Whoopie pies are soft chocolate cake sandwiches filled with creamy vanilla pudding — the lunchbox classic, reimagined grain-free. Deep cacao cakes bake up tender and cakey, then sandwich a spoon of glossy vanilla filling between pairs. Eight generous whoopie pies that taste exactly like the ones you remember.
SERVES 8
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) cacao powder
1 cup (240 ml) warm tap water
1½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) palm sugar
5 tablespoons (75 ml) coconut oil, melted and cooled
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 ounces coconut milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) tapioca flour
4 tablespoons (60 ml) white chocolate chips
¼ Vanilla Pudding Recipe (page 203)
Preparation
1.В В Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk cacao powder and water together in bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.
2.В В In large bowl, whisk palm sugar, coconut oil, and one teaspoon vanilla together until incorporated. Whisk in eggs and cacao powder mixture until smooth. Gently stir in flour mixture with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms.
3.В В Using a greased quarter-cup measure, drop scant quarter-cup scoops of batter two inches apart on prepared baking sheets (you should have sixteen cakes total). Bake cakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 14 minutes), switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cakes cool completely on sheets.
Filling
Use a quarter of the recipe for Vanilla Pudding to fill the Whoopie Pies. Assemble eight sandwich cookies by spreading about two tablespoons of filling between two cookies. Serve.
Pro Tips
- Use a greased quarter-cup measure for uniform scoops — sixteen even cakes means eight matched pairs, and nobody gets the runt sandwich.
- Cool the cakes completely before filling. Warm cakes melt the vanilla pudding and the sandwiches slide apart as you eat.
- The batter is soft and that's correct. Dropping it rather than rolling keeps the cakes light and cakey instead of dense.
- Make the vanilla pudding filling first so it has time to chill and thicken while the cakes bake and cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make whoopie pies ahead?
Yes — but fill them the day you serve. Unfilled cakes keep two days in an airtight tin and the filling keeps three days in the fridge.
What if I don't want to make pudding?
Whipped coconut cream sweetened with a little honey and vanilla makes a lighter, quicker filling that pairs just as well with the chocolate cakes.
How should I store assembled pies?
Refrigerated in a single layer for up to two days. Bring them to room temperature fifteen minutes before eating for the softest texture.
Can I make smaller whoopie pies?
Use a two-tablespoon scoop for sixteen mini sandwiches. Reduce the bake time to about ten minutes and watch them closely.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk cacao powder and water together in bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. 2. В В In large bowl, whisk palm sugar, coconut oil, and one teaspoon vanilla together until incorporated.
- Whisk in eggs and cacao powder mixture until smooth. Gently stir in flour mixture with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. 3. В В Using a greased quarter-cup measure, drop scant quarter-cup scoops of batter two inches apart on prepared baking sheets (you should have sixteen cakes total).
- Bake cakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 14 minutes), switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
- Let cakes cool completely on sheets. Filling Use a quarter of the recipe for Vanilla Pudding to fill the Whoopie Pies. Assemble eight sandwich cookies by spreading about two tablespoons of filling between two cookies.
- Serve.
