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We put a Southern spin on the beloved Maine treat, creating these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with a tangy-sweet cream cheese filling. These soft little cakes are bite-sized, making them the perfect treat for lunchboxes or after-school snacks. Or a midnight rummage through the fridge (we won’t tell, pinky promise!)
Although technically not of Southern origin, red velvet is a flavor that’s commonly associated with the South. I’m not sure why, other than maybe Southerners fell in love with Red Velvet Cake and claimed it as their own.
And so now we have red velvet everything: Red Velvet Cake Cookies, Red Velvet Bundt Cake, Red Crinkle Cookies, Red Velvet Mini Cakes — and those are just my recipes. You’ll find many more variations of red velvet-something all across the South.
These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are one of my favorite iterations of the famous red velvet flavor. I love how soft and cakey they are, and the cream cheese-to-cake ratio for the small-bite whoopie pies is just perfect.
Testing results for red velvet whoopie pies
- You can use 3/4 cup buttermilk in place of the milk and sour cream mixture if that’s your preference. We tested both methods, the first with buttermilk, and the second using whole milk and sour cream when we ran out. Surprisingly, the sour cream version produced whoopie pies with a cleaner shape and a softer, slightly richer crumb. Both work beautifully, so choose based on what you have and the texture you prefer.
- We found that silicone mats made the cakes spread more. Parchment paper worked much better.
- Chilling the batter briefly helps the cakes hold their shape and achieve that signature dome, a small step that makes a big difference in the appearance of the whoopie pies.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Milk and sour cream: Use whole milk and full-fat sour cream. Alternatively, substitute with 3/4 cup of full-fat buttermilk.
Vinegar: If you’re not familiar with red velvet desserts, vinegar is a necessary ingredient.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make red velvet whoopie pies
- Mix up the batter for the whoopie pies, transfer it to a piping bag, and refrigerate for one hour.
- Pipe small rounds onto cookie sheets and bake about 10 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before assembling with the cream cheese filling.
- Mix up the cream cheese filling and transfer to a piping bag.
- Pipe the filling onto the flat side of half the cakes, then assemble them.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Hershey's cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
For the cream cheese filling
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- In a medium-sized bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 large egg, room temperature and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, scraping down the mixing bowl as needed.
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring. Whisk to combine.
- Add the milk mixture to the batter and beat on a medium speed until combined and uniform in color. The batter may look split at this stage, which is fine.
- With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Beat until you can no longer see streaks of flour, taking care not to over mix.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and refrigerate for one hour. When ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- When the batter has chilled, pipe 1 1/2 inch rounds onto the baking sheets, spacing them a couple of inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set and domed. The tops should spring back lightly when touched.
- Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese filling:
- To the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature and 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature. Beat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Sift 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar into the mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Beat on a low speed until incorporated, then increase to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy.
- Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- Do your best to match up the red velvet cookies according to size then pipe filling onto the flat side of half of them and sandwich together.
Notes
- You can use 3/4 cup buttermilk in place of the milk-and-sour cream mixture if you prefer. We tested both methods, the first with buttermilk, and the second using whole milk and sour cream when we ran out. Surprisingly, the sour cream version produced whoopie pies with a cleaner shape and a softer, slightly richer crumb. Both work well, so choose based on what you have and your preferred texture.
- The key to achieving beautifully rounded whoopie pies with a soft, tender crumb is to mix gently and avoid overworking the batter. Chilling the batter briefly helps the cakes hold their shape and achieve that signature dome. A small step that makes a big difference in appearance. Parchment paper promotes the right amount of rise and setting; silicone mats tend to cause them to spread more.
- Expect a thick, velvety batter that pipes easily but isn’t stiff like cookie dough.
- Because whoopie pies are essentially mini cakes, piping rather than scooping yields a consistent shape and the signature soft, domed finish.
- For larger bakery-sized whoopee pies, pipe them to about 2 inches. Or for mini versions, make them 1 inch.
- Whoopie pies should stay soft. Overbaking makes them dry quickly. The tops should spring back when lightly touched, and the cakes should look matte, not shiny.
- For the filling, over-mixing the cream cheese causes it to loosen, so stop mixing as soon as it looks smooth. If the frosting is too thick and not pipeable, add a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk. Conversely, if it is too thin, add extra powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time. If the filling becomes soft, a brief chill will restore its perfect piping consistency.
- Pair similar-sized rounds together before piping the filling; it makes the finished sandwiches look polished and uniform.
