Chocolate–Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

The classic whoopie pie with chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream frosting has been a huuuuge favorite of mine since I was a kid, and these chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies are no exception. This whoopie pie recipe is made up of soft and moist chocolate cakes with a creamy, peanut butter frosting sandwiched in between. They’re simple, they’re easy to make, and my God do they taste wonderful.

is a whoopie pie a cake, pie, or cookie?

Whoopie pies are small cakes that are baked as cookies on a baking sheet. You take one of the small chocolate cakes, spread on the frosting or filling, then you top it with another small cake. Wah-la, a whoopie pie! Some people have even referred to them as inside-out cupcakes, but I’ve always thought of them as sandwiched cakes.

what is the history of the whoopie pie?

Whoopie pies are a well-known Pennsylvania German and Lancaster Amish tradition that are also known as “Gobs” to those that live out in Western PA. They are also considered to be a classic from the New England states as well. It’s believed that whoopie pies came from left over cake batter that were placed in children’s lunches.

When the children would open up their lunch and saw them, they’d (allegedly) yell, “Whoopie!” I don’t know if this is exactly true or not, but what I do know is they are delicious…oh-so-delicious! Over the years there have been so many different variations of the whoopie pie made, but the classic has always been chocolate cake with marshmallow filling or vanilla buttercream frosting.

And if you ever get the chance, you need to make your way to Strasburg, PA for the Whoopie Pie Festival. I’ve been to it twice now and holy cow, there are so many whoopie pies it is unreal! They even have the largest whoopie pie ever on display!

how to make homemade chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies

chocolate cakes

This homemade chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pie recipe is an easy one! The chocolate cakes are made by first creaming the vegetable shortening and granulated sugar together. Then you add in the egg and vanilla extract. You’ll want to make sure to whisk your dry ingredients together well in a separate bowl before adding it along with the milk and warm water to the rest of the mixing bowl. The batter will be on the lighter, fluffier side and not heavy or runny.

peanut butter frosting

For the peanut butter frosting, this is also an easy recipe to whip up! You first cream the unsalted butter and peanut butter together, then add the vanilla extract, followed by slowly adding in the sifted powdered sugar and heavy whopping cream. I love this frosting so much I could have licked the bowl clean!

why use shortening in a recipe?

Above I mentioned using vegetable shortening in this chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pie recipe. I don’t always use it when I bake, but it is nice because it keeps the cakes from spreading out too much and leaves you with a nice dome-shaped cake. It’s the same reason I will sometimes use it in my cookie recipes.

quick tips for making the best whoopie pies

• To scoop out the batter, I used my 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop which gave me roughly 3-inch diameter chocolate cakes. I was definitely generous when placing a scoop of the batter onto the baking sheet too.
• You could even get away with using the 2-inch cookie scoop if you wanted to make them a little bigger.
• You can keep each whoopie pie tightly wrapped in plastic wrap out at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can can store them wrapped and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days. Or, my favorite, you can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, place in a sealed freezer bag, and keep in the freezer where they can last about 3 months.
• If you’re not going to fill the whoopie pie cakes that same day, you can keep the peanut butter frosting covered tightly in the mixing bowl with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready, take it out of the fridge and allow to come to room temp before filling the whoopie pie cakes. You may need to re-whip the frosting a little to bring it back to life.
• You can easily double both the whoopie pie cake and peanut butter frosting recipes for more whoopie pies.

try out my other chocolate-peanut butter combo recipes!

If you love this chocolate-peanut butter recipe, then you’ll love these!

• Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
• Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
  Irresistible Peanut Butter Tandy Kakes
• Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
• Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs

Chocolate–Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

• Author: Jennifer
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 14 minutes (does not include cooling times or for frosting)
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Approx. 14 whoopie pies
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

These Chocolate-Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies are soft and moist chocolate cakes with a creamy peanut butter frosting sandwiched in between. It’s a classic, yet simple treat that is easy to make for any occasion!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

whoopie pie cakes

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Large Egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Milk (I used Fat Free)
• 1/2 cup Warm Water

peanut butter frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 cup Peanut Butter, creamy
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups Confectioners Sugar, sifted
• 2–3 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

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Instructions

whoopie pie cakes

1. Adjust oven rack to 2nd level position and pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using your hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegetable shortening and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until nice and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, then mix until completely blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Switch the mixer speed to low, then alternatively add a little of the whisked dry mixture, followed by a little of the milk and water. Repeat until all ingredients have been added and the mixture is completely blended. 
5. Using a cookie scoop (I used my 1 1/2-inch scoop), drop a generous scoop of batter on to the lined baking sheet, spacing each cake about 1 1/2- to 2-inches apart. I got 6-8 cakes on each baking sheet. They will spread out, but not by a lot.
6. Place in the oven and bake at 375ºF for 12-14 minutes or until the center of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.
7. Allow cakes to cool slightly on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

peanut butter frosting

1. Using your hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract.
2. Switch the mixer speed to low and gradually add in the sifted confectioners sugar, then add in the heavy whipping cream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Using a small spatula or piping bag with a tip of your choice, add the peanut butter frosting to the bottom of a whoopie pie cake. Then top with another cake. 

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Notes

• To scoop out the batter I used my 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop which gave me roughly a 3-inch diameter chocolate cakes. And I was definitely generous when I went to scoop out the batter to drop it onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
• You could even get away with using the 2-inch cookie scoop if you wanted to make them a little bigger.
• You can keep each whoopie pie tightly wrapped in plastic wrap out at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can can store them wrapped and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days; or—my favorite—you can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, place in a sealed freezer bag, and keep in the freezer where they can last about 3 months.
• If you’re not going to fill the whoopie pie cakes that same day, you can keep the peanut butter frosting covered tightly in the mixing bowl with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready, take out of the fridge and allow to come to room temp before filling the whoopie pie cakes. You may need to re-whip the frosting a little to bring it back to life.
• You can easily double both the whoopie pie cake and peanut butter frosting recipes for more whoopie pies.
• Recipe adapted from Discover Lancaster.

Keywords: chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies, chocolate whoopie pies, whoopie pies, chocolate whoopie pies with peanut butter filling, peanut butter frosting, peanut butter filling, peanut butter, chocolate, fall desserts, easy desserts

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