With soft and cakey chocolate sandwich cakes and vanilla filling, gluten-free whoopie pies are so delicious and nostalgic without any gluten. They come together easily with gluten-free all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, buttermilk, and a handful of everyday ingredients for rich, tender chocolate cakes.
They don't require any decorating, making them perfect for a casual afternoon treat, holiday platters, or even birthdays! Plus, they're just so fun to make, and I've tested this recipe multiple times to make sure it's both easy to follow and delicious every single time.
This post was originally published on June 1, 2023. It was updated with new recipe information on February 5, 2024.
Key Ingredients
Here are a few notes about some of the ingredients:
Gluten-Free Flour: A 1-to-1 or measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend like Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is best for this recipe. Check out this post about gluten-free flours to learn more.
Cornstarch: Adds a light and airy texture to the pies.
Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Because the recipe calls for buttermilk, we do not need to use natural cocoa, which is naturally more acidic than the Dutch process.
Unsalted Butter: You can use either regular or vegan butter sticks.
Oil: Although avocado oil and light olive oil are my favorite, feel free to use any other neutral-flavored oil.
Instant Espresso (optional): To enhance the chocolate flavor of the whoopie pies. You can also use decaffeinated instant espresso, or omit it altogether.
Buttermilk: Tenderizes the whoopie pie batter and enhances the buttery flavor. Make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, and fill with dairy or non-dairy milk to the 1-cup line. Let sit for 3-5 minutes before using.
Recipe Tips
Carefully Weigh the Flour. To keep the pies from getting dense or dry, weigh the flour using a kitchen scale or scoop the flour into the measuring cups, rather than scooping the flour with the measuring cups.
Dividing the Whoopie Pie Batter Evenly. To make even-sized chocolate pies, use a cookie scooper or weigh the batter as you scoop it.
Filling Piping Tips. Always pipe room-temperature filling, as refrigerated whoopie pie filling can be too stiff or firm to pipe. If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag; just cut off a corner of the bag and pipe the filling through that. Alternatively, you can also just spread the filling with an offset spatula.
Serve the Whoopie Pies at Room Temperature. This will ensure that the pies are soft and tender and the filling is light and smooth.
Gluten-Free Whoopie Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1¾ cup gluten-free 1-to-1 flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup oil avocado or light olive oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso optional
Vanilla buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, and instant espresso, if using.
- Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Let this batter rest for 30 minutes.
- While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the batter using a cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons) and place them on the parchment paper leaving 2 inches between.
- Bake the cakes for 8 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before taking them off onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla buttercream frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and shortening until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and continue beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula after each addition. Taste to see if it's sweet to your liking. Add more sugar if you'd like.
- Add the salt and vanilla and beat again until combined.
- Using a piping bag, or a spatula, put some frosting onto the bottom of one cake, and top with another, making a sandwich. Repeat with the rest of the cakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage Directions
Refrigeration: Leftover whoopie pies keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: The pies can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, wrap the gobs up in parchment paper or plastic wrap before placing them in the freezer-safe container.
FAQs
Overmixing the whoopie pie batter can result in flat and spread-out whoopie pies. To make perfectly risen and fluffy whoopie pie cookies, mix the dry ingredients into the wet until the streaks of flour have just disappeared.
The pies are soft and cake-like so they are prone to sticking to the baking sheet. To prevent this, always line the baking sheet with parchment paper and let the pies cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Yes, you can definitely freeze whoopie pie filling. It can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the filling in the refrigerator until completely thawed through, or about 2-4 hours, then fill the pies as directed.
If you are wondering about the difference between Moon Pies vs. whoopie pies, Moon Pies are a brand of sandwich cookie. They consist of two vanilla cookies sandwiched around a marshmallow filling that are then dipped in a chocolate glaze. These are different from whoopie pies, which are traditionally made from two chocolate cake halves that are sandwiched around a vanilla filling that is sometimes, but not always, marshmallow-based.
Also known as gobs, chocolate gobs, or Amish whoopie pies, whoopie pies are soft and cakey sandwich cookies that are filled with an old-fashioned vanilla frosting filling. Originally created from leftover cake batter, whoopie pies are portable, chocolaty, buttery, and sweet.
The original whoopie pie recipe is believed to come from German settlers or farmers in Pennsylvania and Maine, though many Amish communities in the Northeast United States also have their own whoopie pie recipes.
More Dessert Recipes
If you're feeling the heat, make these gluten-free ice cream sandwiches to cool you off! You can use your favorite store-bought ice cream or use the no-churn ice cream recipe I've included.
This icebox cake is another one that's perfect if it's too hot to turn the oven on, but you're craving a sweet treat!
These chewy oatmeal cookie sandwiches are some of my favorite cookie sandwiches, hands down! Use a gluten-free flour blend to make them gluten-free.
Love chocolate? These double chocolate chip cookies are so fudgy and delicious! They turn out perfectly when made gluten-free, too.
If you're looking for a fool-proof cake, make this gluten-free chocolate cake. It's so moist and gets rave reviews every time!
Leave a Reply