Classic Vegan Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are a comforting hand held snack cake that I first discovered as a kid in a trip to Amish country in Pennsylvania. My Aunt Nikki gave me her original recipe many years ago and I veganized it and made tweaks here and there over the years. She was raised Mennonite (not as strict as old order Amish) but converted after marrying my uncle I guess. She was the best cook in our family and everything she made was incredible and I would look forward to Thanksgiving at their house in Long Island every other year. She’s passed on now but I always think of her fondly when I make her recipes.

Why you’ll love these!

• Rich, cocoa-forward tender cake-like cookies like a snack cake. The texture is perfection.
• Lush vanilla filling that feels like frosting and marshmallow had a baby.
• Totally dairy- and egg-free, but you’d never guess!
• Easy enough for weeknight baking, impressive enough for special occasions.

These were available everywhere in Lancaster, PA. I know Maine is famous for Whoopie pies as well but I’ve never we had one from there so I don’t know if they differ at all from these. I would always find these wrapped individually in plastic wrap so that’s how I do them but you could keep them in an airtight container instead.

These are great for a picnic, bake sale or get together because you can wrap them up individually and then everyone can help themselves and there is no slicing a cake or dealing with covering up cupcakes or cookies to deal with.

The filling is a little unusual and a twist on a traditional buttercream. The original recipe always called for flour but we’re using cornstarch instead as eating raw flour could pose a risk of food-borne illness. Cornstarch acts as a stabilizer but you could use arrowroot powder instead. This filling is also a great cake frosting so think about it next time you make one. It’s very marshmallowy and light!

What size should I make these?

These are quite large when you buy them at a farm stand usually but I find using a swipe style (the kind with a trigger handle that swipes the inside of the scoop clean) ice cream scoop makes each one the same size for consistency. You can make them extra large by using a #20 scoop size, medium sized by using a #40 scoop (the size I used) or small by using a #60 sized scoop. You can often buy sets of all three sizes on Amazon (click the link to be taken to my kitchen gear list on my Amazon storefront and please note that I make a small commission on products sold through there). Baking times will vary for the different sizes and the recipe yield will as well so adjust accordingly. Smaller sized whoopie pies will bake faster (probably 6-8 minutes), medium sized should be anywhere from 8-10 minutes and larger ones 11-12 minutes but all ovens vary (especially when using convection heat), so check sooner than later for doneness so they don’t get over-baked. I used the medium sized scoop and mine baked for 8 minutes using a convection oven. You want these just done so the tops lose any sheen so they stay moist.

Updates for 2025:

I’ve updated this recipe since creating it in 2020 and feel it’s greatly improved. Here’s what’s different if you’ve made these before.

• I’ve swapped aquafaba for flax meal which is what I use in my pumpkin Whoopie pies. I feel this a better egg replacer.
• No shortening in the batter. I’m using vegetable oil instead as I feel the shortening made the Whoopie pies drier than I wanted. Oil keeps these more moist so use a plain vegetable oil and nothing strong like olive or coconut oil. I still feel shortening is best for the filling as it’s what the Amish use and it tastes authentic and you could use vegan butter but know that it will taste different.
  
• Use natural or Dutch processed cocoa. My original recipe called for only natural but I felt the flavor was improved by using Dutch processed cocoa powder. Either will work so use what you have but you can find a link to my Amazon store at the bottom where I have Dutch processed cocoa in my favorite foods list if you can’t find it locally near you.
  
• I’ve substituted cornstarch in the filling for raw flour. Raw flour can pose a safety risk of contamination and this swap works perfectly. It’s added for stabilization of the filling as these are best kept and eaten at room temperature. The Amish recipe use flour.

Want an amazing pumpkin version? Get that recipe here! I hope you try these and please rate, review and tag me in any posts if you do try these because life’s too short not to bake happy!

Classic Vegan Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Recipe by Kreg

4.1 from 20 votes

Servings

18

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

8

minutes

An amazing classic Whoopie pie that’s vegan!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup finely ground flax meal

• 1 1/2 cups warm water

• 2 Cups granulated cane sugar

• 1 Cup plain vegetable oil

• 1 Cup vegan milk of choice

• 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 Cups all purpose flour

• 2 Teaspoons baking soda

• 1 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch processed – see notes)

• 1 Teaspoon Kosher salt

• Vanilla Filling

• 2 teaspoons vanilla (use clear imitation vanilla if you want pure white filling)

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 4 tablespoons alternative milk of choice (or vegan cream or half and half)

• 4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

• 1 1⁄2 cups vegetable shortening

Directions

• Whoopie pies
• Whisk the flax meal into the warm water and set aside for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly. In a large mixing bowl, or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, flax and warm water mixture, milk and vanilla and mix to combine completely about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to remove any lumps or use a strainer or sifter and add to the wet ingredients and mix to combine for a minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix one more minute until fully combined and there are no streaks of flour left. Let batter rest for 15 minutes. This is an important step. Resist the urge to bake immediately. You’ll get a better rise by waiting and the batter will thicken slightly. The consistency should be that of a thicker quick bread batter.
• Preheat your oven to 350° and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Bake like drop cookies. Drop by rounded tablespoons (or use an ice cream scoop for more uniform sizes) onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake for anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes (depending on how large you’ve made them – see my explanation in the body of the post) or until the center of the cookies spring back when lightly pressed. Don’t over-bake! In my convection oven, they took eight minutes for medium sized Whoopie pies. Remove immediately from the cookie sheets by lifting the parchment and cool on a wire rack. If you leave them on the cookie sheets they will continue to cook from the residual heat of the pan and might be tough on the bottoms.
• Vanilla filling
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whipping attachment or using a hand mixer. Make sure to sift the sugar or your filling will be lumpy. Mix until light and fluffy scraping down the sides occasionally approximately 5-6 minutes. If filling seems too thick, add more vegan milk one teaspoon at a time until it’s the right consistency. It should be a fluffy frosting consistency but not runny.
• Assembly
• Take a Whoopie pie bottom (or top, they’re the same) and add a scoop of filling (I use an ice cream scoop again for uniform scoops) and top with another pie piece and squeeze lightly together forming a pie.
• Store by wrapping individually in plastic wrap or wax paper. For plastic wrap, cut a piece slightly larger than the Whoopie pie then twist the bottom tight until wrapped completely around the pie. For wax paper, roll up and twist the ends on each side and tuck under. Store in the fridge if not eating right away. These will also freeze well.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Dutch process cocoa powder has a more intense chocolate flavor and a darker color and unlike natural cocoa, is processed to remove some of the acidity, which contributes to its darker hue and milder flavor. Natural is traditional and fine to use too or even a mix of both.
  
• You could make mini versions (just use a smaller scoop) or super big ones too. Your choice.
• For the filling, there are a number of non-hydrogenated shortening options out there like Nutiva, Spectrum and Chosen Foods avocado oil brands.
• For a richer filling, you could use vegan heavy/whipping cream or half and half instead of milk.

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