I’ve been thinking about whoopie pies – probably the dessert of Maine. Not normal in flavor, but packed with brown butter, dark chocolate, and homemade fluff frosting. The last time I made whoopie pies I made an all chocolate version with a twist, but this recipe is an ode to the classic round whoopie pies. The ones wrapped in plastic that you can find at most convenient stores and casual restaurants here. I decided to make chocolate chip whoopie pies for a take on the classic chocolate and vanilla pairing.

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies aren’t mainstream just yet, but are pretty popular in Maine. They’re just two round cake circles sandwiched with white fluff cream. The first time I made homemade whoopie pies was in high school. I was over at my friend’s house and she had an old recipe. I don’t remember the chocolate cakes themselves, but the frosting recipe was shocking. It had lard in it. Raw lard.

I begrudgingly helped make them and tasted the fatty, cloying frosting. And I was appalled. Was I eating lard for years and I just didn’t know it? Thankfully, most modern whoopie pies have a more simple frosting recipe that’s akin to jarred fluff. Just a whipped egg white and sugar mixture with some vanilla for taste. Luckily I had some homemade meringue fluff left over from my hot chocolate cinnamon rolls in the freezer. Which saved me some much needed time.

A Busy Week + Baking

This week was super busy. And I had a different recipe planned. My week started with some physical labor and strenuous cleaning. I get into an ADHD zone when I clean and organize where I almost forget to eat because I’m so focused. So my body was exhausted. Still, I took a walk with my mom to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Tuesday was rainy and weird and I didn’t feel well. Then Wednesday I was in a mental funk. Overthinking things.

I get into a spiral sometimes where I doubt myself and put a lot of judgment and pressure on myself. Why haven’t I achieved my wildest dreams yet? Why am I not more successful, or wealthy, or “happy?” Even though most days I’m perfectly content. I love my little life in Maine, in the summer, sitting in the sun and reading mystery novels. Painting. Cooking. Being with my family. But sometimes I get sad thinking my life should be different. Big and flashy.

Farmers Markets + Cinnamon Cookies

But luckily I have exercise, self care, TV, and chats with my parents. All to heal me. So I kept my head up. I wrote a note on my laptop to see every day. “Stay positive.” To search for the good things in life. My favorite shows. Cooking. My herbs and tomatoes growing each day outside. The sunflowers I just planted. My health. The warm weather. A bed, water, and comfort. Love and hope. I could go on and on. But ultimately I found myself still in a small funk on Thursday.

My mom had the day off and we started early by visiting the farmers market. Same story as always – my heaven on earth. With cute dogs, green grass, and good food. I considered getting a loaf of homemade rustic bread. And I marveled at the array of potted plants, herbs, and flowers for sale. When we left we took a walk, got a delicious lunch, and picked up cinnamon roll cookies at the local farm stand. Which were incredible!

Craving Chocolate Chip Cookies

I started to feel better. And when my original recipe was deferred (due to unripe fruit) I decided to make chocolate chip whoopie pies. Just the other night I had a huge hankering for chocolate chip cookies. So I threw together small portions of butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips in a small bowl. I had exactly one ball of cookie dough. And I cooked it in the oven for about 11 minutes until I had a single serving chocolate cookie dessert.

But it didn’t satisfy my craving. I’ve been thinking about whoopie pies, too, because it’s summer in Maine. I have so many memories of whoopie pies at cafes and grocery stores and at fried seafood restaurants. They’re usually plump, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and adorned with a little sticker. I love the classic, which is a dark chocolate cake base. But I’ve already made that version, and was still craving chocolate chip cookies. So, I decided to create a more cakey chocolate chip cookie / muffin top hybrid to sandwich with marshmallow cream.

Making Whoopie Pies

I started on Friday after an exhausting but fulfilling morning of helping my dad move furniture out of our storage unit. Heavy lifting and lots of sweating in the humidity. So I took a shower, had lunch, and got to work. I started by setting up my stand mixer on the counter and gathering my ingredients. I forgot to take out my butter to soften but I knew it wouldn’t take long in the heat. And I microwaved it a little to expedite the process. Then, I thought about brown butter.

I’m afraid I might find a way to sneak brown butter into everything…but I continued by mixing my butter with white and brown sugar. The same way you’d make a chocolate chip cookie dough. Then, I added an egg (the one cracked one in the carton), vanilla, and sour cream. Another ingredient I would put in everything if I could. I scraped the bowl and mixed it a bit more and I had a luscious golden brown batter ready for flour.

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pie Batter

So, in a separate bowl, I measured my dry ingredients. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. I added a bit of extra salt, too, to compensate for the intense sweetness. I don’t like my desserts too sweet. And I was worried my chocolate chip whoopie pies would be too sugary with bites of two cookies sandwiched with marshmallow frosting. I almost added some orange zest or spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. Or coffee extract to the marshmallow fluff.

Once I had my dry ingredients sifted, I mixed in my chocolate chips. The entire bag. A must when you make chocolate chip cookies. I coated them in the flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom. Then, I poured the dry ingredients into the mixer, half at a time, and mixed. Until I had a cohesive, semi-stiff chocolate chip whoopie pie mixture. Kind of a hybrid between a cookie dough and a cake batter. Traditional whoopie pies are more cakey, but I wanted a little bit of a chew and depth to contrast the cloud-like filling.

Soft, Tender Chocolate Cookies

I was happy with the dough and licked a bit off of the beater. Just like my mom used to let me do as a kid. And I continued by scooping out small balls of dough with a melon baller onto two baking sheets. You don’t want to make them too big, and they should spread a little. Not too much. But make sure to space them apart. The recipe makes about 24 cakes, so 12 chocolate chip whoopie pies total. I tested a couple scoops on a small baking sheet and set a timer for 12 minutes.

They came out perfect. Slightly cakey, but firm and chewy like chocolate chip cookies. This worked so well because the weather, as I mentioned, was super humid. So the chocolate chip whoopie pies became softer as they sat and had a more traditional whoopie pie texture. They reminded me so much of “sea dog biscuits,” the signature food at Maine’s minor league baseball games I went to as a kid. Vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies.

Piping My Meringue Frosting

Anyway, I let them cool while I took my meringue frosting out of the freezer. I transferred it to a piping bag. And all I had left to do was pipe a big dollop of white cream onto each round of cake and top each with another one. It was a satisfying process, and for the most part I guessed the amount of cream correctly. Some squeezed out of the sides and spilled. But after a while I had a bunch of beautiful chocolate chip whoopie pies ready to eat. And after a long day of working hard, I excitedly dug into one.

The flavor is just like a really good chocolate chip cookie. But it has more oomph and cake texture from the sour cream. I’m glad I used so many chocolate chips, and I may even add more next time. I sprinkled a little sea salt on top, too, to balance the sweetness, which helped a lot. And after sitting around in the humid, hot kitchen, the cookie cakes softened into the most perfect, soft whoopie pies. The filling, just like I made it last time, is just like melted marshmallows. And it holds up well to being squished.

Planning Ahead

That’s it! A super simple recipe for a very busy week. A very delicious and satisfying recipe, too, for people who love chocolate and whoopie pies. I’m glad I made a twist on the classic while staying true to the shape and presentation. They feel so nostalgic, comforting, and quintessentially Maine. Another reminder of how much I love my home state. My mom can’t wait to have one for her once-weekly dessert for breakfast. And I can’t wait to relax for a couple days.

The weather is about to get super hot. Humid. Full-on summer. So my next recipe is a cold, fresh, and fruity one. I can’t wait to make it. And I’m excited to play around with the presentation. It’ll be a fun one.

Thanks so much for reading, as always! If you like my watercolor food paintings and recipes be sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s of art prints and recipe cards. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Happy summer solstice!

Print Pin

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

A classic Maine whoopie pie made with rich chocolate chip cake halves and marshmallow frosting

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword whoopie pies

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups AP flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 12 oz chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups
• 1 tbsp sea salt for garnish
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

• Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat and add butter. Melt until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from heat and let solidify at room temperature.
• In a stand mixer, cream brown butter with 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 whole egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and sour cream, and mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 tsp kosher salt. On low speed, add your flour mixture to your stand mixer and mix for a few seconds.
• Add your chocolate chips and continue mixing just until flour is fully incorporated.
• Preheat oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 12 small balls of dough onto each sheet with a melon baller (about 2 tbsp), spaced 1-2″ apart.
• Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over each portion of dough and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown.
• Begin your frosting by combining 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup water and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until bubbly and boiling.
• Meanwhile, whip your egg white and 1/2 tsp vanilla in a stand mixer or by hand until medium-stiff peaks form. Then, carefully pour your hot sugar syrup into the egg white while whisking on high speed until it forms stiff peaks.
• Once your cakes are cooled, transfer meringue frosting to a piping bag and snip a 2" hole at the end. Pipe a dollop onto 12 halves of cake and cover each with another cake.

Notes

• If you don’t have as much as a sweet tooth, reduce your sugar by 2 tbsp in your cake recipe, or add 1/4 tsp of salt to the batter
• If you’re really into chocolate chips, add some to the frosting, too!
• Try adding different extracts to your meringue frosting! I think coffee extract would be amazing.