This time of year is fantastic because you get to make delicious recipes like these Peppermint Whoopie Pies. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is so festive!
You can make Whoopie Pies any time of the year, but when the holidays roll around, it’s fun to do something a little different. Peppermint really screams HOLIDAYS! You could even leave these for Santa and I’m sure he wouldn’t complain.
These Peppermint Whoopie Pies are a true treat and you cannot go wrong with them. Make them any time of the year and just enjoy the delicious flavor with every single bite.
Mini Whoopie Pies
A mini whoopie pie is a cake-like treat that consists of two chocolate discs made from creme which are sandwiched together with a fluffy white filling. You can find them in some bakeries around the world, but they are most popular throughout the Northeastern United States, especially Pennsylvania Dutch country. I’ve taken this dessert up a notch by adding peppermint to these traditional whoopie pies.
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Why You’ll Love This Whoopie Pie Recipe
Easy to Make – Whoopie pies are as easy as they come for baking! Despite the fact that it seems like you’d need a lot of time and equipment, this recipe comes together in minutes.
Holiday Treat – Have you started thinking about holiday recipes yet? This is one treat your guests will truly enjoy and appreciate! Whoopie pies combine two age-old treats – pies and cookies – into one festive dessert.
Dessert for Any Occasion – Whoopie pies are perfect to serve on a variety of occasions! They make a delicious dessert for holiday gatherings or a school function, but they also work as a fun lunchbox treat or an after-school snack. Have you ever heard of a kid who wouldn’t enjoy a chocolatey, gooey sandwich?
Ingredients
This list of ingredients may seem long, but you most likely already have most of these ingredients on hand in your pantry. You may not even need to make a trip to the grocery store to make these soft whoopie pies.
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda
- salt
- light brown brown sugar
- buttermilk
- vegetable oil
- egg
- vanilla extract
- cream cheese
- peppermint extract
- powdered sugar
- Crushed peppermint candies
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Peppermint Whoopie Pies
Set oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract until well blended.
Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Place batter into a piping bag with a hole tip. Pipe onto the parchment paper about 3/4 inch. They will rise a little. Space them apart.
Bake for 8 minutes. Cookies should bounce back to touch.
Let cool for about 5 minutes then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For Icing
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add in cream cheese and whip on medium speed. Add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Whip on medium speed. Add in peppermint extract and whip well.
Add icing to a piping bag and pipe a little onto each cookie. Place the cookies together.
Roll in crushed peppermint candies.
Substitutions
Sometimes when you go to make your favorite desserts, you can’t find what you need. That’s where these substitutions come in!
- Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own with this recipe.
- Peppermint candies – don’t have peppermint candies on hand? Use crushed candy canes!
- Cream cheese – what happens if you don’t have cream cheese in your fridge to use for this recipe? Feel free to use Mascarpone Cheese or Plain Greek Yogurt.
There are a ton of ways you can substitute ingredients if you don’t have something on hand!
Variations
Sometimes you want to change up your recipe and that’s totally fine. Here are some variation options!
- Vanilla icing – if you want to skip a few steps and just make things easy, use vanilla icing out of a can for the filling.
- Change the color- food coloring can make cooking a lot of fun. Don’t be afraid to change up the color of the icing you’re using!
- Marshmallow cream – a really fun middle flavoring of whoopie pies is marshmallow cream!
If you love chocolate desserts, then give this Mississippi Mud Cake a try!
Equipment
List of equipment needed to make this recipe.
Tell your visitors what equipment you use and how to adjust the recipe if they use something different, and link to your affiliate link to purchase the equipment.
Storage
Keep these Peppermint Whoopie Pies in an airtight container and then place them in the fridge. They will last longer when placed in the fridge because of the nature of the ingredients.
Tips
You can freeze whoopie pies for up to three months. Make sure you double wrap them individually and then place them in the freezer! They taste just as good as the day you made them.
When making your whoopie pies match together with the same sized cookies for even sandwiches.
FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
When it comes to whoopie pies, you don’t want them to be flat. If they are flat, it’s because your batter was most likely too thin.
After all of that hard work, you don’t want your whoopie pies to spread! That’s why you should lay them flat, so they don’t squish each other. Also, store in an airtight container.
Whoopie pies tend to be more cake-like. Plus, they are a bit softer and larger.
More Recipes
Do you enjoy Christmas desserts? Try these delicious recipes:
Peppermint Whoopie Pies
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Peppermint Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup packed light brown brown sugar
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup Crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
Cookie Directions
- Set oven racks in upper and lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract until well blended.
- Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Place batter into a piping bag with a hole tip. Pipe onto the parchment paper about 3/4 inch. They will rise a little. Space them apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Cookies should bounce back to touch.
- Let cool about 5 minutes then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling Directions
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Add in cream cheese and whip on medium speed. Add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Whip on medium speed. Add in peppemint extract and whip well.
- Add icing to a piping bag and pipe a little onto each cookie. Place the cookies together.
- Roll in crushed peppermint candies.
Notes
Nutrition
