Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (Print version)

Soft red velvet cookies sandwich fluffy marshmallow cream for a nostalgic, sweet treat.

# What you need:

→ For the Red Velvet Cookies

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1 tablespoon red food coloring (liquid or gel)
11 - ½ cup buttermilk

→ For the Marshmallow Filling

12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow crème/fluff
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until well combined and smooth.
05 - Mix in the red food coloring until the batter is evenly colored with no streaks remaining.
06 - On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
07 - Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop 24 evenly-sized mounds of batter onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies are set and spring back lightly when touched in the center.
09 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
10 - While cookies cool, beat the softened butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
11 - Add marshmallow crème, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Beat until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
12 - Pair cookies by size. Pipe or spread about 1–2 tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, then sandwich with its matching pair. Press gently to spread filling to edges.
13 - Serve immediately, or chill for 15 minutes to set the filling for easier handling.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The texture is absolute magic with soft cakey cookies giving way to pillowy marshmallow filling
  • They look impressive but come together faster than you would expect
  • Something about red velvet makes people think you spent hours in the kitchen
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make your cookies tough so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The cookies should be slightly underbaked when you remove them from the oven as they continue cooking on the hot pan
  • Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable for achieving the right texture in both cookies and filling
03 -
  • Chill the assembled whoopie pies for 30 minutes before packing them for transport to prevent them from sliding around
  • If the filling seems too soft pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before assembling

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