Vanilla Whoopie Pies (with fresh milled flour option)

These homemade whoopie pies are pillowy soft with plenty of fluffy, decadent frosting on the inside. Make them for a crowd or your family for a winning recipe everyone will love!

Whoopie pies are a traditional Pennsylvania dessert that comes in many different variations. The most famous is chocolate whoopie pies, a favorite in our house. While pumpkin whoopie pies would be the perfect fall treat, these vanilla ones are meant to be enjoyed no matter the season!

These cookies can easily be used in a bridal or baby shower with co-ordinating sprinkles or food coloring. Use a small cookie scoop to make the perfect finger food to treat your guests.

You can choose between several different ingredients to fill the whoopie pies. My favorite filling is made with marshmallow fluff. Other options are vanilla buttercream, or cream cheese frosting.

Vanilla whoopie pies come together quickly using a little time, and ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Here’s a run-down of the ingredient list:

To make the homemade whoopie pies:

Check the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• All purpose flour (see notes for fresh milled flour instructions)
• Sugar
• 1 large egg
• Unsalted butter at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute)
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt

For the filling:

• Powdered sugar
• Marshmallow cream
• Unsalted butter at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Substitutions:

Butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon.

Buttermilk. Add 1Tablespoon of vinegar to a 3/4 cup measure and fill it the rest of the way with milk. Let the milk mixture sit for 10 minutes. It should thicken slightly and look curdled.

Use equal parts sour cream and milk. This is the method we used when I was growing up, and is still my favorite buttermilk substitute.

Butter for the frosting. Use Crisco in a 1-1 ratio.

Variations and add-ins:

If you love chocolate as much as I do, adding 3/4 cup of your favorite chocolate chips will take these sandwich cookies to the next level!

To turn this into a traditional whoopie pie recipe, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder.

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar. Mix until light and creamy.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients..

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Use a medium cookie scoop to transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are set.

Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Make the filling:

Cream butter and marshmallow fluff.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and spreadable.

Once the cookies are cool, spread the marshmallow filling onto the flat side of a cookie and top with another cookie.

Repeat the process until all the cookies are frosted.

Store leftover frosting in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Storing the whoopie pies:

Store the whoopie pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long!)

Alternatively, you can also wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap for longer storage.

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To freeze the vanilla whoopie pies:

Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place them in a large ziploc bag. Store in a deep freeze for 6 months and in a fridge freezer for up to 6 weeks.

I like to make a larger batch of cookies and put some in the freezer for later.