Fast & Easy Whoopie Pies
A fast and easy spin on classic Whoopie Pie sandwich cookies!
So, as much as I like to create recipes entirely from scratch, I really do appreciate short-cuts. Especially during the holidays! And with a big family and LOTS of treats to make, it is just about a necessity.
Well, it’s December, and I think it’s about that time to use some short-cut recipes. I am thinking of a specific recipe: Whoopie Pies. I have a homemade Whoopie Pie recipe, but during this time, I would like an even quicker way to make these filled sandwich cookies.
I have seen (and made!) cookies starting with a cake mix before. Why not make Whoopie Pies this way? It’s perfect for them, since Whoopie Pies are made with two “cake-like” cookies that are sandwiched between vanilla filling or frosting.
I’m going to start with a chocolate cake mix. A lot of the recipes for cookies using a cake mix call for vegetable oil. I would rather use softened butter, so that’s what I will do. I am also going to add a little bit of this special cocoa powder, as well as vanilla extract.
In my homemade recipe, I used store-bought vanilla. And there’s no reason to change that for this recipe! But if you truly want to make a homemade buttercream frosting to fill these, then go right ahead and do so.
These cookies turned out perfectly! The cookies were soft and cake-like with a nice tender texture held together nicely by the vanilla frosting. These were so fast and easy that it saved time so I could make other recipes!
If you want a fast and easy delicious cookie to share for Christmas or any time, please try this recipe!
Recipe:
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INGREDIENTS:
- 1 (15.25-ounce box) chocolate cake mix
- 1 TBS black cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter, very soft (but not melted) butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 container vanilla frosting (I used about half of the container)
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and black cocoa powder.
- Add the very soft butter and mix into the dry mix until incorporated.
- Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract
- Beat until combined.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet, about eight per sheet. for 16 cookie mounds total.
- Bake the sheets one at a time for about 10 minutes
- Allow to cool completely.
- Frost bottoms of half of the cookies (I used about two tablespoons each).
- Top with remaining cookies, lightly pressing together.
- Makes about 8 sandwich cookies
NOTES:
- I see why a lot of the cake mix cookie recipes call for oil instead of butter: it;s easier to mix in the oil than it is the butter. That is why I specify “very soft, but not melted” butter, so it can mix in easier. If you would prefer to use 1/2 cup canola oil in place of butter, you can try it. But just note that I do not know how it affects the baking time or the final product, as I have only tested this recipe using butter.
- I was able to get 16 cookies for a total of 8 sandwich cookies.
- Most store-bought frosting containers are about 16 ounces. You may have some leftover frosting, as I used a little more than half of my container for eight generously frosted cookies (about two tablespoons of frosting for each sandwich cookie).
- I used this brand of frosting to test this recipe, which I like. I’ve also used this brand of organic vanilla frosting for various other recipes in the past with very good results!
