Whoopie Pies for Halloween

Whoopie Pies for Halloween are the most delicious chocolate cake cookies with silky, buttery filling, decorated with holiday sprinkles.

I love cake. Cake and meringue buttercream. My reason for making whoopie pies is that I can then hold that piece of delicious cake right in my hand! No fork needed. Fork free! #Goals.

Raise your hand if you know what a whoopie pie is. If your hand is in the air you are probably one of my readers from the East Coast or you’ve seen them in magazines, bakeries or cookbooks over the last few years. They originated in the east, and are a staple treat in Maine. Typically filled with a marshmallow fluff based cream, I find a meringue buttercream is more delicious and less cloyingly sweet.

Traditionally they are chocolate. A soft, cake-like cookie with the soft white filling. But you may have seen other flavors. They’re all delicious!

I really love making the traditional chocolate flavor, and decorating them with seasonal sprinkles. They’re always the hit at a party. Plus they are super easy to transport, AND I’ll keep going…they freeze like a dream! So you can make them ahead. (I suggest waiting to decorate with sprinkles until after they have thawed from the freezer)

For the filling I make a meringue buttercream. If you are new to this delicious miracle of a creation, pop on over to that page to read what it’s all about. It’s easy to spread, but for whoopie pies for Halloween or other holidays, I like to transfer it to a piping bag with a large plain piping tip. Kabam! You pipe a little dollop on the bottom of one cookie, sandwich it with another one and you have a perfect frosting surface around the edges for the sprinkles.

5 from 2 votes

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Whoopie Pies for Halloween

Work Time

40 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 20 mins

 

Traditionally they are chocolate. A soft, cake-like cookie with the soft white filling. But you may have seen other flavors. They're all delicious!

Yield: 32 pies

Calories: 94 kcal

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• Meringue Buttercream
• ⅓ cup sprinkles each orange and yellow

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment. Dip a 1½-inch round cookie cutter in extra cocoa and tap onto parchment to create a cookie outline; repeat to make outlines 1 inch apart on all the baking sheets' set aside. Whisk together cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl beat together the butter, shortening and sugars until smooth, about 2 min. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2 min. Stir in half the flour mixture, then the milk, and beat to combine. Add remaining flour mixture and beat together, scraping down sides of bowl.
3. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a coupler or a ½-inch plain tip. Pipe onto parchment, filling the outlines with mounds about ½ inch high. Bake, one sheet at a time, until cookies spring back to the touch, 10 to 12 min. Cool on baking sheets 10 min, then transfer to a wire rack with a metal spatula and let cool completely.
4. Spread about 1 tbsp buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies. Cover edges with sprinkles. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead.  Freezable. Easily transported.  Beautiful.  And did I say delicious?!!

Nutrition Facts

Whoopie Pies for Halloween

Amount Per Serving

Calories 94 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 9mg3%

Sodium 102mg4%

Potassium 54mg2%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 65IU1%

Calcium 16mg2%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

For more Tara Teaspoon Halloween fun, try these recipes as well!

Spooky Spiral Cookies are hypnotizing and super tasty. Best of all, you can use store-bought cookie dough if you want to make them in a flash.

Make Black Cat Cupcakes so your little witches can snack before they go trick-or-treating. They are super fun for a cupcake decorating party too!

Recipe Tara Bench & Khalil Hymore
Photographs Kate Sears
Prop Stylist Gerri Williams
Originally published Ladies’ Home Journal Oct 2010