Amish Chocolate Whoopie Pies Recipe

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

What is an Amish chocolate whoopie pie? Amish chocolate whoopie pies are soft, cake-like chocolate cookies with a light vanilla frosting sandwiched between them.

Tradition says that the name "whoopie pie" probably came from the cry of delight that they inspire. I can picture an Amish kid opening his lunch pail, spotting a whoopie pie, then letting out a shriek of delight, "Whoopie!" 🙂

Whoopie pies (sometimes also known as Chocolate Gobs) are a favorite treat among the Amish in Lancaster County, PA. They are also popular in many Amish bakeries across the country.

Ingredients

1. Crisco shortening adds fat to the recipe, which helps to tenderize the crumb of the whoopie pies and contributes to their moistness.
2. Sugar sweetens the batter and helps to tenderize it by absorbing moisture, giving the whoopie pies a soft texture.
3. Eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness to the batter.
4. Buttermilk adds moisture and tanginess, contributing to the flavor and tenderness of the whoopie pies. It also reacts with the baking soda to provide leavening and help the cakes rise. (While I prefer using real buttermilk, it can be replaced with sour cream or sour milk.)
5. Vanilla extract enhances the flavor, adding depth and aroma to the chocolate batter.
6. All-purpose flour provides structure and stability.
7. Cocoa powder gives the whoopie pies their rich chocolate flavor and dark color.
8. Salt enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and helps to balance the sweetness.
9. Hot water helps to dissolve the cocoa powder and create a smooth, homogeneous batter. It also activates the baking soda, allowing the whoopie pies to rise properly during baking.
10. Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts with the acidic ingredients in the batter to produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps the whoopie pies rise and become light and fluffy.

Step by Step Instructions to Make the Cookies

Chocolate whoopies are made with a simple batter that is more cake-like in texture than your normal thick cookie dough.

1. Preheat Oven:
   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Prepare Baking Sheets:
   • Grease or line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the whoopie pies from sticking.
3. Cream Shortening and Sugar:
   • In a large mixing bowl, use the paddle attachment on your mixer to cream the shortening and sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add Eggs:
   • Add the eggs to the creamed mixture. Beat well until the eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
5. Add Buttermilk and Vanilla:
   • Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix again until everything is well combined.
6. Combine Dry Ingredients:
   • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sifted cocoa powder, and salt.
7. Incorporate Dry Ingredients:
   • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing at low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
8. Prepare Baking Soda Solution:
   • In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in hot water. Stir until the baking soda is completely dissolved.
9. Add Baking Soda Solution:
   • Slowly add the baking soda solution to the batter, mixing on low speed until everything is well combined.
10. Drop Batter onto Baking Sheets:
    • Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded spoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them apart to allow for spreading.
11. Bake:
    • Bake in the preheated oven for about 9-10 minutes. The cookies are done when they spring back when lightly touched.
12. Cool:
    • Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Amish Whoopie Pie Filling Recipe

Amish whoopie pie filling is typically made with raw egg whites.

However, there is a risk in consuming raw eggs. I am leaving two links to articles about eating raw eggs, in case you have questions about this. Is it safe to eat raw eggs? Can you eat raw eggs?

Personally, I love the Amish recipe for whoopie pie filling because it's light and not as sweet. We always used farm-fresh eggs to make this filling, and no one ever got sick that I know of. However, using pasteurized egg whites might be a better choice. And I wouldn't use this filling when selling whoopie pies because I know there is a slight risk.

Can I Use A Different Frosting?

Yes, if you don't feel comfortable eating a filling that contains raw egg whites, you could make a marshmallow fluff buttercream filling. Beat 1 cup softened butter, 2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, 4 cups marshmallow fluff, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

You could also use a basic buttercream frosting such as the one I use for chocolate chip whoopie pies. You can use peanut butter frosting or any other frosting you like, to fill these chocolate whoopie pies. Just make sure the frosting is thick enough to hold the cookies together without being too runny.

Assembling Whoopie Pies

1. Pair Cookies:
   • Once the cookies are completely cool, pair them up based on similar sizes and shapes to ensure even whoopie pies. (Ignore this step if your cookies all turned out the same.)
2. Add Filling:
   • Spread or pipe a generous amount of the Amish whoopie filling (or your desired filling) onto the flat side of one cookie from each pair. (Using a piping bag to pipe the frosting is very quick and easy. But you can also use a cookie scoop to scoop the filling onto the cookies, or spread it on with a knife.)
3. Sandwich Cookies:
   • Place the second cookie flat side down on top of the filling, gently pressing down to spread the filling evenly to the edges.
4. Wrap Individually:
   • Wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap to keep them fresh and prevent them from sticking.
5. Storage:
   • If you plan to eat the whoopie pies within a few days, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
   • For longer storage, place the wrapped whoopie pies in an airtight container and store them in the freezer.

Freezing Whoopie Pies

If you've followed me for any length of time, you already know that I am a huge promoter of freezing baked goods to keep them fresh.

Most homemade cookies, donuts, etc. will dry out after a few days. But if you freeze them in airtight containers until you're about ready to eat them, they stay fresh.

The same is true for whoopie pies. They are delightfully soft and fluffy for the first couple of days (three is a stretch). So I freeze any homemade whoopie pies that we won't eat within two days.

Individually wrap the chocolate whoopie pies, place them in an airtight container, and put them in the freezer. Remove them from the freezer at least a half-hour to an hour before serving (or eat them frozen), and they'll taste the same as the day you made them.

They should be good in the freezer for up to a couple of months, as long as you make sure they are airtight.

Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Whenever I make homemade whoopie pies for my family, I make mini whoopie pies. Because who needs two giant cookies with frosting? Two small cookies are the perfect size for an afternoon treat.

So I use my 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop to make mini whoopie pies. You can make them any size you want. However, I recommend using a cookie scoop to achieve uniform-sized cookies since you are sandwiching two of them together.

For several years, I sold homemade sweet hot dill pickles at local craft shows. And I also made Lancaster whoopie pies to sell for a bit of extra cash. So I made large whoopie pies to sell (using a large scoop). They were a huge hit!

So make them big or make them small, it's up to you. But this old-fashioned whoopie pie recipe makes about 40 mini whoopies and only about 10 giant whoopie pies.

More Amish Cookie Recipes

• Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookies
• Buttermilk Cookies Recipe
• Naturally Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
• Date Pinwheel Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies