These are real deal, authentic whoopie pies (also known as gobs). Cakey chocolate cookies with an old-fashioned, flour-based (NOT marshmallow!) filling –a classic! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Authentic Whoopie Pies
So what do you call them, whoopie pies or gobs? Or maybe this big, fat, Oreo cookie-looking thing on your screen is totally unfamiliar? If that’s the case, I have a treat for you today!
Growing up near the Mason/Dixon line, whoopie pies (we called them “gobs”!) were a staple at all of our family gatherings. My grandmother’s original recipe used shortening, and today I’ve tweaked it (just a tiny bit!) to use butter instead. The result? Soft, cakey, and tender chocolate cookies sandwiched around a not-too-sweet cream filling. Essentially, whoopie pie perfection!
Why You Can Trust My Recipe
- Authentic whoopie pie filling: while some recipes claim that a marshmallow filling is best, real gobs are made with a not-too-sweet, cooked flour filling like I’m sharing today. It balances perfectly with the chocolate cookies!
- Unparalleled flavor: I made some tiny adjustments from the original recipe to use butter instead of shortening. Many bakers avoid shortening, and butter has a much better flavor anyway! I also do this with my peanut butter cookie recipe, and that has 100+ 5-star reviews! 🌟
- Timed just right so your roux (for the filling) is perfectly cooled in time for you to make the frosting. I was careful to include this first in the recipe so you can keep rolling!
- Simple: I’m not overcomplicating anything here–the classic technique is best! Equipment wise, a mixer is about as fancy as it gets in my recipe.
Jump to:
Ingredients
All pantry staples here today, though I am going to go over a few in case you have questions about them. If you’re ready to bake, keep scrolling!
- Buttermilk. Use real buttermilk (while my buttermilk substitute will work in a pinch, the cookies will be a bit flatter) and let it come to room temperature before adding it to your batter. It’s really best if all of your ingredients are the same temperature for this recipe (except for the hot water, of course!).
- Cocoa powder. Stick with natural cocoa powder for the most authentic flavor.
- Boiling water. Just like when making my chocolate cake, a bit of boiling water makes all the difference in the chocolate flavor here. The heat extracts the flavor from the cocoa powder (“blooming” it) similar to how you would brew coffee or steep tea.
- Whole milk. I recommend whole milk for the filling; I haven’t tried this recipe with alternative milks like almond or oat, so I can’t say for sure how they would work.
- Sugar. You’ll need granulated sugar for the cookies and powdered sugar for the filling/frosting. Compared to a traditional buttercream, the frosting we are making today has a fraction of the amount of sugar–just 1 cup!
This recipe originally was made with shortening, I’ve since swapped it out for butter, which I think gives the whoopie pies a better flavor.
SAM’S TIP: Let your butter soften to room temperature, but don’t let it get too warm (for the frosting, anyway) or you may run into issues.
How to Make Whoopie Pies
While I did tweak my grandmother’s recipe for the chocolate cookie shells, I kept the filling as traditional as possible. Many recipes call for a marshmallow frosting, and some simply use a fluffy vanilla buttercream. Both are just too sweet! Instead, we’ll stick with the classic flour-based filling, which is actually pretty similar to ermine frosting, if you’ve ever made that before.
Make the roux and cookies
- Step 1: Prep the roux. Whisk together the flour and milk over medium-low heat until thickened, then pour into a heatproof bowl to cool completely. I recommend stirring this occasionally as it cools to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Step 2: Make the cookie batter. Cream the butter and sugar until well combined, then stir in the egg and vanilla. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, then gradually add the dry ingredients. Carefully stir the hot water into the batter until everything is cohesive–the batter will be thin like a cake batter.
- Step 3: Portion & bake. Drop the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets using a heaping tablepsoon cookie scoop. Bake for about 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Cool & pair off cookies. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before removing. Pair off the cookies so you have cookies of similar size/shape together for your sandwiches.
Make the frosting
- Step 5: Add the cooled roux to the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually add the roux about a tablespoon at a time. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and sugar until completely combined.
- Step 6: Assemble and serve! Add a heaping tablespoon of filling to the bottom of one cookie, then top with the second cookie. Repeat until sandwiches/pies are assembled.
SAM’S TIP: It’s very important that your butter and roux are the same temperature before you combine them. Let your butter sit out to soften (don’t let it get too warm though!) and make sure you let your roux cool completely. If your filling splits or separate, follow the tips for recovery in the recipe notes below or see the troubleshooting section in my ermine frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several different states lay claim to the creation of whoopie pies, with both Maine and Pennsylvania make strong cases (as a former PA resident guess who I’m siding with).
The name “whoopie pie” is sometimes cited as having Amish origins (another vote for PA 😉), but with so many different origination stories, it’s hard to know for sure.
Yes! Just make sure you wrap them in plastic wrap or keep them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. To thaw, let sit at room temperature until soft.
I’ve seen SO many flavors in the amish markets near me like chocolate peanut butter, pumpkin whoopie pies, mint chocolate, red velvet, shoofly pie, and more. I’ve also made a few of my own flavors, like cookie dough whoopie pies and peppermint bark whoopie pies.
More Pennsylvania-Dutch Recipes
If you like this flavor combination, give my Ding Dong cake a try next! The flavors are very similar to this recipe.
Enjoy!
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Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the roux (for the filling)
- 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
For the chocolate cookie shells
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup (118 ml) steaming hot or boiling water
For the filling
- Roux from above
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¼ heaping teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the roux
- Combine milk and flour in saucepan and whisk until combined. Set over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is thickened to a near paste-like consistency that wants to cling together.1 cup (236 ml) whole milk, ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside while you prepare your cookies.
For the cookie shells:
- Preheat your oven to 450F (235C) and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter and use an electric mixer to beat until well-combined.1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter
- Add egg and vanilla extract and beat again until pale yellow and well-combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually stir in buttermilk. Set aside.½ cup (118 ml) buttermilk
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter until completely combined.
- Add very hot water (carefully) and stir until batter is well-combined and smooth. It will be thin like a cake batter. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure ingredients are well-combined.½ cup (118 ml) steaming hot or boiling water
- Drop cookie batter by a heaping Tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies at least 2” (5cm) apart.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes in center rack of 450F (235C) preheated oven, then remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet. As the cookies cool, prepare your filling.
For the filling
- Important note: The roux must be completely cooled before proceeding.
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth, light, and creamy.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- While mixing on medium/low speed, add the flour mixture, a Tablespoon at a time, waiting until each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next.Roux
- Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and stir in salt and vanilla extract.¼ heaping teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually stir in powdered sugar until completely combined.1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
- Pipe or spoon filling onto the bottom of one chocolate cookie and sandwich with another (about 1 ½ Tablespoon of filling per cookie). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe in March of 2019. I’ve since updated the post to include more helpful information, added a video tutorial, and slightly modified the recipe to use all butter and no shortening (which I think improves texture and flavor).
Faria Mehboob
Hey Sam! Love your recipes. Just wanted to ask if there’s any substitute for shortening?
Sam
Hi Faria! Yes! You can use butter instead of shortening. I talk about this a bit in my post if you want to read more about why I chose to go with shortening over butter. Enjoy!
Becky
Best recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved it, Becky! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Candace
Hi! Unfortunately I don’t have whole milk 😕 can I use 2% or Almond milk? If yes, how much? Thank you I can’t wait to try baking these 😊
Sam
Hi Candace! I haven’t tried it so I’m not quite sure how it would work. I would try the 2% milk before trying the almond milk. 🙂
Chris
Candace,
All we ever have is 2% milk and the filling was so good. I was even told this would make a great frosting for a cake.
Candace
Yay!!! Glad to hear it ☺️ I’m going to try to bake them today. My father in law is from western Pennsylvania and asked if I had heard of gobs and wanted me to try to make them!
J Ehlers
Made these tonight according to your recipe. They were delicious! The tops were crackled but it didn’t affect flavor. Thank you for great instructions!
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so happy to hear they were such a hit!
Sheila
How many whoopie pies does the recipe make?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sheila! This recipe yields approximately 16 whoopie pies. 🙂
Alan
This is an excellent recipe, thank you, Sam! I followed it exactly and they came out perfectly. I also appreciated the helpful note on buttermilk substitute. The stories behind the recipes are fun reads. Thank you for sharing.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the homemade gobs, Alan! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Diana Millinder
I love the recipe but would like to ask you why my tops and bottoms crack and split,thanks for all your hard work love your channel.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my recipe, Diana! I am sorry to hear that you experienced cracking. It sounds like the temperature may be too high or that your oven temperature is off. I recommend testing for accuracy with an oven thermometer. Try lowering the temperature so it’ll cook slower…. like 25° lower. I hope that helps. Regardless of the cracking, I am so glad that they tasted delicious. 🙂
Ruth DeVoe
My mom used hot coffee instead of hot water.they were out of this world. Sincerely, Ruth
Sam
Thrilled to hear they were such a success! Thanks for commenting, Ruth! 🙂
Mandy
I’ve always had a hard time storing my Gobs. I put then in a big Tupperware separated with wax paper. My trouble is, the cookies wnd up sticking to the wax paper & bottom of Tupperware because the cake is very moist. Do I need to cook them longer?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Mandy! They are a moist cake so you shouldn’t need to cook them longer, although you can try it. I recommend wrapping them individually in saran wrap, then storing them in the larger Tupperware container. 🙂
Ona
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mother was from PA, and made gobs often. I lost her recipe, but these are identical to what she made, so they bring back many fond memories. I have seen Whoopie pies in bakeries and stores with the sweet marshmallow filling, but Whoopie pies are not the same as gobs, particularly the filling. They freeze well, so I usually keep a supply in my freezer wrapped in wax paper like my mom did.
Was thinking about trying a pumpkin version with a maple filling, but will have to see if I can make it work.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Ona! I am so glad that these bring back so many happy memories. I appreciate you trying my Homemade Gob Recipe. 🙂
Maria
Hi Sam; great recipe! I was thinking about making a “vanilla gob” with lemon curd and the regular cream, would you have any suggestions on converting the chocolate cookie to a vanilla cookie? Should I just replace the cocoa powder with flour?
Sam
Hi Maria! Honestly I have not ever experimented with a vanilla version. I do think that substituting the cocoa powder with flour would be the way to start, however you may need less flour than you would cocoa powder. Without having tried it myself it’s difficult to say for sure how they will turn out, but if you do try it I would love to hear how it works out for you! I do have a lemon curd recipe, if that’s any help!
Natalia Pena
Hi . Can I make this but instead of small individuals , a big whoppie pie ? Meaning a large one maybe 9 inch or 8 ? If so how ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Natalia! You can most certainly try! I would bake two 8″ or 9″ cakes for sandwich top & bottom and then put the icing in the center. You will need to keep an eye on the cakes as they will need more time to bake. Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Natalia Pena
Thank you so much for replying . Do I need to double the recipe or it will be enough for top and bottom ? Love your blog and have been baking your amazing recipes !!! Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome! I think that it should be enough and the recipe should not need to be doubled. I’m excited to hear how it turns out. 🙂
David
I made a double batch and after making a 15 or so decided I was a done and ended up splitting the rest of the batter on 2 pizza sheets, making about a 7-8″ whoopie pie. It just took about 8-10 minutes to bake instead of 5 but it turned out really well.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, David! I am glad that it worked out well and the batter was used to make giant-sized gobs. Enjoy! 🙂
Cynde
I have been looking for this recipe for a long time. My mother-in-law shared it with me, I gave it to someone and it’s gone. She is now gone too. I am pretty sure this is it, I do not like sweet filling and love the rich color the butter gives the filling. Not a fan of fluff at all, I much would prefer the roug mixture. Thank you so much. Cynde from PENNSYLVANIA
Sam
You are welcome, Cynde! I hope these are exactly what you are looking for. Enjoy! 🙂
Jan
Thank you for sharing, these are just like I remember them, I did use the shortening.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed, Jan! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Rachel @ Never Enough Novels
I just shared my own family recipe for whoopie pies on my blog! We also use a shortening based icing that definitely has a different taste (less sweet than when I’ve purchased whoopie pies from bakeries).
Sam
That’s awesome! 🙂
Martha
Question, at the end of step 2 to make the cookie, you mention ‘Cream together sugar and crisco” but isn’t this the same sugar and Crisco mentioned at the beginning of step 2? Am I missing something? Just want to make sure I understand the recipe correctly as I can’t wait to make these!
Sam
Whoops, looks like I accidentally left it in there twice! Thanks for catching that, Martha, I fixed it now in the recipe. I hope you love them!
Martha
Awesome! Going to make them tomorrow!