Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies - Beyond the Butter (2024)

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies combine soft and moist chocolate cakes with creamy peanut butter frosting sandwiched in between. They're a classic, easy-to-make recipe that is perfect for any occasion, and my God, do they taste fantastic!

Behind the Recipe

The classic whoopie pie with chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream frosting has been a huge favorite of mine since I was a kid!

I thought it would be fun, for my first whoopie pie recipe, to make one that's a chocolate peanut butter combo. Because, after all, that is my favorite combo!

They're really easy to make, taste fantastic, and they freeze well too! If you've never tried a whoopie pie before, you absolutely must!

Is a Whoopie Pie a Cake, Pie, or Cookie?

Whoopie pies are small cakes that are baked as cookies on a baking sheet.

You take one of the small chocolate cakes, spread or pipe on the frosting, then top it with another small chocolate cake. Wah-la, a whoopie pie!

Some people have even referred to them as inside-out cupcakes, but I've always thought of them as sandwiched cakes.

What is the History of the Whoopie Pie?

Whoopie pies are a well-known Pennsylvania German and Lancaster Amish tradition known as "Gobs" to those living out in Western PA. They are also considered to be a classic from the New England states as well.

It's believed that whoopie pies came from leftover cake batter that was placed in children's lunches.

When the children opened their lunch and saw them, they would (allegedly) yell, "Whoopie!" I don't know if this is exactly true or not, but what I do know is they are delicious...oh-so-delicious!

Over the years, there have been so many different variations of the whoopie pie made, but the classic has always been chocolate cake with marshmallow filling or vanilla buttercream frosting.

And if you ever get the chance, you must make your way to Strasburg, PA, for the Whoopie Pie Festival. I've been to it twice now, and holy cow, there are so many whoopie pies it is unreal!

They even have the largest whoopie pie ever on display!

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

This chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies recipe is an easy one to whip up and needs very few ingredients! Below is a general overview of how to make them. for the full whoopie pie recipe, visit the recipe card below!

1. Make the chocolate cakes. The chocolate cakes are made by first creaming the vegetable shortening and granulated sugar together. Then you add in the egg and vanilla extract. You'll want to make sure to whisk your dry ingredients together well in a separate bowl before adding it along with the milk, warm water, and espresso powder to the rest of the mixing bowl. The batter will be on the lighter, fluffier side and not heavy or runny.
2. Bake the chocolate cakes for 12-14 minutes at 375ºF. Let them cool on wire cooling racks.
3. Make the peanut butter frosting. Cream the unsalted butter and peanut butter together, then add the vanilla extract, followed by the sifted powdered sugar.
4. Assemble the chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies. You can pipe or spread the peanut butter frosting onto the flat side of a chocolate cake. Then place the second chocolate cake on top.

Why Use Shortening in this Whoopie Pie Recipe?

I use vegetable shortening in this recipe because it keeps the cakes from spreading out too much and leaves you with a nice, fluffy dome-shaped chocolate cake.

I also use shortening to keep my Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies or these from spreading a lot during baking.

Quick Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Tip No. 1: Use a cookie scoop. To scoop out the batter, I used my 1 ½ tablespoon or medium size cookie scoop, which gave me roughly 3-inch diameter chocolate cakes. I was definitely generous when placing a scoop of the batter onto the baking sheet too.

You could even get away with using the 2-inch cookie scoop if you wanted to make them a little bigger.

Tip No. 2: How to store your whoopie pies. You can keep each whoopie pie tightly wrapped in plastic wrap out at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Alternatively, you can store them wrapped and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days. Or, my favorite, you can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, place them in a sealed freezer bag, and keep them in the freezer, where they can last about 3 months.

Tip No. 3: Storing the peanut butter frosting. If you're not going to fill the whoopie pie cakes that same day, you can keep the peanut butter frosting covered tightly in the mixing bowl with plastic wrap in the fridge overnight.

When you're ready, take it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temp before filling the whoopie pie cakes. You may need to re-whip the frosting a little to bring it back to life.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Author: Jennifer

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies are soft and moist chocolate cakes with a creamy peanut butter frosting sandwiched in between. It's a classic, yet simple treat that is easy to make for any occasion!

Nutrition

Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 230mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritonal information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used.

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