Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Soft red velvet sandwich cookies filled with a smooth cream cheese frosting. Made with cocoa, brown sugar, and buttermilk—these whoopie pies are rich, vibrant, and perfect for special occasions or indulgent everyday baking.
Servings
Ingredients
For the Whoopie Pies:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar:
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter for approximately 30 seconds until smooth. Add the brown sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla:
- Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, beating until fully combined and smooth.
Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk:
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry flour mixture and buttermilk in alternating portions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Add red food coloring:
- Stir in the red food coloring until the batter is uniformly red and smooth.
Portion the batter onto baking sheets:
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop heaping portions of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart to allow for spreading.
Bake the whoopie pies:
- Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the tops are set and the edges appear firm. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets placed on wire racks.
Prepare the filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until fully incorporated.
Assemble the whoopie pies:
- Transfer the cream cheese filling to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped. Pipe a generous amount of filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Gently press a second cookie on top to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Notes
To prepare these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that includes xanthan gum. Ensure that the cocoa powder and all other ingredients are certified gluten-free. The resulting texture may be slightly more delicate, so handle the cookies gently during assembly.