Peppermint Whoopie Pies

A delicious Peppermint Whoopie Pie recipe for chocolate mint lovers. Soft chocolate cookies stuffed with fluffy peppermint buttercream.

Why You’ll Love Peppermint Whoopie Pies

It’s Whoopie Time: If you aren’t familiar, a whoopie pie is basically two soft, cakey chocolate cookies sandwiching a pillowy cream filling. 
Cool & Refreshing: The creamy mint buttercream filling is the perfect contrast to the rich chocolate cookies, making this a refreshing minty alternative to traditional marshmallow frosting.
Festive Treats: Celebrate Christmas with something special that everyone will love! Make these yummy whoopie pies for your family and friends and see how quickly they disappear.

As an East Coaster, whoopie pies are in my blood. They originate in the North Atlantic and they are taken very seriously (one of my best friends had them at her wedding!). They’re one of my first memories of baking with my mom.  

Prepping for Perfection – Gather Your Ingredients!

All-Purpose Flour: This is an essential ingredient for the cookie dough of peppermint whoopie pies.
Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder gives these cookies a rich and delicious flavor.
Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt: The combination of these three ingredients helps create light and fluffy cookies with just the right amount of sweetness.
Butter: Butter adds a subtle richness to the cookie dough and gives the finished product a lovely golden hue.
Sugar: These treats wouldn’t be complete without some sugar to add just the right level of sweetness.
Eggs: Eggs bind together all the other ingredients, creating a soft and tender texture in the cookie dough.
Milk: Milk helps make the cookie dough soft and moist. It also adds flavor to your whoopie pies!
Sour Cream: Sour cream adds tanginess to balance out all of the sweetness in this recipe.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances all of the other flavors in this dessert to perfection.
Crushed Candy Canes: For an extra festive touch, don’t forget to add crushed candy canes!

How to Make Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Get Ready, Set, Bake! Get all your ingredients ready for some delicious peppermint whoopie pies.

Make the Whoopie Pie Cookies:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a standing mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) before adding the eggs one at a time for 30 seconds each.
With mixer speed on low beat in milk mixture followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly drop by level tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake 4 minutes then sprinkle each with crushed candy cane and bake 2 minutes more until set but still a bit shiny. We don’t add the candy canes from the start because they melt and lose their pretty look.

Making the Fluffy Mint Filling:

Make a delicious peppermint buttercream filling for your whoopie pies with just one simple step.

Combine unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, peppermint extract and milk in a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 full minutes).

Consider “air” an ingredient and don’t cut the beating time short. You want to whip it good to get that perfect pillowy consistency.

Assembling the Whoopie Pies:

Let cookies cool completely or the frosting will melt.
Spread heaping tablespoons of filling onto flat side of one cookie then sandwich it with another cookie. Ta da! Enjoy.

How to Store Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Store Assembled Pies: To keep your completed peppermint whoopie pies tasting their best, place in an airtight container or bag. The assembled pies will last at room temperature for up to 3 days.

How to Make Whoopie Pies in Advance

This recipe makes a big batch. You can freeze the baked cookies on their own, or freeze them filled and assembled. I usually make a few Christmas treats mid-December and fill a plate to thaw for a couple of hours anytime friends are coming over.

Here are a few tips!

Freeze Unfrosted Cookies: Pre-baking your cookies and freezing them is a great way to make your life easier. Once you’ve baked the cookies, cool them completely on wire racks before transferring to a container or bag. Then freeze for up to two months for freshness and convenience when you’re ready to eat!
Make-Ahead Filling: Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until light and fluffy. Once it’s done, scoop the frosting into a resealable bag or airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let it come back to room temp and give it a quick beat again just before using.
Assemble & Serve: Thaw the cookies (or fill them while still frozen – they’re really easy to work with while semi firm).

Or freeze after they’re assembled:

Just freeze goodies in a single layer on wax or parchment paper-lined baking sheet first (to avoid them sticking together in storage),then pack into freezer bags to freeze up to 3 months.

Last Updated on March 31, 2023 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD