Whoopie pies from cake mix are soft, fudgy chocolate cookies sandwiched around a thick vanilla filling, and they start with one box of chocolate cake mix and no eggs. You stir the mix together with Greek yogurt, water, and a little oil, scoop it onto a baking sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The filling is a can of vanilla frosting beaten with softened butter and powdered sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This recipe makes 12 chocolate whoopie pies, just right for a bake sale.
We came up with this easy whoopie pies recipe for a church bake sale. Our kids’ youth group was raising money for a project, and my kids did not want to show up with the same old cookies or brownies. They wanted something a little different, but we didn’t have time to bake anything from scratch. So we grabbed a box of chocolate cake mix, dressed up a can of frosting with a few simple ingredients, and that’s how our whoopie pies from cake mix got started. Their whoopie pies were a big hit and sold out right away.
Main Ingredients Needed For Whoopie Pies From Cake Mix
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
Cake-Cookies
- Chocolate cake mix: This is the whole base of the cake-cookies, and it’s where all that chocolate flavor comes from. Grab a 15.25-ounce box and skip the directions on the back, including the eggs. If your family loves turning a box of cake mix into cookies as much as mine does, try my Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies and Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies too.
- Vanilla Greek yogurt: This is what makes our batter different from the box directions. Plain Greek yogurt works just as well if that’s what’s in your fridge. It’s a little less sweet.
- Vegetable oil: Whatever vegetable oil is already in your pantry works fine here.
Filling
- Vanilla frosting: You only need half of a 16-ounce can, and it’s the shortcut that makes this filling so quick. Stick with regular canned frosting, not whipped. The regular kind gives the filling a firmer structure, so the top cake-cookie doesn’t slide right off.
- Salted butter: Make sure it’s softened, not melted, so it beats right into the frosting. It makes the filling richer, so it doesn’t taste like frosting straight from the can.
- Powdered sugar: This thickens the filling so it holds its shape when you pipe it and press the cake-cookies together. If your filling seems a little thin, beat in more powdered sugar until it firms up.
How To Make Whoopie Pies From Cake Mix
Soft, fudgy chocolate whoopie pies with a thick, fluffy vanilla filling are a handful of steps away, and these photos show you what to look for along the way.
Tip: If your top cake-cookie wants to slide around, check that you used regular canned frosting (not whipped) and softened butter, not melted. Then pop the assembled whoopie pies in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes so the filling can firm up.
Whoopie Pies From Cake Mix
Ingredients
Cake-Cookies
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, 15.25 ounces
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Filling
- ½ can vanilla frosting, 16 ounces (regular, not whipped)
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened (not melted)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Cake-Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir together the chocolate cake mix, water, vanilla Greek yogurt, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until fully combined with no dry spots remaining.1 box chocolate cake mix, ½ cup water, ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt, ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the fluffy dough onto the prepared baking sheet, so they’re all equal in size. Leave enough room between scoops so they can spread without touching.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, since ovens vary, until the edges look set and dry and the center looks slightly soft and has lost its wet, glossy shine. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cake-cookies are baked.
- Let the cake-cookies cool completely before adding the filling.
Make the Filling
- While the cake-cookies cool, beat the vanilla frosting, softened salted butter, and powdered sugar with a handheld mixer until smooth and fluffy.½ can vanilla frosting, ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar
- If the filling seems too thin, beat in more powdered sugar a little at a time until it thickens.
- Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a wide open tip.
Assemble the Whoopie Pies
- Turn half of the cooled cake-cookies bottom-side up. Using the large piping tip, add a generous swirl of filling onto each one.
- Top each with another cake-cookie, placing the bottom side against the filling.
- Repeat until all the whoopie pies are assembled.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Tip: To help the filling firm up, freeze the assembled whoopie pies for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
- Frosting: Use regular canned frosting, not whipped. It gives the filling a firmer structure, so the top cake-cookie doesn’t slide off.
- Substitution: Plain Greek yogurt works in place of vanilla Greek yogurt. The cake-cookies will be a little less sweet.
- Storage: Store the whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Place the assembled whoopie pies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, until firm to the touch. Wrap each one in a sheet of parchment paper, then cover it with aluminum foil. Place the wrapped whoopie pies in a large freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes.
Equipment
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Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With Whoopie Pies
A Company’s Coming Snack Stash is exactly why I keep a batch of these whoopie pies from cake mix in my freezer, so when a neighbor stops by, a friend texts that she’s five minutes away, or the youth group kids show up after practice, I already have something sweet to set out. I pull a few out and set them on the counter to thaw while I put the coffee on, or a pot of Easy Hot Chocolate for the kids, and clear off the kitchen table. Having a treat already made makes it so much easier to live out 1 Peter 4:9 and “show hospitality to one another without grumbling,” because nobody feels like grumbling when dessert is sitting in the freezer waiting. Tuck a batch away, and the next time somebody knocks, you’ll be the friend who says, “Come on in and pull up a chair.”