High altitude snickerdoodle whoopie pies are part cake and part cookie, spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, sandwiched with fluffy vanilla buttercream and coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar. These delicious, cream filled cakey sandwich cookies are a fun alternative to cupcakes!
You might also love these high altitude recipes for snickerdoodle bundt cake, soft and chewy snickerdoodles, and brown sugar cinnamon layer cake.
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What are Whoopie Pies?
A whoopie pie is basically a cookie sandwich that’s made of two little cakes that are baked like cookies and assembled with cream filling between them. They’re not as light and fluffy as a cake or cupcake, but not as dense or chewy as a cookie either. Whoopie pies are also sometimes called a black moon, black and white, big fat Oreo (or BFO), or a gob (which is a term specific to Pittsburgh and surrounding areas). Gobs are the name that I grew up knowing them by (since my dad was from Pennsylvania, and gobs were one of his favorite treats), and my mom usually made a chocolate and vanilla combination.
Besides snickerdoodle whoopie pies, other popular flavors include vanilla, carrot cake, chocolate, pumpkin, red velvet or gingerbread. They’re often filled with some type of marshmallow cream filling, but I prefer buttercream.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft and Cakey. Whoopie pies stay soft for days after baking, and the combination of soft, fluffy cake with cream filling is just delicious.
Tastes Like Snickerdoodles. There’s plenty of cinnamon sugar flavor in these snickerdoodle whoopie pies, as well as some cream of tartar in the buttercream to add that classic “tang” that snickerdoodles are known for.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cookies
- Flour. You’ll need plain, all purpose flour for structure and strength in the cookie dough.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and a subtle hint of molasses.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Baking Soda. Leavening agent, so the cookies puff and spread as they bake.
- Spices. A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom add warmth and coziness.
- Eggs. Add moisture and gives the cookies a fluffy, cakey texture.
- Oil. Vegetable oil ensures the cookies are soft, moist and cakey.
- Milk + Vinegar. Whole milk adds fat and moisture, while the apple cider vinegar contributes acidity, for a tender texture. You can also replace the milk and vinegar with buttermilk or kefir.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Butter. You’ll need to brush the baked cookies with melted butter, so that the cinnamon sugar sticks.
- Granulated Sugar + Cinnamon.
Filling
- Unsalted Butter. Be sure to soften the butter to room temperature before whipping the buttercream frosting.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
- Cream of Tartar. This is typically used in snickerdoodle cookies, giving them the classic tangy flavor they have. In buttercream, it will add stability, as well as flavor.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and spices, until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and use a spatula to fold everything together just until moistened. The batter should be thicker than cake batter, but not quite as thick as cookie dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest and chill the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop with a release lever (1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon capacity) to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between each cookie. You should be able to get around 30 cookies, for 15 assembled whoopie pies.
- Dip your finger lightly in water, then use your wet finger to gently smooth the top of the batter.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and set. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.
Cinnamon Sugar
- When the cookies are cooled, use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the melted butter. This will help the cinnamon sugar to stick to the cookies.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, then dip the cookies in the bowl to coat in the cinnamon sugar.
Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, cream of tartar and salt, mixing until combined. Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium. Whip for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl down several times.
- Fit a disposable piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Turn half the cookies over so the bottoms are facing up, pipe the buttercream onto the cookies, and top with another cookie.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store snickerdoodle whoopie pies?
In cooler weather, these are fine stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. In warmer weather, keep them refrigerated, then let them come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.
Are the cookies chewy or cakey?
These are soft, cakey cookies.
Can I use cream cheese in the filling?
Yes! Cream cheese buttercream would be delicious in these. You can use the filling recipe for my red velvet whoopie pies.
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High Altitude Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Medium Cookie Scoop with Release Lever (1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons)
- Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- â…› tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and spices, until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and use a spatula to fold everything together just until moistened. The batter should be thicker than cake batter, but not quite as thick as cookie dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to rest and chill the batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Use a medium cookie scoop with a release lever (1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon capacity) to scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between each cookie. You should be able to get around 30 cookies, for 15 assembled whoopie pies.
- Dip your finger lightly in water, then use your wet finger to gently smooth the top of the batter.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until puffed and set. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.
Cinnamon Sugar
- When the cookies are cooled, use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the melted butter. This will help the cinnamon sugar to stick to the cookies.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, then dip the cookies in the bowl to coat in the cinnamon sugar.
Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, cream of tartar and salt, mixing until combined. Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to medium. Whip for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl down several times.
- Fit a disposable piping bag with tip 1M, and fill with the buttercream.
- Turn half the cookies over so the bottoms are facing up, pipe the buttercream onto the cookies, and top with another cookie.
- Store the whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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