This delicious Vanilla Whoopie Pies recipe features fluffy, cake-like vanilla cookies sandwiched around sweet cream cheese filling. The sandwich cookie is the ultimate sweet treat, perfect for parties or any day of the week.
One of my favorite treats growing up was homemade whoopie pies. Two soft and fluffy cookies surround a thick layer of marshmallow cream filling. Does it get any better than that? This easy cookie recipe reinvents the childhood classic, emphasizing vanilla flavor and swapping the marshmallow filling for tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting.
Vanilla whoopie pies celebrate the best of cake and cookies in one delicious vanilla-based dessert. This delectably sweet cookie is not complicated, using pantry staples and very little time in the oven. This recipe uses vanilla bean paste for a more pronounced vanilla taste, like in theseĀ vanilla muffins.
These tantalizing cookie sandwiches are fantastic as a celebratory dessert for birthday parties; everyone has their own individual "cake." But do not limit this throwback dessert to just birthday parties. Enjoy whoopie pies any day of the week.Ā
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Vanilla Whoopie Pies Recipe
What is a whoopie pie made of?Ā Whoopie pies are a classic New England dessert.Ā A traditional whoopie pie comprises two soft cake-like cookies sandwiched around a creamy filling. This delectable treat combines the best of cookies and cake in a handheld dessert.Ā
Made with classic ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, the cookies have a slightly denser texture than cake. The traditional filling is often marshmallow fluff-based but can also be a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
You will typically see chocolate whoopie pies that use cocoa powder to achieve their chocolaty taste. However, the popularity of this dessert has resulted in all sorts of flavors. This whoopie pie recipe celebrates the flavor of vanilla.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted ButterĀ (softened): You will need butter for both the cookie dough and the cream cheese frosting.
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Egg (room temperature)
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk keeps the cookies soft and flavorful while aiding their rise. To make your own buttermilk at home, combine one cup of whole milk with one tablespoon of plain vinegar or lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for five minutes before using it. You can also use whole milk as a buttermilk substitute.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: The paste, which contains vanilla bean powder, has a slightly more intense flavor than the extract.
- Cream Cheese (softened)
- Powdered Sugar (sifted)
See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.Ā
3. Cream the unsalted butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla paste until incorporated.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition. *Note: the dough will look like a thick cake batter.Ā
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes or until set.
6. For the filling, use an electric mixer to whip the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy. Ā Pour in the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Scoop, pipe, or spread the cream filling onto the bottom half of the cooled cookies. Top each with the remaining cookies to form a sandwich.Ā
Variations
- Swap the frosting for vanilla buttercream or marshmallow filling.
- Add Ā¼ - Ā½ teaspoon of almond extract to the frosting.
Suggested Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer: Stand Mixer or Handheld
- Rubber Spatula
- Medium Cookie Scoop
- Baking Trays
Storage
Transfer the sandwich cookies to an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Biscoff Cookie Butter Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
- Pistachio White Chocolate Cookies
Expert Tips
- Spoon and level the dry ingredients to avoid dense cookies.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for even baking.
- Oversee the cookies once they are in the oven; they bake quickly.
- Sift the powdered sugar before making the frosting. Icing sugar tends to clump up.
- Cool the cookies completely before filling them.
- Use a piping bag or cookie scoop to apply and divide the frosting easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place the cookies on a sheet pan and freeze them until frozen. Transfer the cookies to a freezer bag or wrap them in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze the whoopie pies for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies in the refrigerator before consuming them.Ā
While both moon pies and whoopie pies are sandwich cookies with marshmallow cream filling, they have significant differences. Moon pies have a graham cracker cookie-like base, whereas whoopie pies have cake-like cookies. Moon pies are also encased in a coating, usually chocolate.Ā
If you make the recipe, remember to rate it, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
š Recipe
Vanilla Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Vanilla Cookies
- 2Ā¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ teaspoon salt
- Ā½ cup unsalted butter softened
- Ā¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- Ā¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Vanilla Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375Ā°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla paste until incorporated.
- Alternately add the dry and buttermilk to the butter-egg mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes or until set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy. Pour in the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy and combined.
- Pipe, scoop, or spread the frosting onto the bottom half of the cooled cookies. Top each with the remaining cookies to form a sandwich.
Nutrition
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