12 whoopie pie recipes you need to make (2024)

Lancaster County loves whoopie pies.

An archive dive found dozens (!) of whoopie pie recipes, from traditional chocolate with white filling and pumpkin with cream cheese filling to Oreo, blueberry or banana.

Here are a dozen whoopie pie recipes from our archives:

Whoopie pies

Makes 48-60

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable shortening or margarine

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 ½ cups flour

1 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup milk soured with 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 cup hot water or coffee

Cream shortening and sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. In another bowl, sift flour with cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to the cream mixture alternately with milk. Mix in hot water or coffee. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet, placing about 3 inches apart. Bake in pre-heated 375-degree oven for eight minutes. Store in waxed paper until all cookies are baked.

Filling

Ingredients

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons milk

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup vegetable shortening

½ cup butter

Beat egg whites until fluffy. Gradually beat in vanilla, milk, sugar and flour. Add shortening and butter and beat until very fluffy.

Take one cookie and place generous tablespoon of filling on flat side. Top with another. Freezes well if wrapped individually.

Source: Betty Groff via LNP archives

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Cookie ingredients

2 ounces red food coloring

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Cookies: Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring: set aside. Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Add cocoa mixture and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for several minutes. Add flour, salt and buttermilk alternately to creamed mixture. Beat several minutes at medium speed. Fold in baking soda and vinegar. Do not beat. Drop by tablespoons on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Filling ingredients

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

About 2 tablespoons milk

Mix confectioners’ sugar and butter. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth. Spread between two cookies.

Source: Dale Smith, Lititz, Pa. via LNP archives

Pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese filling

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pumpkin, puree or canned

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese filling (see recipe following)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and oil together. Add the pumpkin and whisk until combined thoroughly. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

Use a large cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire rack.

Pipe or spoon the filling onto flat side of cookie and top with another cookie, press down slightly so that the filling spreads to edges.

Cream cheese filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Beat butter on medium speed until smooth, about three minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar a little bit at a time, then beat until smooth. Fill pumpkin cookies as directed.

Source: LNP archives

Chocolate whoopie pie with pudding

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2/3 cup instant chocolate pudding

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

4 eggs

1 cup hot water or coffee

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven at 350 F. Mix cake ingredients well. Line two 13x9 inch pans with waxed paper and spray with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly between the two pans. Bake 15 minutes or until done.

Cool. Unwrap first cake and lay back into pan again. Spread filling (listed below) on cake. Flip second cake on top of filling and unwrap.

Filling ingredients

1 cup milk, scalded and cooled

2/3 cup instant vanilla pudding

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup shortening

Beat milk and instant vanilla pudding very well. Add remaining ingredients and beat well.

Source: J. Huber, Narvon, Pa., via LNP archives

Whoopie pies with cake mix

Ingredients

1 (18.25-ounce) devil’s food cake mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs; beat well. Drop in 2 1/2- to 3-inch circles. Bake 7-8 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling ingredients

1 cup milk

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine milk and flour and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until it forms a thick paste. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, beat sugar and vegetable shortening until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until double in volume.

Turn half of the little cakes onto their backs. Spoon a dollop of filling onto half of the little cakes. Place the other half of the cakes on top of the filling to form sandwiches. Makes about 12 pies.

Source: LNP archives

Chocolate chip whoopie pies

Ingredients

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

4 cups flour

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Mix together butter, sugar and eggs; add baking soda to buttermilk, and mix in butter mixture. Add flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

Filling ingredients

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup Crisco

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons milk

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Combine ingredients. Place frosting between two cookies to form a sandwich cookie or whoopie pie.

Source: Lydia Esh of Delta via LNP archives

Oatmeal whoopie pies

Ingredients

3/4 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 tablespoons boiling water

Cream margarine, sugar and eggs. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add oatmeal and cinnamon. Mix well. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to batter. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in 325-degree oven. Cool.

Filling ingredients

1 cup Crisco

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons vanilla

Combine ingredients and beat until smooth. Fill cookies to make sandwiches.

Source: Eleanor Myers of Gordonville via LNP archives

Oreo whoopie pies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups butter (no substitute)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate chips, optional

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar, then add rest of ingredients. Bake at 350 F for 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies will puff up and then flatten. Let them set on hot pan for approximately 1 minute before taking them off.

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

12 ounces whipped topping

2 cups crushed (about 18 cookies)

Beat cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in whipped topping and add crushed cookies. Put icing between cookies.

Source: a Lititz reader via LNP archives

Banana whoopie pies

Ingredients

4-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cookie: Combine salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside. In a separate large bowl, cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Beat in dry ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Filling ingredients

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons milk

4 cups confectioners sugar

1-1/2 cups shortening

Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Combine other ingredients and beat very hard at high speed. Fold in egg whites, mix well. Spread filling between two cookies.

Source: Dale Smith, Lititz via LNP archives

Orange whoopie pies

Ingredients

3 cups brown sugar

3 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 tablespoons orange peels

6 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups sour cream

3 cups bread flour

3 cups pie flour

Combine ingredients. Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheets. Bake at 450 degrees for 3-5 minutes. Fill with your favorite frosting.

Source: LNP archives

Pecan Pumpkin Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Cake ingredients

2-1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons minced candied ginger

2 eggs

15-ounce can pumpkin puree

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice.

In another bowl, beat together butter, oil, brown sugar, molasses and vanilla. Add the zest, ginger and eggs; combine. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Stir in the flour mixture.

Drop the dough in mounds (1/4 cup for large or 2 tablespoons for small) onto the baking sheets, leaving several inches between each for spreading. You should make 20 or 40 cakes, depending on whether you want small or large whoopie pies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes feel slightly firm to the touch. Allow to fully cool before filling.

Filling ingredients

Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1 cup marshmallow fluff

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

To make the filling, beat together ingredients until smooth. Drop a large spoonful onto the flat side of half of the cakes. Press the flat side of another cake on top to make cookie.

Place the pecans in a wide bowl, then roll the edge of each whoopie pie in the pecans to coat. Refrigerate in an airtight container.

Makes 20 small or 10 large pies.

Source: Alison Ladman via AP

Blueberry whoopie pies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/4 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup blueberries

1 teaspoon flour

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Combine baking soda, vinegar and milk. Add the milk mixture and buttermilk alternately with flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and vanilla to creamed mixture. Toss blueberries with 1 teaspoon flour. Gently fold in batter. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched with fingers. Fill with your favorite icing.

Source: LNP archives