Whoopie Pies (Made with Coconut Oil)

A well-known Lancaster County treat, whoopie pies are sure to bring a smile on the faces of all those who eat them. Try making your own today with our updated version made with Golden Barrel coconut oil!

When I moved to Lancaster County from South Jersey many years ago, one of the first treats I remember trying were whoopie pies. Seemed like these chocolate cake sandwiches were everywhere–from supermarkets to family functions, you could always count on whoopie pies to make an appearance. But as a native Philly suburb, Tastycake-lovin’ girl, I wasn’t a fan of these “pies” that all Lancaster Countians raved about. They were too sweet (shocker, I know) and I didn’t like the cream filling. The problem was–they were all made with shortening. Bleh.

So I just dismissed whoopie pies altogether. No big deal. There were plenty of other sweets in which to partake. 😉 It remained that way until several years ago when we started attending a different church. There’s a lady in our church who is known for her whoopie pies. So I had to see what all the fuss was about. And dang, when I tried Tina’s whoopie pies, hope was restored. See, Tina’s whoopie pies were made with butter. BUTTER! The filling in these pies is amazing. Smooth, creamy, BUTTERY…there’s nothing “fake-tasting” about them. They’re pure genius. This recipe I present to you today is Tina’s, but it’s been modified a bit. Well…just with one ingredient: coconut oil. Traditionally there’s shortening in the cake part of all whoopie pies (as well as the filling). Since coconut oil has much the same consistency as shortening, I swapped out that nasty fake stuff (shortening) for some good ol’ coconut oil. My mantra: when in doubt, coconut oil. It’s always the right answer. 😉

I creamed my coconut oil with the sugar, much the same as you would cream butter. Just be sure that your coconut oil is in a soft-solid state, meaning you can easily scoop it out but it’s not in liquid form. (Just stick the container in the fridge a few minutes to harden it up a bit if it’s liquid.)

So now whoopie pies are back in the baking rotation at the Hertzler house. You can make these guys smaller too, if you don’t want them this big. Small ones are cute and you don’t feel so guilty wolfing them down. 🙂

So, if you’re like me and aren’t a fan of traditional whoopie pies, TRY THESE. Or maybe you’re a Lanc. Co. native who swears by your grandmother’s recipe, again, TRY THESE. I think you’ll like ’em. Because, I mean really…who doesn’t like the taste of butter??

Whoopie Pies

Print Recipe

• CourseCookies, Dessert
• KeywordPennsylvania Dutch

Servings

2 dozen

Servings 2 dozen

Whoopie Pies Print Recipe CourseCookies, Dessert KeywordPennsylvania Dutch Servings 2 dozen Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup cocoa, sifted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup Golden Barrel Coconut Oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups Golden Barrel organic cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in the hot water

Filling

• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons milk (I used whole)
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter

Servings: dozen

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
3. With stand or hand mixer, cream together coconut oil and sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add eggs one at time and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy, several minutes.
4. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Lastly, add cup of hot water in which you have dissolved 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Mix until combined.
5. Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased (or parchement-lined) baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Filling

1. Beat egg whites until stiff. (You know they're stiff when bowl is inverted and whites do not fall out)
2. With mixer on, add vanilla, flour, milk, and 2 cups of confectioners' sugar, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Cream for 2 minutes. Add butter and remaining 2 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. When cakes are completely cool, spoon cream filling onto cakes, covering with other side to make a sandwich.
4. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to keep fresh.

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