Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

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A small treat to celebrate, this is a cross between a cake and a soft cookie. And it's called a pie. I know. Beats me too. But it's delicious. And so easy to make, a no-brainer really if you want to have red velvet cake without the fuss. Oh, and they are filled with the wildly loved cream cheese frosting, of course.

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Close up of eaten red velvet whoopie pie, white marble surface, pink and red confetti around

I discovered whoopie pies not so long ago, and started making them often. They were a wonderful surprise, to realize they were soft but tasty, sweet from the filling and so ridiculously easy to make.

I usually make my very moist Red Velvet Bundt Cake because it's easier than layer cakes and just as delicious. But now it's all about these whoopie pies in this house. Along with my favorite Chocolate Whoopie pies because Valentine's Day calls for both.

Eaten red whoopie pie on white surface with red confetti, more pies in background

Ingredients

Oil and butter. I use the first for moistness and the second for flavor.
Cocoa powder. It isn't red velvet without that small amount of chocolate, is it? The darker the cocoa the deeper the red color.
Red food coloring. I still a water-based powder color, but usually like to use gels because you need a small amount and don't need to be dissolved.

Easy steps

Making whoopie pies is easy. It's a cookie batter that comes together very quickly and you can use a wire whisk, no need for a stand mixer.

Creaming

Start by mixing the soft butter with the sugar until it's light and creamy. The sugar will have dissolved a lot and not be too granular. Then, add the egg.

Adding sugar to butter in a glass bowl with a hand whisk inside

Dry ingredients

It's important that they are sifted (either before adding in a different bowl, or directly over the butter mixture, as I do), especially when there is cocoa powder and baking soda among them, as they can dry out in little balls that might not get properly dissolved during mixing.

Sifter with flour and cocoa powder on top of glass bowl

Wet ingredients

The dry ingredients in the step before are added in 3 parts, alternating with the wet ingredients - milk and oil - in 2 parts. The reason for this is to level textures and temperatures so that the ingredients integrate better.
At some point it might look slightly curdled; that is fine if you still have the last part of dry ingredients to add still.

Adding milk to a light chocolate batter in a glass bowl

Food coloring

The red color is given by adding food coloring, and this can be a powder that is dissolved in some of the milk (as I did today), or gel-based which are easily available and easier to integrate. It's important to mix quickly and to have the color be uniform, but don't beat the batter, as that will toughen the cookies.

Adding liquid red coloring to light chocolate batter in a bowl

The final dough

You need to refrigerate the red velvet dough for an hour or so, until it's slightly firmer, to have better shaped and thicker whoopie pies. Make sure there is space between them when placed in the cookie sheets because they spread as they bake.

Mounds of red velvet whoopie pie batter on parchment paper ready to be baked

Frequently asked questions

Why do my whoopie pies come out flat?

The consistency of the batter is crucial for a good whoopie pie that holds its shape, and this depends on the recipe. Too much liquid, for example, and the batter will be too thin and spread too quickly when baking. This recipe today makes perfectly plump and moist whoopie pies.

What is whoopie pie filling made of?

Traditionally, they are filled with cream cheese frosting, the one used for carrot cakes and in the hummingbird cake recipe. I also like red velvet whoopie pies filled with this 5-minute chocolate frosting that is to die for.

Is whoopie pie a cake or cookie?

It's a cake-like sandwich soft cookie. Why it's called a pie is not quite clear, though they were supposedly originated in the Amish community as a way to use leftover cake batter and frosting. I put them in the Cakes category of this blog.

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