Amish Chocolate Whoopie Pies Recipe - Amish Heritage (2024)

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

What is an Amish chocolate whoopie pie? Amish chocolate whoopie pies are soft, cake-like cookies with a light vanilla frosting sandwiched between them.

Whoopie pies are a favorite among the Amish in Lancaster County, PA, and are sometimes also known as Chocolate Gobs.

Tradition says that the name probably came from the cry of delight that they inspire. I can picture Amish kids opening their lunch pails, spotting a whoopie pie, then letting out a shriek of delight, "Whoopie!" 🙂

Amish Whoopie Pies

It is believed that whoopie pies originated in Lancaster County, and they are one of Pennsylvania Dutch country'sbest-known and most loved sweet comfort foods for locals and visitors alike.

There are recipes for several different whoopie pie flavors that you'll find in many Amish cookbooks, including oatmeal whoopie pies, pumpkin whoopies, and molasses whoopie pies. I love all of them! However, chocolate whoopie pies are probably the most common flavor that you'd find in Amish country.

Ingredients

Each ingredient in the recipe contributes to the overall texture, flavor, and structure of the cakey chocolate cookies:

1. Crisco shortening adds fat to the recipe, which helps to tenderize the crumb of the whoopie pies and contributes to their moistness.
2. Sugar sweetens the batter and helps to tenderize it by absorbing moisture, giving the whoopie pies a soft texture. It also helps with browning during baking.
3. Eggs provide structure, moisture, and richness to the batter.
4. Buttermilk adds moisture and tanginess to the batter, contributing to the flavor and tenderness of the whoopie pies. It also reacts with the baking soda to provide leavening and help the cakes rise.
5. Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the whoopie pies, adding depth and aroma to the chocolate batter.
6. All-purpose flour provides structure and stability to the batter. It contains gluten, which helps the whoopie pies maintain their shape during baking.
7. Cocoa powder gives the whoopie pies their rich chocolate flavor and dark color. It also contributes to the texture of the cakes.
8. Salt enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and helps to balance the sweetness of the batter. It also strengthens the gluten in the flour, providing structure to the whoopie pies.
9. Hot water helps to dissolve the cocoa powder and create a smooth, hom*ogeneous batter. It also activates the baking soda, allowing the whoopie pies to rise properly during baking.
10. Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts with the acidic ingredients in the batter to produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps the whoopie pies rise and become light and fluffy.

Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Whenever I make homemade whoopie pies for my family, I make mini whoopie pies. Because who needs two giant cookies with frosting? Two small cookies are the perfect size for an afternoon treat.

So I use my 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop to make mini whoopie pies. You can make them any size you want. However, I recommend using a cookie scoop to achieve uniform-sized cookies since you are sandwiching two of them together.

For several years, I sold homemade sweet hot dill pickles at local craft shows. And I also made Lancaster whoopie pies to sell for a bit of extra cash. So I made large whoopie pies to sell (using a large scoop). And they were a huge hit!

So make them big or make them small, it's up to you. But this old-fashioned whoopie pie recipe makes about 40 mini whoopies and only about 10 giant whoopie pies.

How to Make Amish Whoopie Pies

Chocolate whoopies are made with a simple batter that is more cake-like in texture than your normal thick cookie dough.

Mix the batter and drop it onto greased cookie sheets. Then bake them as you normally bake cookies.

When finished baking, the cookies will spring back when lightly touched. Remove them to a wire rack to cool.

Then match up the cookies with the best fit in size and shape. Spread the filling onto one cookie and top it with the second cookie. (Sometimes I use a cookie scoop to scoop the filling onto the cookies, but spreading it on with a knife works well too, or use a piping bag and pipe it on.)

Amish Whoopie Pie Filling Recipe

Amish whoopie pie filling is typically made with raw egg whites.

However, there is a risk in consuming raw eggs. I am leaving two links to articles about eating raw eggs, in case you have questions about this. Is it safe to eat raw eggs? Can you eat raw eggs?

Personally, I love the Amish recipe for whoopie pie filling, so I am willing to take the risk.

We always used farm-fresh eggs to make this filling, and no one ever got sick that I know of. (Using pasteurized egg whites might be a better choice.) But I wouldn't use this filling when selling whoopie pies because I know there is a slight risk.

And if you don't feel comfortable eating a filling that contains raw egg whites, you can use a peanut butter filling or basic buttercream recipe instead, such as the one I use in my pumpkin whoopie pies (just omit the pumpkin pie spice).

Storing Whoopie Pies

Wrap whoopie pies in plastic wrap because chocolate whoopie pies tend to stick to each other and the plate, etc. So it's best to individually wrap them.

You won't need a big piece of plastic if you wrap it across the corner, but it helps to keep them from sticking.

Freezing Whoopie Pies

If you've followed me for any length of time, you already know that I am a huge promoter of freezing baked goods to keep them fresh.

Most homemade cookies, donuts, etc. will dry out after a few days. But if you freeze them in airtight containers until you're about ready to eat them, they stay fresh.

The same is true for whoopie pies. They are delightfully soft and fluffy for the first couple of days (three is a stretch). So I freeze any homemade whoopie pies that we won't eat within two days.

Individually wrap the chocolate whoopie pies, place them in an airtight container, and put them in the freezer. Remove them from the freezer at least a half-hour to an hour before serving (or eat them frozen), and they'll taste the same as the day you made them.

They should be good in the freezer for up to a couple of months, as long as you make sure they are airtight.

More Amish Whoopie Pie Recipes

Whoopie pies can be a little time-consuming since they are filled with frosting and individually wrapped. But they are definitely worth the extra time. And I believe that you will love these Amish chocolate whoopie pies.

Most people fortunate enough to try PA Dutch whoopie pies fall in love with them. And if you like Pennsylvania Dutch whoopie pies, perhaps you'd like to try my other whoopie pie flavors as well. Oatmeal Whoopie Pie Recipe, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Recipe, Molasses Whoopie Pies

More Amish Cookie Recipes for you to try...

Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookies Recipe

Buttermilk Cookies Recipe

Naturally Gluten-Free Monster Cookies Recipe

Date Pinwheel Cookies Recipe

Amish Chocolate Whoopie Pies Recipe

Amish chocolate whoopie pies are two soft and cake-like cookies with a light vanilla frosting sandwiched between them. A PA Dutch favorite!

Nutrition

Serving: 1small whoopie pieCalories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 168mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 3gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 22IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg