A twist on the traditional whoopie pie, these strawberry whoopie pies combine a vanilla whoopie pie base with freeze-dried strawberries in both the cake and filling. They're extra soft and filled with a strawberry cheesecake filling, making this the ultimate strawberry dessert!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These strawberry whoopie pies are sure to be a hit at the next birthday, picnic, or holiday. They would be great for Easter or the Fourth of July! They're easily transportable, not to mention totally delicious.
Akin to a sandwich cookie, a whoopie pie is made with cake, instead! A soft strawberry cake base gets filled with strawberry cheesecake icing, with the option to add strawberry jam to the centers for an even more pronounced strawberry flavor (or use some strawberry swiss meringue buttercream).
This recipe is a vanilla whoopie pie base, with freeze-dried strawberries added in for that classic strawberry flavor. This recipe is not overly sweet, and will have you going back for bite after bite!
You can also try some similar strawberry desserts:
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What is a Whoopie Pie?
A whoopie pie takes two small pieces of mounded cake and sandwiches them together with icing. Classically made with chocolate cake and vanilla frosting, these cake sandwiches are also known as "gobs."
Though New England and specifically Maine try to take credit for the origin of the whoopie pie, many believe that Pennsylvania claims the whoopie pie title.
Found in Amish Country (Lancaster, PA) and surrounding areas of the state, whoopie pies can be located all over at farmer's markets, bakeries, and many Amish run businesses.
I grew up eating these in my hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania!
Ingredients
- Freeze-dried strawberries. Be sure to get freeze dried strawberries rather than frozen strawberries. These will get ground up into a fine powder.
- Strawberry jam. This is an optional ingredient to add to the middle of each whoopie pie. I recommend it for best strawberry flavor.
- Cream cheese. Used in the strawberry frosting. It makes these taste like strawberry cheesecake whoopie pies!
- Icing sugar. Necessary for the icing, also called powdered sugar.
- Milk. This is needed for both the cake and frosting. Whole milk should be used.
See recipe card for quantities.
Also, note you will definitely need plastic wrap for these strawberry whoopie pies! It locks in the moisture and makes them ultra-soft.
A whoopie pie pan is not needed for this recipe and can be made just perfectly without one. However, if you have one, feel free to use it!
Variations
There are a wide variety of ways you can customize these whoopie pies. Because they have a vanilla whoopie pie base, there are quite a few whoopie pie flavors you could go with here.
- Chocolate strawberry. Fill the strawberry whoopie pies with chocolate ganache (use the ganache in the recipe linked) or chocolate swiss meringue buttercream.
- Vanilla. Simply omit the freeze-dried strawberries altogether for a vanilla version.
- Strawberry lemonade. Add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the frosting and omit the freeze-dried strawberries.
- Cherry. Use freeze-dried cherries and cherry preserves instead of strawberries!
- Lemon Raspberry. Use freeze-dried raspberries and fresh lemon juice and zest in the frosting!
- Strawberry cheesecake. Roll the whoopie pies in a strawberry crunch topping for extra flavor and texture!
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How to Make Whoopie Pies from Scratch
Step 1: Cream together the wet ingredients, then sift the dry ingredients together.
Step 2: Add the strawberry powder and dry ingredients to the vanilla cake batter.
Also, add red or pink food coloring to brighten up the batter.
Hot tip! For cleanest edges, wipe off any excess batter from the sides of the ice cream scoop or cookie scoop before adding it to the pan.
Step 3: Use a cookie scoop to make perfectly flush scoops of batter and place them onto a prepared cookie sheet.
Step 5: Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and strawberry powder until smooth.
Step 7: Transfer the strawberry frosting to a piping bag or zip top bag, then pipe a circle around the edges (leaving a bit of room for it to expand when sandwiched). Fill the middles with strawberry jam.
Step 4: Dab your finger in water and pat down all parts of the cake batter so they bake without lumps.
Also, press on the sides to make it perfectly round, then bake and cool completely.
Step 6: Add heavy cream and whip until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
Step 8: Sandwich the whoopie pies together carefully (don't press the icing out of the sides), then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap for at least 3 hours.
Expert Tips
- Use a touch of pink or red food coloring (use no-flavor red) to brighten the color of the whoopie pies.
- Wipe any excess batter off of the sides of the cookie scoop for the cleanest edges.
- Continue dipping your finger into water to smooth out the batter on the dollops.
- Fill the entire whoopie pie with strawberry frosting if you don't want to add the strawberry jam to the center.
Recipe FAQs
If your whoopie pies are flat, check to be sure the baking powder isn't expired. Another culprit could be overmixing the batter.
Because this recipe has quite a bit of dairy in the frosting, these strawberry whoopie pies must be refrigerated. Some recipes may not require refrigeration.
The New England region - specifically Maine and Boston - try to claim the whoopie pie throne. However, many argue that Pennsylvania - the Amish, specifically - are the true originators of the recipe.
Storage
Store the strawberry whoopie pies in the fridge (each tightly wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to four days.
Allow the cake to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then unwrap and enjoy! The whoopie pies can remain at room temperature for about a day before needing refrigeration.
Add the wrapped whoopie pies to a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw wrapped in the fridge or unwrapped at room temperature.
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📖Recipe
Strawberry Whoopie Pies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- 1.5-inch cookie scoop
- Piping bag or zip top bag
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- 4 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries ground into a powder
- red or pink food coloring optional
- ⅔ cup whole milk room temperature
Strawberry Cheesecake Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¼ cup freeze dried strawberries ground into a powder
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup strawberry jam or jelly
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350℉/190℃.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine, then add the strawberry powder.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract, 4 tablespoons freeze dried strawberries
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed.
- Add a touch of food coloring (if using), then with the mixer running on low, add in all of the milk, and finally, the rest of the flour. Mix until just combined.red or pink food coloring, ⅔ cup whole milk
- Use a 1.5 inch cookie scoop to scoop out the batter. Scrape it off on the side so the bottom is flush, and use a clean finger or paper towel to wipe off any excess batter from the sides of the scoop.
- Add 6 dollops of batter to each cookie sheet.
- Get a small bowl of water, dip your finger into it then gently press down all over the batter mounds to flatten them. Also pat around the edges to make as even of a circle as possible.
- Bake the whoopie pie shells for 9-11 minutes or until you see no moist batter on the very tops. If baking two pans at a time, use the middle racks and switch pans at half.
- Allow the whoopie pies to cool completely on the pan.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the cold cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and freeze dried strawberry powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup freeze dried strawberries, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Whip the mixture on medium high speed for one minutes, then scrape down the sides and whisk.
- With the mixer on medium low, drizzle in the cold heavy cream, then increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form and the mixture becomes fluffy.1 cup heavy whipping cream
Whoopie Pie Assembly
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag or zip top bag and snip ½ inch off of the tip.
- Pipe the frosting in a circle around one of the cake bottoms, leaving room for the frosting to move outwards once sandwiched.
- Fill the inside of the whoopie pie with strawberry jam, then gently place a lid on to close it, gently pressing it together. Take care not to squish the frosting out of the sides.½ cup strawberry jam or jelly
- Repeat with all remaining whoopie pies, then wrap each whoopie pie tightly in plastic wrap.
- Allow the whoopie pies to mature in the plastic wrap or a sealed container for at least three hours before enjoying. They can mature at room temperature, but should be stored in the fridge long term.
Kathy says
I would love to make these and typically use metric measurements and a scale. I've printed other recipes from your site and been able to toggle to metric, but this recipe didn't offer that option for me. Is it possible to get a version of the recipe using metric rather than US amounts? Thank you!
Callan Wenner says
Hi Kathy - thanks for bringing this to my attention! I've just updated this so the metric measurements show up when you toggle it - you'll be able to print it with those measurements now, too!
Melissa says
Can you make the batter and refrigerate ahead of time? And frosting
Callan Wenner says
Yes to both of these! The batter may need an extra minute or two to bake if it's coming straight from the fridge but otherwise all good!
Jan says
The ground dried strawberries- is the measurement before or after they are ground for strawberry Whoopie pies
Callan Wenner says
This is the amount after they are ground! So for the cake portion, 4 tablespoons of ground powder!
Nicole says
I just wanted you to know that someone made these for me and then shared the recipe and it’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten in my life! Thank you! ❤️😋🍓
Callan Wenner says
Oh my gosh this is so sweet, thank you so much for sharing!