Halloween Whoopie Pies

Rich, fudgy Halloween Whoopie Pies are bewitchingly black cakes with a fluffy layer of orange marshmallow filling in between. But beware, every bite is so hauntingly good that the batch disappears like magic.

Whoopie pies have an identity crisis; are they a pie, a cookie, a sandwich or a cake? I’ve deconstructed the recipe, spent a lifetime taste-testing the batter, the filling and the finished product and still can’t come up with an answer. Maybe, like Alanis Morissette, they’re a little bit of everything all rolled into one.

In addition to having multiple personalities, whoopie pies also need therapy over their disputed parentage. For nearly a century, everybody and their brother has been having a food fight over who’s the rightful father of these sweet confections. And no one has been quarreling more than Maine and Pennsylvania.

It’s as if the two states have an ongoing WWE Smackdown over whoopie pies. Both have annual whoopie pie festivals. Maine went as far as declaring whoopie pies the official state treat. Pennsylvania countered by accusing the lobster state of confectionary larceny.

A felonious charge if I ever heard one.

Without a time machine, it’s impossible to know for sure where whoopie pies were originally created. There’s no documented proof of anything except how delicious they’ve tasted throughout the decades. That’s why both states refuse to give up their cakey pie claim to bragging rights.

Regardless of who first made whoopie pies, you can now make them yourself at home. The recipe for these sandwiched cookie cakes is a cinch and once you spooky them up for Halloween you’ll see there’s nothing better than these bewitching treats. Rich and fudgy and stuffed with marshmallow filling, every bite will disappear like magic.

Before sharing the recipe for Halloween Whoopie Pies, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

Gel food coloring is recommended for this recipe because gel is more vibrant and less batter diluting than liquid dyes.

I used Hershey’s 100% cacao natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Substitute any natural unsweetened cocoa powder but not Dutch process cocoa.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a sour milk substitution by stirring 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into 1/2 cup of room temperature milk then letting it set for 5 minutes before use.

Process Tips and Tricks

If you do not have orange food coloring you can make it by combining red and yellow food coloring. Start with equal amounts of red and yellow food dye to color the marshmallow filling. Add extra red or yellow to achieve your desired shade. Note that the final color will intensify a bit over time.

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no because it overpacks flour into the measuring cup resulting in dry, dense pies.

Take extra care when separating eggs for the marshmallow fluff since it will not whip into peaks if even a miniscule amount of yolk sneaks into the bowl.

How to Store Halloween Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are best the day you make them. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator up 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Halloween Whoopie Pies. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you’re looking for more Halloween dessert ideas check out these Hocus Pocus Cookies. Swirled with spellbinding colors and baked to perfection, you’ll have a frighteningly good time eating these Halloween cookies.

Halloween Whoopie Pies

Heather Wolf

Rich, fudgy Halloween Whoopie Pies are bewitchingly black cakes with a fluffy layer of orange marshmallow filling in between. But beware, every bite is so hauntingly good that the batch disappears like magic.

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 minutes mins

Total Time 39 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Chocolate Cakes

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
• 2/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 100% cacao
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
• 1 tsp baking soda fresh
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla pure
• 1 Tbsp black food coloring gel

Marshmallow Fluff

• 3 egg whites room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp vanilla pure
• 1/8 tsp sea salt fine
• orange gel food coloring

Instructions

 

Chocolate Cakes

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking pans with parchment and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until smooth and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
• Beat in the egg on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add in buttermilk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing or cakes will be dry.
• Add black food coloring and mix until evenly distributed.
• Using a large 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop, drop rounded balls of batter on baking sheets allowing 3 inches of space between each. (Cookies will spread as they bake.)
• Smooth batter with wet fingertips until mounds are evenly shaped.
• Bake for 9 minutes or until centers are set and spring back when pressed.
• Cool completely before assembling whoopie pie sandwiches.

Marshmallow Fluff

• Using a double boiler, bring an inch or two of water to a simmer. Whisk egg whites and sugar over heat until dissolved, approximately 5 minutes.
• Immediately transfer meringue to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Add cream of tarter, vanilla and salt and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 10 minutes.
• Add a few drops of food coloring until desired shade of orange is achieved.

Assembly

• Divide cakes equally into two groups: one group for the bases and one for the tops.
• Spoon fluff onto bases then complete sandwiches by adding tops.
• Whoopie pies are best the day they are made, but leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Keyword cake, chocolate, halloween, whoopie pie