Sometimes I forget that whoopie pies exist, but with one bite, I remember how delicious they are. Whoopie pies are a cross between cookie and cake, and it's amazing just how versatile they can be. I was craving something rich and chocolatey, and this was what I whipped up to curb that craving and to celebrate a coworker's birthday.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Mocha Whoopie Pies
- all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
- cocoa powder (Dutch process, if available)
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter, softened
- light brown sugar (or dark brown)
- large egg, room temperature
- vanilla extract
- buttermilk, room temperature
Ingredients for Whipped Mocha Buttercream
- high quality milk chocolate (my favorite is Videri's Dark Milk Chocolate)
- unsalted butter, softened
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- espresso or extremely strong coffee, room temperature
- kosher salt
How to Make Chocolate Espresso Whoopie Pies
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat together for another 3 minutes.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the batter and mix on low until almost combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix until combined. (If gluten free, allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes. This helps prevent the cookies from being grainy.) The batter should be fluffy and should resemble very thick cake batter.
- Using a 1 - 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the “cookies” spring back slightly when gently pressed. Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes before placing the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Make sure your buttermilk is at room temperature, as adding it into the batter straight from the fridge can cause the smooth batter to become chunky (caused by the cold milk hitting the softened butter).
How to Make Whipped Mocha Buttercream
- in a medium sized glass bowl, melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth and fully melted. Remove from the microwave and let cool almost to room temperature, about 15 minutes - don’t skip this step.(If you don’t have access to a microwave, you can melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over low, simmering water over the stove until smooth and melted.)
- In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), combine the butter with half of the powdered sugar with a paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining powdered sugar and beat again. Whip on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light, smooth, and creamy.
- Add the vanilla, cooled espresso (or strong coffee), salt, and melted, cooled chocolate to the buttercream and mix on high for 4 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the chocolate.
How to Assemble Whoopie Pies
Place the finished buttercream in a piping bag with a large star piping tip or ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
Match the cookie halves up in pairs of similar shape (if you used a cookie scoop, they should all be fairly uniform in size and shape) and pipe a swirl of buttercream on one cookie.
Sandwich together and enjoy. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Essentials for Making Chocolate Mocha Whoopie Pies
- a rubber spatula: here's my very favorite one. I have it in many colors, and I've never found a better spatula. Worth. Every. Penny.
- whisk set: sizes for all jobs & tasks
- glass mixing bowl set: for mixing together all the ingredients and melting the chocolate
- my favorite stand mixer: KitchenAid, always
- cookie scoops: for ice cream or for scooping cookie dough, cake batter, or muffin batter
- small saucepan: for melting the chocolate
Shop all of my favorites for making desserts & meals here on Amazon.
Shop my must have ingredients here on Amazon.
Shop my must have kitchen gadgets & tools here on Amazon.
Note: This post contains affiliate links to which I may earn a small commission, but don’t worry there’s no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Rosemary Whisk.
- whisk set: sizes for all jobs & tasks
- glass mixing bowl set: for mixing together all the ingredients and melting the chocolate
- my favorite stand mixer: KitchenAid, always
- small saucepan: for melting the chocolate
Shop all of my favorites for making desserts & meals here on Amazon.
Shop my must have ingredients here on Amazon.
Shop my must have kitchen gadgets & tools here on Amazon.
Note: This post contains affiliate links to which I may earn a small commission, but don’t worry there’s no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Rosemary Whisk.
Other Gluten Free Cookie Recipes to Enjoy
- A bright, fresh treat that has a swirl of fresh strawberry buttercream between two Strawberries & Cream Cookies is one of the best cookie sandwiches you'll make. This is a perfect switch up from the double chocolatey, raspberry goodness of this recipe!
- A naturally sweetened option for those dessert cravings are these perfect Salted Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies with dates, oats, and loads of chocolate. These are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, nut free, & naturally sweetened! They're perfect.
- I love a classic cookie, but I also love a cookie that is a lil edgy and breaks the boundaries a bit. Enter: these Blueberry Olive Oil Cookies with pistachios and white chocolate chunks. They're just the thing to step it up to a whole new level.
- Both rich and vibrant, these Double Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies are fabulous. A homemade buttercream with fresh raspberry puree makes these double chocolate cookies even more tasty.
- Another cookie that breaks boundaries in delicious waves are these Bourbon Chocolate Cherry Cookies that are gluten free, packed with bourbon-soaked cherries, dark chocolate chunks, & lots of oats. Ridiculously delicious.
- Can't decide between cake or cookies? I'm here to tell you that you don't have to. These Gluten Free Coffee Cake Cookies are the perfect collaboration of the two. They're soft, tender, and packed with flavor. They taste just like coffee cake, even down to the streusel topping. Come on, yuuum! Recipe modifications are available to make gluten free or regular cookies.
- Kitchen Sink Cookies are the best salty, sweet cookie with loads of textures and flavors... and, guess what - they're gluten free. Add whatever you have in your pantry for the perfect, last-minute cookie fix!
- A perfect nostalgic cookie that is quick and simple to throw together and will transport you back to childhood. There’s nothing like an Oatmeal Cream Pie, and these are the very best. Plus, these can be made gluten free.
Made the recipe?
Mention @rosemarywhisk or tag #rosemarywhisk!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
0 comments