These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are a soft, cakey red velvet cookie sandwich with a luscious cream cheese filling. These cute hand held treats are perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any day you want to make extra special.
I’ve made Chocolate Whoopie Pies so many time, so why not give them a fun, colorful, and delicious twist. This version has a little buttermilk, less chocolate, and more vanilla for that perfect red velvet flavor. Paired with my favorite cream cheese frosting, because Red Velvet and Cream Cheese just go together.
These are the perfect handheld desserts, that would be so fun for Christmas or Valentine’s Day!
Why make this Recipe
- Easier than they Look: The batter is a simple thick cake batter that gets baked up like cookies. Whip up a quick cream cheese frosting, dollop it in the middle, and voila.
- Festive and Fun: The vibrant red color makes these such a great option for Valentine’s Day parties, or Christmas (of course 😉) Make sure you use a red gel coloring as listed to get the vibrant red color.
- Crowd Pleaser: Loved by kids and adults, whoever you share this with will be asking for more!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter – Soften to room temperature for about 30 minutes, you want to be able to indent it a little with your finger, without it sinking father into the butter.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar – We use more brown sugar to add more moisture to the cookies.
- Egg – Helps bind everything together, bring it to room temperature with the butter, so it will mix better.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds flavor, and needed for red velvet flavor
- Buttermilk – Keeps the cookies tender, and moist and gives them that classic red velvet flavor.
- All Purpose Flour – Provides structure for the whoopie pies. Make sure to spoon and level, or weigh the flour.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Just a little for a subtle chocolate flavor
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder – Helps the cookies to rise
- Salt – Balances the sweetness
- Red Food Coloring – Use a gel food coloring so you can add enough for a bright red color without adding too much extra liquid.
- Cream Cheese – A block of full fat cream cheese, not a tub.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting
How to make Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies?
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set the mixture aside.
Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl (a stand mixer works best, but a hand mixer will work too) beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and mix until fluffy. Add in the egg and mix until combined. Then mix in the buttermilk and vanilla. It may look a bit curdles.
Step 3: Add the Dry Ingredients. Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until combined. Add food coloring to reach a deep red color.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies. Using a medium scoop, scoop the batter onto a lined cookie sheet, in dollops about 1 1/2 TBS each, and about 3 inches apart as they’ll spread a lot when baking. Bake until the centers of the cookies appear set. Let the cookies cool completely before sandwiching.
Step 5: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Then keep mixing for a couple more minutes until nice and creamy.
Step 6: Assemble the Sandwiches. Pair the cookies based on their shape and size. Flip one cookie over to show the bottom and pipe the frosting smooth over the bottom. Place a matching cookie on top of the frosting to make a sandwich. Enjoy immediately, or chill for an hour.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Overmix – Just like a cake, we only want to mix the batter until combined to keep the cookies nice and fluffy when they bake up.
- Use a Cookie Scoop – Use a 1 1/2 TBS cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the cookie sheet. It is very sticky and this will help keep your hands clean. It also keeps the cookies more uniform in size.
- Use a Ziplock Bag – Instead of a piping bag with a tip, just use a large ziplock bag to hold the frosting and sip the corner with scissors. Squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cookie, without any piping supplies.
Storage Instructions
Store the whoopie pies in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They’re very soft, and a bit sticky, so it’s best to keep them in a single layer to avoid them from sticking together, or you can put a layer of parchment paper between them.
You can also freeze them by placing them on a lined cookie sheet and freezing for 1 hour, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and stick them in a freezer safe bag. Let them thaw for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge before enjoying again.
These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are such a pretty, and delicious treat. They’re soft, and tender with the best creamy filling and will definitely impress!
More Cookie Recipes
- Haystack Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Toffee Cracker Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
- Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
If you try these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp red gel food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (1 block, room temperature)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside. 2 cups all purpose flour , 3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl. Stir together to combine until fluffy. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Add in the egg and mix until combined. 1 large egg
- Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined. It may look curdled, that's okay. 3/4 cup Buttermilk , 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix at a low speed until combined.
- Add in the food coloring and mix until you have a nice deep red color throughout. 1 tsp red gel food coloring
- Carefully scoop the batter by the 1 1/2 TBS full onto the prepared baking sheet. Keep the batter balls about 2 inches apart, as they well spread while they bake.
- Bake the pan in the preheated oven until the "cookie" tops look set and a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Between 9 and 11 minutes.
- Let the whoope pies cool on the baking pan for about 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Mix the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat over medium speed until smooth. 8 oz Cream Cheese
- Add in the butter and mix until blended and smooth. 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Add in the powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat the mixture over low speed. Continue to blend the frosting until mixed and fluffy. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Assembly:
- Set the cookies up in pairs, matching them with another cookie similar in shape and size.
- Flip one of the cookies over to reveal the bottom and pipe the frosting smoothly over the bottom. You can also spread it with a knife, but the edges might not look as nice.
- Place a matching cookie on top of the frosting to make a sandwich, with the domed part of the cookie facing up.
- Place the frosted cookie sandwiches back onto the cookie sheet.
- Enjoy immediately, or place the pan in the fridge for 1 hour to help the frosting set (I prefer them a little chilled) then enjoy.
Notes
- Don’t Overmix – Just like a cake, we only want to mix the batter until combined to keep the cookies nice and fluffy when they bake up.
- Use a Cookie Scoop – Use a 1 1/2 TBS cookie scoop to scoop the batter onto the cookie sheet. It is very sticky and this will help keep your hands clean. It also keeps the cookies more uniform in size.
- Use a Ziplock Bag – Instead of a piping bag with a tip, just use a large ziplock bag to hold the frosting and sip the corner with scissors. Squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cookie, without any piping supplies.
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