Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies From Scratch
Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies From Scratch are two soft, pillowy chocolate cookies filled with a “miracle frosting” that’s a New England classic made from Grandma’s tried and true recipe!
Guys. I have Valentine’s Day treat for you, today, Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies From Scratch! A tried and true recipe from a Grandma passed down from generation to generation, but they’re not from my grandma, they’re from my best friend Holly’s Grandma Pearl who was a 7th generation Vermonter who grew up on a dairy farm. Now if that doesn’t prove these are the best of the best when it comes to this New England classic, I don’t know what will! I was sooooo honored that Holly wanted to share her Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies recipe with you all! These delicious pies of soft pillowy sweet chocolate cookies of New England heaven are super easy to make and so so soooooo delicious! Even better, guests of the Sinclair Inn in Jericho, Vermont may get these as a sweet check-in treat!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour – All purpose is the best for these. Because let’s be honest, back when Grandma Pearl was around, they didn’t have gluten-free flour.
- Unsweetened Cocoa – We prefer a dutched cocoa for this recipe because it tends to have a stronger “chocolately” flavor. But a natural non-dutch cocoa will work too.
- Sugar – Just good ol’ granulated sugar. And plenty of it!
- Butter AND Crisco – Yup, this classic Grandma recipe has both! And plenty of it!
- Egg – Just one for the pie part of the whoopies.
- Vanilla Extract – Some for the pie and the Miracle Frosting.
- Baking Soda – Just a little for just a little leavening.
Miracle Frosting
The first step to Grandma Pearl’s incredible New England classic is the Miracle Frosting. What makes it a miracle? The fact that it has so much butter and Crisco in it. This frosting is unlike any other of our standard frostings because it starts with heating and thickening some milk and flour together in a pan and then letting it cool in the fridge.
Then there’s a lot of blending with a hand mixer. Truly, you don’t want to do this without one, or at least with a stand mixer and the paddle attachment.
Make the Pies
For the pies, it’s more Crisco (surprise!), and a mixture of the dry ingredients with some egg.
All mixed together to create a super chocolately pie batter for the “pie” of the whoopie!
Baked and Stuffed
Baked for just a few minutes and then you have soft pillowy round pies to stuff that Miracle Frosting in between for Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies From Scratch!
See that chocolate cookie? It’s super soft and just subtly sweet. But that frosting – that Miracle Frosting – ooh my goodness it is pure sweet deliciousness and the perfect balance for the chocolate!
Together, heaven. They’re soft and have just the right amount of sweetness. And soooo New England. As Holly says, you know you’re in Vermont when they’re selling Green Mountain Coffee and Whoopie Pies at the gas station.
Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Or if that’s not your thing, happy late Galentine’s Day or (my favorite) Happy Early Super Duper Cheap Chocolate at the Grocery Store Day! 😉
Don’t forget to share your photos and comments with me when on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest when you make these classic whoopie pies! I love to hear about it – and even more importantly, I’d love to share it with Holly and her family to make Grandma Pearl proud!
Grandma Pearl’s Whoopie Pies From Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
Whoopie Pies
- 6 tablespoons crisco
- 1 cup sugar 200 grams
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk 1% or 2%
- 2 cups all purpose flour 250 grams
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 30 grams
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 7 grams
Miracle Frosting
- 4 tablespoons flour 31 grams
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup crisco
- 1 cup sugar 200 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 large baking sheets and set aside.
To Make Miracle Frosting
- Mix flour and milk together in a medium sauce pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Thicken until it’s the consistency of heavy cream.
- Put immediately in the fridge to cool.
- With a hand mixer, in a large bowl whip butter for 4 minutes.
- Add Crisco and whip for 4 minutes.
- Add sugar and whip for 4 minutes.
- Once the flour and mix mixture has cooled, add the Crisco and sugar mixture and and whip it all together for 4 minutes.
To Make Pies
- In a large bowl cream together Crisco and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and mix together until well combined.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda.
- Mix dry ingredients into bowl with creamed ingredients.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto greased baking sheets, leaving plenty of room – 2 -3 inches between each scoop. The batter will spread!
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Then remove from sheet and let cool.
- Assemble the pies by spreading a thick layer of frosting on one pie and then topping with a second.
- Enjoy!!
As a born n raised Virginia gal my family has many traditional foods . My mother married my step Daddy when I was a spicy 16 year old. I was not thrilled with his Massachusetts ways…. UNTIL his Momma shared her Whoopi pie recipe with my mom… I am now 52 and make them for my grandchildren. I love your recipe and was thrilled to see the original filling recipe that I was taught. Now if I could just convince my step
dad to try collards 😊
I love this story, Rachael!! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad this recipe brought back those memories, that’s what cooking is all about. Good luck on the collards! 😀
Pennsylvanians call them Gobs!
Gobs! Cute!
Ooooh love whoopie pies! And it’s so special that you share this passed down recipe with your best friend. I always assumed whoopie pies would be very difficult to make, but they don’t seem as hard as I thought. A must try!
I’ve never had a whoopie pie. I think I’ve missed out on something very important in life. They sound delicious and your grandma’s secret filling is something that I have to try. I’ve never been to Vermont either but that is a state I’d love to visit. I could have Vermont coffee and whoopie pie, Whoo HOO!
Oooh Vermont is such a special place – I hope you make it there someday and drink some coffee and have a whoopie pie! All the while enjoying the fall colors and some maple syrup, too! 😉
How awesome that your best friend is so close that you can bake together and share recipes. These whoopie pies look so good and I’ve been craving whoopie pies lately. I love that the chocolate cookies aren’t so sweet and balance out sweetness of the frosting. How I do want to take a lick of that frosting!
Thanks, Annissa! It’s truly sooo wonderful – as are these whoopie pies!