Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies
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These chocolate peppermint whoopie pies are made with a soft chocolate cakey cookie sandwich, and filled with a peppermint marshmallow buttercream frosting, and decorated with candy canes!
If you could take everything magical about the holidays — cozy chocolate desserts, peppermint sticks, frosting clouds — and bake it into one treat? It would be these Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies.
Every year I find myself craving something nostalgic but elevated, and nothing beats a chocolate peppermint dessert for the holidays like my chocolate peppermint cake, these peppermint chocolate chip cookies, Peppermint Bark Oreos or my chocolate peppermint bark cookies.
They start with this classic chocolate whoopie pies recipe but with a festive twist- a peppermint marshmallow buttercream frosting that is mixed up in minutes. Made with fluff and peppermint extract for a festive twist. I roll the frosting in crushed candy canes to take them over the holiday edge!
Let’s bake them together!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Whoopie Pies
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder – I like to use Dutch process cocoa powder for a richer chocolate taste, but natural unsweetened cocoa powder also works.
- Baking soda
- Instant espresso powder – The espresso powder doesn’t make the cookies taste like coffee — it simply deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Salt
- Butter – I used unsalted butter but salted butter also works. Just reduce the salt.
- Brown sugar – If you run out, try my homemade brown sugar recipe.
- Egg – Use one room temperature egg so it blends easily and doesn’t seize up the butter.
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk – Do not use regular milk as it will not react with the same and create a different texture. If you don’t have any you can make your own homemade buttermilk.
For the Peppermint Filling
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Marshmallow creme – Or marshmallow fluff
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes (optional but fun!)
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies
1. Prep your oven and pans.
Line your baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder together. Sifting helps prevent cocoa lumps — worth the extra minute!
3. Cream butter and brown sugar.
Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. You want to use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer and beat on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Or you can use a hand mixer but it will take a bit longer.
4. Add your egg and vanilla.
Mix to combine, scraping the bowl so everything comes together evenly.
5. Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk.
This is key for tender, cake-like cookies. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing gently so you don’t overwork the batter.
6. Scoop and smooth.
Using about 1½ tablespoons per cookie, scoop onto your baking sheet and gently smooth out the tops — it gives you beautifully rounded pies once baked. Just use a wet finger to smooth out the tops!
7. Bake and cool.
Bake for 11–13 minutes, until they spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer the chocolate cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Allow them to cool so the filling sets properly later.
Make the Peppermint Filling
Beat butter until creamy, then slowly mix in powdered sugar until smooth.
Add marshmallow creme (this gives the frosting its signature fluffiness!) and mix until silky.
Add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract — just enough for festive flavor without overpowering the chocolate — plus a pinch of salt to balance sweetness.
If you like a stronger peppermint punch, you can add an extra drop or two.
Assembly Time!
Pair up cookies by size. Pipe frosting onto the flat side of one cookie, leaving a small border so it doesn’t overflow. Top with its partner and gently press to sandwich the filling.
For extra holiday sparkle, roll edges in crushed candy canes — they add crunch and make these look like they came straight from a bakery window.
How to Store Them
Store assembled whoopie pies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days. If stacking, place parchment between layers to avoid sticking. They also freeze well — just thaw before serving.
More Festive Cookies You’ll Love
Try my easy lemon cookies with lemon icing for a fun easy winter cookie recipe everyone will love. Or try my Russian tea cake cookies – family favorite I grew up on.
Another crowd favorite is my coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate!
Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the whoopie pies
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ cup (45 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk at room temperature
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups (226 g) powdered sugar
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes optional
Instructions
To make the whoopie pies
- Prep oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats). Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside. 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (45 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoons instant espresso powder ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream butter and brown sugar. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment), cream together the butter and brown sugar together for 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined. ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- Add egg and vanilla. Mix in the egg and vanilla until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate the flour mixture in 3 additions, with the buttermilk in 2 additions. Mix in until just combined with each addition. Be careful to not overmix at this point. 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- Scoop the cookies. Using a 1 ½-tablespoon cooking scoop, scoop the whoopie pie batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each one. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the batter for each whoopie pie before placing them in the oven.
- Bake. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies spring back to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer the chocolate cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 2 cups (226 g) powdered sugar
- Add in the marshmallow creme and beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and peppermint extract. Add in a pinch of salt. Beat to combine. 7 ounces marshmallow creme ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Assemble the whoopie pies. Pair up the whoopie pies according to size. Once the cookies have cooled, pipe on the frosting onto a flat side of one cookie. I pipe just enough so there's a border of cookie, to give the frosting room when I press the two cookies together. Top with a second cookie to make a “sandwich” by gently pressing the two cookie rounds together and pressing the frosting to the edge. Continue assembling the rest of the whoopie pies. Roll in crushed candy canes if using. Crushed candy canes
Notes
- Storage: Cover whoopie pies and keep in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freezing: You can freeze whoopie pies for up to 3 months. Wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap individually and then transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Thaw at room temperature, unwrapped, before serving.
- Cocoa powder – I like to use Dutch process cocoa powder for a richer chocolate taste, but natural unsweetened cocoa powder also works.
- Instant espresso powder – The espresso powder doesn’t make the cookies taste like coffee — it simply deepens the chocolate flavor. But it is can be omitted if need be.
