Holiday M&M Whoopie Pies have a creamy, fluffy filling sandwiched between two spongy chocolate cakes, with festive red and green M&M’s along the outside. They’re a nostalgic treat with a holiday twist!
I first tried a whoopie pie at an Amish farmers market in Maryland, and it was love at first bite. It was pure excitement when my mom told me she had an old family recipe and passed it along! It’s so fun making all kinds of variations, and this holiday version is one of my favorites!
What is a Whoopie Pie?
Also called “Gobs,” whoopie pies have two round, spongy cakes sandwiched between a frosting filling. You’ll find different variations of flavors, including pumpkin and red velvet whoopie pies, and other flavors like marshmallow filling or marshmallow fluff, cream cheese frosting, or buttercream frosting.
Why Is It Called a Whoopie Pie?
Whoopie Pies started in Lancaster Counter, Pennsylvania, Dutch Country. It’s been said that Amish wives invented the whoopie pie with leftover cake and frosting they had. As the story goes, the children loved them so much that they would say “Whoopie!” when they found them in their lunch!
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk or buttermilk substitute (place one tbsp white vinegar in a measuring cup and then fill up to make one cup with the milk)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder – for a deeper chocolate color and flavor, use Dutch-processed like this Hersheys
- 1-2 cups red and green holiday M&M’s
FILLING
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shortening – it will make your filling lighter and fluffier, but butter works as well
- 2-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- dash salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
How to Make Holiday M&M Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Cakes
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp white vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (regular, not Dutch-process)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for extra softness)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (for richer flavor)
Filling
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or shortening for a fluffier texture)
- 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- Dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
- Stir in the boiling water slowly on low speed until the batter is glossy and slightly thin.
- Batter should resemble thick cake batter, not cookie dough.
- Chill for 20–30 minutes to help it firm slightly.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, drop batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, until tops are puffed and spring back when lightly touched.
- FILLING
- Whisk 5 tbsp flour and 1 cup milk over low heat until it forms a thick paste. This will only take a couple of minutes, so vigorously whisk together, ensuring all clumps are gone, and remove the mixture from heat as soon as it thickens. Don’t cook too long, or the paste will start to burn and get clumpy.
- Remove paste from pan into a small bowl and allow to cool down fully
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix shortening or butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until well-blended
- Fold in the paste mixture and beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy, ensuring all the paste isn’t stuck to the bottom of the bowl. The longer you mix, the lighter and fluffier your filling will be.
- Add a dollop of filling to the center of cakes (flat side), and then place a second cake on top (flat side down) to form a sandwich. Press down on one of the whoopie cake halves. Don’t press too hard, or the filling will squeeze out. Repeat with the rest.
- Place the M&M’s on top of the filling around the outside of each pie. You can also drizzle extra chocolate or confectioner’s sugar on the tops of whoopie pies.
Storing Holiday M&M Whoopie Pies
Kept in an airtight container, whoopie pies will stay fresh for 2-3 days. You can also store in freezer bags for up to two weeks. First, place them on a baking sheet and freeze and then move to the freezer bag so they don’t stic.k
Holiday M&M Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter – room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk or buttermilk substitute place one tbsp white vinegar in a measuring cup and then fill up to make one cup with the milk
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cocoa powder Dutch proceessed for deeper chocolate flavor
- 1-2 cups red and green holiday M&M’s
- FILLING
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shortening or butter
- 2-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- dash salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- FILLING
- Whisk 5 tbsp flour and 1 cup milk over low heat until it forms a thick paste. This will only take a couple of minutes, so vigorously whisk together, ensuring all clumps are gone, and remove the mixture from heat as soon as it thickens. Don’t cook too long, or the paste will start to burn and get clumpy.
- Remove paste from pan into a small bowl and allow to cool down fully
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix shortening or butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until well-blended
- Fold in the paste mixture and beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy, ensuring all the paste isn’t stuck to the bottom of the bowl. The longer you mix, the lighter and fluffier your filling will be.
- Add a dollop of filling to the flat side of one cake and place a second cake on top (flat side down) to form a sandwich. Press down on one of the whoopie cake halves. Don’t press too hard, or the filling will squeeze out. Repeat with the rest.
- Place the M&M’s on top of the filling around the outside of each pie. You can also drizzle extra chocolate or confectioner’s sugar on the tops of whoopie pies.
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