These Amish molasses whoopie pies are soft, chewy, and filled with the rich flavor of molasses and warm spices. Made with old-fashioned molasses crinkle cookies and a fluffy vanilla filling, they're the kind of treat that disappears fast.
The combination of soft, spiced molasses cookies and creamy frosting makes these homemade whoopie pies a delicious treat for fall gatherings, holidays, or anytime you're craving something sweet.
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What Are Whoopie Pies?
If you've never made whoopie pies before, they're simply two soft cookies with a generous layer of frosting in the middle. (Some people call them "Gobs.") They've been a longtime favorite in Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens! Once you try them, you'll understand why!
Why You'll Love These Molasses Whoopie Pies
- Soft and chewy: The molasses cookies stay soft and chewy, making them perfect for sandwiching with creamy filling.
- Warm spice flavor: Molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves give these whoopie pies a delicious old-fashioned flavor.
- Perfect for making ahead: They freeze beautifully, so you can make a batch ahead of time.
- Great for sharing: Perfect for holiday cookie trays, fall gatherings, potlucks, or anytime you want a homemade treat.
Ingredients
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and helps keep the cookies tender.
- Crisco Shortening: Helps the cookies hold their shape and gives them a soft, chewy texture. I like using both butter and shortening for the best results.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness, moisture, and a slightly chewy texture.
- Light-Tasting Molasses: Gives these whoopie pies their classic molasses flavor. I recommend using mild or light-tasting molasses rather than blackstrap, which can be too strong and bitter.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together and give the cookies structure.
- Sour Cream: Adds moisture and helps keep the cookies soft.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure for the cookies.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Help the cookies rise and stay soft. I prefer aluminum-free baking powder.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cloves: Add the warm, spiced flavor that makes these molasses whoopie pies so delicious.
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How to Make Molasses Crinkle Whoopie Pies
- These soft ginger molasses cookies with shortening are easy to make. I mix the dough using my Kitchen-Aid mixer, and let it do the work for me. (If you don't have a stand mixer, you can always mix the batter with a hand mixer until it becomes too stiff, and then finish by hand.)
- Refrigerate the sticky dough for a few hours or overnight before shaping.
- Roll the dough into balls. I use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to create uniform-sized mini whoopie pies. Feel free to scoop or shape the dough to your preferred size.
- Roll each dough ball in sugar (optional - this adds sweetness and a pretty finish).
- Place the sugar-coated dough balls on a well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies, being careful not to overbake to keep them soft and chewy. (Overbaked cookies may turn out crunchy instead of chewy.)
- Cool cookies completely on a wire rack.
- Spread or pipe frosting onto one cookie.
- Place a second cookie on top to form a sandwich.
- Wrap each assembled whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap.
- Store the wrapped whoopie pies in an airtight container to keep them fresh. (Molasses whoopie pies freeze well, which helps to keep them fresh. Just thaw and enjoy whenever the craving hits.)
What Kind of Molasses Should I Use?
Molasses is a common ingredient that gets used frequently in Amish households. For example, Amish Peanut Butter Spread is often made with molasses. Amish Wet-Bottom Shoofly Pie and Shoofly Cake are both breakfast desserts containing molasses.
And when baking with molasses it's good to use lighter-tasting molasses so that it doesn't overpower all the other flavors. (Unless you love a strong dark molasses flavor.)
Brer Rabbit molasses is great to use for these molasses crinkle cookies. You can use either the full flavor brer rabbit or the mild flavor. But I do not recommend using blackstrap molasses.
I like to use Golden Barrel baking molasses when making shoofly pie, and it can also be used for making these cookies. (It's one of my favorite kinds of molasses!)
King Syrup is another one of my favorites, although technically it's syrup and not molasses. But sometimes I use it in place of molasses. Or I use a combination of both for a milder flavor.
Filling for Molasses Whoopie Pies
You can use your favorite frosting to fill these molasses whoopie pies, but since the cookies are already sweet, I prefer a filling that's not overly sugary. My favorite is this traditional Amish whoopie pie filling. It's light, fluffy, and pairs perfectly with the spiced molasses cookies.
The traditional filling contains raw egg whites and flour, and that is what I use. But if you are concerned about food safety, I recommend using pasteurized egg whites and commercially heat-treated flour. You can read more about the risks of consuming raw eggs.
If you'd rather use a different filling, buttercream frosting, marshmallow filling, or cream cheese frosting are all delicious options. For a holiday twist, you could even try eggnog buttercream!
Prefer Molasses Cookies Without Filling?
If you love the flavor of molasses and warm spices but prefer cookies without frosting, be sure to try my old-fashioned Amish molasses cookies or soft and chewy Amish gingersnap cookies.
You can also enjoy the molasses crinkle cookies in this recipe without the filling, but I especially love them sandwiched together with creamy frosting!
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Yes! You can substitute butter for shortening, though the texture may be slightly less chewy, and butter also spreads more during baking. Butter adds more flavor, while shortening helps keep the cookies soft.
A: Chilling the dough before baking and using a cookie scoop for uniform size helps prevent spreading and ensures soft, thicker cookies perfect for sandwiching.
A: Traditional Amish whoopie pie filling often includes raw egg whites. (I've grown up eating this frosting with raw egg whites all my life, and have never seen anyone get sick from it.) To reduce risk, however, use pasteurized egg whites or choose a frosting alternative like buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Raw flour can contain harmful bacteria like E. coli, so eating it without cooking carries a small risk. Amish whoopie pie filling uses raw flour (and I've eaten it all my life). However, to make it safer, you can heat-treat the flour by spreading it on a baking sheet and baking it at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 minutes. This kills any bacteria without affecting the taste or texture. (Cool before using.) Alternatively, you can look for specially heat-treated flours sold for no-bake recipes.
A: Absolutely! Wrap assembled whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Amish Whoopie Pies
I grew up in the New Order Amish community around Lancaster, PA, where molasses cookies have been a beloved tradition for as long as I can remember.
However, I hadn't experienced molasses crinkle whoopie pies until my sister-in-law from Ohio introduced them to us, and I fell in love with them from the very first bite!
I have several recipes for Amish whoopie pies here on my blog, and it seems they are continuously expanding the flavors.
The most popular flavor is chocolate whoopie pies. But I love oatmeal whoopie pies, pumpkin whoopie pies, chocolate chip whoopie pies, and peanut butter whoopie pies as well. They are all equally amazing, along with these molasses (moist gingerbread whoopie pies)!
I hope you enjoy these chewy Amish molasses whoopie pies as much as my family does! If you try these sandwich cookies, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Molasses Crinkle Whoopie Pies Recipe
Ingredients
Molasses Cookies:
- 1 c. butter (softened)
- 1 c. Crisco shortening
- 4 c. brown sugar (loosely filled)
- ½ c. light-tasting molasses
- 4 large eggs
- ½ c. sour cream
- 8 c. all-purpose flour
- 6 tsp. baking soda (2 Tbsp.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
Whoopie Pie Filling:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 c. Crisco shortening or softened butter
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and brown sugar.1 c. butter (softened), 1 c. Crisco shortening, 4 c. brown sugar (loosely filled)
- Add the molasses, eggs, and sour cream and beat well.½ c. light-tasting molasses, 4 large eggs, ½ c. sour cream
- Add 4 cups of flour, along with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix. Then add the remaining flour and mix until combined.8 c. all-purpose flour, 6 tsp. baking soda (2 Tbsp.), 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 4 tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground ginger, ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Scoop the chilled dough into balls and roll them in sugar (you can skip the sugar step if preferred).
- Bake on greased cookie sheets for about 9 minutes. (Do not overbake unless you want crunchy cookies.)
- Scoop onto a wire rack to cool.
- Spread the filling onto half of the cookies and top them with the remaining cookies.
- Wrap the whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap.
- Whoopie pies freeze well, so you can store them in airtight containers in the freezer for up to several months. Remove from the freezer to thaw at least a half-hour before serving.
Whoopie Pie Filling:
- With the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.3 large egg whites
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix.1 c. Crisco shortening or softened butter, 4 c. powdered sugar, 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp. milk, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract, ⅛ tsp. salt
- Whip on high speed until the filling is light and fluffy.
Fern Miller
I can not wait to try this one, wow, love is so delicious.
Anna
Awesome! Let me know how they turn out for you!
Anna
One of my favorite whoopie pies!