Traditional New England Whoopie Pies

These old-fashioned whoopie pies are soft, chocolatey, and filled with a rich, creamy filling, just like the ones many of us remember.

This is a true New England-style recipe. If you’re looking for a true whoopie pie recipe—the kind made in New England with a cooked filling—this is it.

Whoopie pies are a beloved treat, a nostalgic dessert that evokes childhood memories and continues to delight today. My mom would make them for us every once in a while. Oh, what a treat to come home from school to a platter of chocolate whoopie pies!

This recipe, inspired by traditional Maine-style whoopie pies, comes from my family recipe box. It delivers soft, chocolatey cakes with a rich, creamy cooked filling – no marshmallow fluff needed!

The Best Whoopie Pies Recipe (Soft cakes & Creamy Filling)

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Whoopie pies are essentially handheld cake sandwiches: soft, round, cake-like cookies embracing a luscious, creamy filling. 

While their origin is debated, New Englanders proudly claim them as their own. This recipe focuses on the traditional Maine-style filling, a cooked flour and milk mixture that creates a uniquely satisfying texture and flavor.

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Why This Whoopie Pie Recipe is Special

This updated post, inspired by a massive batch of whoopie pies made by my nephew, is a must-share because the recipe offers:

Classic Maine-Style Filling: Unlike recipes using marshmallow fluff or buttercream, this uses a traditional cooked flour and milk filling for authentic flavor.  Look no further for an authentic whoopie pie filling recipe!

Soft and Moist Cakes: The chocolate whoopie pie cakes achieve the perfect texture, becoming even more irresistible the day after baking.  

Kid-Friendly Baking Project: This whoopie pie recipe is perfect for baking with kids, creating lasting memories, and delicious treats.

What Makes These Whoopie Pies Different

• No marshmallow fluff

• Not overly sweet

• True New England texture

Watch: How to Make Traditional Whoopie Pie Filling (This is the key step)

Watch the video for the steps, tips, and tricks.

Key Whoopie Pie Ingredients

The ingredients are simple. These are the key ingredients.

Cocoa Powder: Provides rich chocolate flavor and color. Use high-quality cocoa for the best results.

Shortening: Crisco provides structure and a soft crumb. Even though solid shortening isn't the healthiest of ingredients, you need it for the "traditional" results in this recipe.

Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure for both the cakes and the filling.

Milk: Whole milk is used in the filling to create a creamy base.

Tips for Baking the Best Whoopie Pies

Follow these tips for perfect whoopie pies every batch.

The Batter: The batter will be thick.

Use a cookie scoop to make consistently sized cakes for your whoopie pies. It makes it easier to match the top with the bottom of the whoopie pies. Here is a set of cookie scoops that will help.

Don't overcook the cakes. Watch your first pan like a hawk to determine the right number of minutes to bake them in your oven. You want the cakes to spring back when you touch them lightly.

Cook the flour mixture for the filling until you can make a track across the back of the spoon.

Be sure to cool the milk and flour mixture for the filling completely. I usually chill mine in the refrigerator.

Beat the filling until the sugar is completely incorporated. Feel the filling between your fingers. If you feel sugar granules, keep beating.

Be generous with your filling. Yummy whoopie pies have plenty of creamy filling. I like to spread the filling on half the cakes, use all of it, and then top the remaining cakes.

Wrap the whoopie pies individually for storage. The cakes will stick to each other if you leave them together on a plate. Individually wrapping them makes them easier to keep and eat. They freeze well, too.

Make Festive Whoopie Pies: You can add some fun decorations to your whoopie pies for the holidays. Do you have any candy canes left from Christmas? Crush them finely and mix them in with the whoopie pie filling. Yummy! You could also roll the edges in the crushed candy canes.

Little hearts pressed into the edge of the filling are fun for Valentine's Day. Sprinkles of all kinds are available to customize your whoopie pies for any occasion.

Why Your Whoopie Pies Didn’t Turn Out Right

• flat cakes → batter too thin
• dry cakes → overbaked
• grainy filling → not beaten enough

What to Bake Next

If you enjoy old-fashioned baking like this, you might also love my date-filled cookies or red velvet cupcakes. Both are simple, comforting recipes made from scratch.

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Updated 4/6/2026

The Authentic New England Whoopie Pie Recipe

original whoopie pie recipe, best whoopie pie recipe, Maine whoopie pie recipe

dessert

American

Yield: 18 whoopie pies

Author: Donna Urso

Whoopie Pies

A traditional New England whoopie pie with an authentic creamy filling.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 42 Min

Ingredients

The Cake

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 6 Tablespoons solid shortening (I use Crisco)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

The Filling

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup solid shortening (Crisco)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make the Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a mixer, beat the sugar, egg, cocoa powder, and shortening together in a medium-sized bowl until well combined.
3. Add 1 cup milk, one teaspoon of vanilla, two cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. The batter will be thick.
4. Mix well and drop by tablespoon one inch apart on an ungreased sheet pan.
5. Press into circles of equal size. I like to use a cookie scoop to make uniform-sized cakes.
6. Bake 6-10 minutes until the cakes spring back when lightly touched.
7. Cool completely.

To Make the Filling

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and flour and cook, stirring constantly until it forms a thick paste.
2. It's ready when it to comes to a boil. This will help to cook out the flour taste. When you run your finger across the back of the spoon you will see a track.
3. Let the mixture cool. It thickens to a pudding consistency as it cools.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and shortening until fluffy.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat until double in volume. You'll want to really beat the filling, approximately five minutes.
7. Feel the filling between your fingers. If you feel the sugar granules you'll need to beat longer.
8. Turn the cooled cakes over on their backs. Spoon a generous dollop of filling onto half of the little cakes. Place the other half of the cakes on top of the filling to form sandwiches.
9. Wrap individually for storage.

Notes

These whoopie pies freeze beautifully. Just wrap individually and store in a sealed container or plastic bag.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

268.49

Fat (grams)

17.12 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.93 g

Carbs (grams)

25.24 g

Fiber (grams)

0.74 g

Net carbs

24.49 g

Sugar (grams)

12.72 g

Protein (grams)

3.11 g

Sodium (milligrams)

85.98 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

21.81 mg

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