopie pies are a big part of growing up in Maine,Its a great memory of coming off the bus on a freezing cold day and walk in to the hose and the aroma of these great cakes cooking.just auwesome!!!
Ana says
This looks so pretty and good. I will try and keep you posted on my thoughts!
Karissa says
These look so pretty and sound delicious.
Taylor S. says
My husband is from New Hampshire and he said he wants me to try this recipe – I’m excited to try these!
Rebecca says
Oh yay, a New Englander! He knows what’s good for him then! Enjoy!
Emily @amummytoo says
These look so darn cute and that frosting is just beautiful. I want one now!
Rebecca says
Thank you so much, Emily!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
You can never go wrong with chocolate and vanilla together – so although I never have tried a whoppie pie I can imagine they tasted amazing.
Deb- It's me, debcb! says
I like the buttercream idea a lot. These look absolutely delicious! Pinning for later!
Rebecca says
Thanks Deb, I think the buttercream really makes them!