Whoopie Pie History and Recipes

Whoopie pies are considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition.  They have also been known as a “gobs” in Western Pennsylvania (see Gob History below).

They are one of Maine’s best known and most loved comfort foods.  People from Maine even claim that they were weaned on whoopie pies.  In Maine, these treats are more like a cake than a pie or a cookie, as they are very generously sized (about hamburger size).  They are so huge that you will want to share one with a friend.  Also, a big glass of milk is almost mandatory when eating a Whoopie Pie.

Whoopie Pie on a white plate
Photos from Labadies Bakery

New England Whoopie Pies – Amish Whoopie Pies – Gob History:

A whoopie pie is like a sandwich, but made with two soft cookies with a fluffy white filling.  Traditional ones are made with vegetable shortening, not butter.  The original and most commonly made whoopie pie is chocolate. but cooks like to experiment, and today pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite seasonal variation.

The recipe for whoopie pies has its origins with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon to find roadside farm stands offering these desserts.  Amish cooking is about old recipes that have fed families for generations, with no trendy or cross-cultural fusions or mixtures.  These cake-like whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter.  According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout “Whoopie!”

The first sold whoopie pies are from the Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Maine.  They first started selling Whoopie Pies in 1925 with the opening of their bakery.  The Labadie’s Bakery remains in the same location today.

The Berwick Cake Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts, also manufactured “Whoopee pies” since at least 1931.  Some think that Berwick’s pies actually date to 1927.  Berwick closed its Roxbury plant in 1977.

The question of how the Amish dessert got to be so popular in New England probably is addressed in a 1930s cookbook called Yummy Book by the Durkee Mower Company, the manufacturer of Marshmallow Fluff.  In this New England cookbook, a recipe for Amish Whoopie Pie was featured using Marshmallow Fluff in the filling.


According to the Marshmallow Fluff website:

The origins of Marshmallow Fluff actually go back to 1917.  Before WWI, a Sommerville MA man named Archibald Query had been making it in his kitchen and selling it door to door, but wartime shortages had forced him to close down.  By the time the war was over, Mr Query had other work and was uninterested in restarting his business, but he was willing to sell the formula. Durkee and Mower pooled their saving and bought it for five hundred dollars . Having just returned from France, they punningly renamed their product “Toot Sweet Marshmallow Fluff” but “Toot Sweet” didn’t stay on the label for long.  The situation of “no customers, but plenty of prospects” didn’t last long either.

An early receipt still in the company’s scrap books records the sale in April, 1920 of three one-gallon cans to a  vacation lodge in New Hampshire.  The price at the time was $1.00 a gallon!  The door to door trade gained a reputation among local housewives that eventually placed Fluff onto local grocers shelves.  Retail trade spread from there to the point where in 1927 they were advertising prominently in Boston newspapers.

Durkee-Mower became a pioneer in radio advertising when in 1930 they began to sponsor the weekly “Flufferettes” radio show on the Yankee radio network, which included twenty-one stations broadcasting to all of New England.  The fifteen minute show, aired on Sunday evenings just before Jack Benny, included live music and comedy skits, and served as a stepping stone to national recognition for a number of talented performers.  The show continued through the late forties.

Each episode ended with a narrator reporting that Boswell had disappeared to continue work on his mysterious book, which was assumed to be a historical text of monumental importance.  On the last episode the Book-of-the-Moment was revealed.  It was a collection of recipes for cakes, pies, candies, frostings, and other confections that could be made with Marshmallow Fluff, appropriately entitled the Yummy Book.  The book has been updated many times since then, and the most recent version is thirty-two pages long.

Gob History:

It seems that only in western Pennsylvania, mainly the Johnstown area, they are known as “gobs.”  The bakers at the now closed Harris & Boyar Bakery in Morrellville, PA, claimed to have invented the treat sometime in the 1920s.  Probably they adapted what was already a regional favorite inspired by the cream-filled whoopie pies of Pennsylvania Dutch country, in the eastern part of the state.
According to an article in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper, Johnstown’s Gob – A mealtime tradition, March 12, 2009:

Susan Kalcik, a folklorist and archivist with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission in Johnstown, said her research shows that the Gob’s origin can be traced back to medieval Germany.  “They were making a cake-like pastry with a filling. It probably was brought to America by various German groups like the Amish or German Brethren.”

But Kalcik said the Gob is not a Johnstown invention.  The Amish in Lancaster make them and she’s seen them as far south as Virginia.  “They don’t call them Gobs, they’re called Whoopee Pies, ” she said.  “I’ve also found Whoopee Pies in New England and as far away as Hawaii.”

Kalcik believes that the Gob became popular because it was easy to carry in a lunch bucket.  “Men went into the coal mines or steel mills and the little cake with the icing on the inside instead of on the outside served their purpose,” she said.  “I’m convinced that the name Gob is related to the coal mines.  Lumps of coal refuse were called gob piles.  These working people adapted the name to the dessert.”

But technically, not just anyone can use the name “Gob” for the familiar icing filled treats.  The name-along with all the rights to market “Gobs”- belongs to Tim Yost, owner of Dutch Maid Bakery.  Cost, who bought the rights from Harris & Boyar Bakery in Morrellville, said he’s always had a passion for the cake.  At the Hershey Farm and Inn in Strasburg, PA, an annual Whoopie Festival is held featuring a whoopie pie eating contest and the coronation of the Whoopie Pie Queen.

In 2011, The Maine State Legislature considered making the Whoopie Pie the official state’s dessert.


Whoopie Pie Recipes – How To Make Whoopie Pies

The main difference between recipes for New England Whoopie Pie and Amish Whoopie Pie, seems to be the use of commercial Marshmallow Fluff/Creme in the New England version.  Otherwise, most recipes are basically the same.  I have also include a recipe using cake mix.


New England Whoopie Pie Recipe:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Whoopie Pie Filling (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease baking sheets.  In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, and egg.

In another bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir the vanilla extract into the milk.  Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, alternating with the milk mixture; beating until smooth.

Drop batter by the 1/4 cup (to make 18 cakes) onto prepared baking sheets.  With the back of a spoon spread batter into 4-inch circles, leaving approximately 2 inches between each cake.

Bake 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Whoopie Pie Filling (see recipes below).

When the cakes are completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a generous amount of filling.  Top with another cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly.  Repeat with all cookies to make 9 pies.  Let finished Whoopie Pies completely cool before wrapping.  Wrap Whoopie Pies individually in plastic wrap, or place them in a single layer on a platter (do not stack them, as they tend to stick).

To freeze, wrap each Whoopie Pie in plastic wrap.  Loosely pack them in a plastic freezer container and cover.  To serve, defrost the wrapped whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 large Whoopie Pies.

Final Marshmallow FluffWhoopie Pie Filling 1:

Some people prefer just using the Marshmallow Fluff right out of the jar and not making the below filling. Your choice.

1 cup solid vegetable shortening*
1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
2 cups Marshmallow Fluff**
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* Butter may be substituted for all or part of the vegetable shortening, although traditional Whoopie Pies are made with vegetable shortening only

** Marshmallow Creme may be substituted.
In a medium bowl, beat together shortening, sugar, and Marshmallow fluff; stir in vanilla extract until well blended.

 

Amish Whoopie Pie Recipe:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Whoopie Pie Filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease baking sheets.  In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, and egg.  In another bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir the vanilla extract into the milk.  Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, alternating with the milk mixture; beating until smooth.

Drop batter by the 1/4 cup (to make 18 cakes) onto prepared baking sheets.  With the back of a spoon spread batter into 4-inch circles, leaving approximately 2 inches between each cake.

Bake 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Whoopie Pie Filling.

When the cakes are completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a generous amount of filling.  Top with another cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly.  Repeat with all cookies to make 9 pies.  Let finished whoopie pies completely cool before wrapping.

Wrap whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap, or place them in a single layer on a platter (do not stack them, as they tend to stick).

To freeze, wrap each whoopie pie in plastic wrap. Loosely pack them in a plastic freezer container and cover.  To serve, defrost the wrapped whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 large whoopie pies.

Whoopie Pie Filling 2 – Homemade Marshmallow Fluff/Creme:
Marshmallow Fluff

3 egg whites, room temperature
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In large bowl of an electric mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.  Using your electric mixer on high speed, mix for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and volume has almost doubled.
On low speed, add powdered sugar and mix until well blended.  Add vanilla extract just until well blended.

Your homemade marshmallow fluff/cream is now ready to use on your Whoopie Pies or other recipes.  Use immediately, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes a large quantity.

Quick and Easy Whoopie Pie Recipe

1 cake mix (any chocolate cake mix or devil’s food chocolate cake mix)
1 (3-ounce) package of instant chocolate pudding
Whoopie Pie Filling (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, prepare cake mix according to directions on box, but reduce the amount of water called for on the package directions to 3/4 cup of water instead of listed amount. Beat 1 minute.

Add instant chocolate pudding dry mix and beat 1 more minute. Drop batter by the 1/4 cup (to make 18 cakes) onto prepared baking sheets. With the back of a spoon spread batter into 4-inch circles, leaving approximately 2 inches between each cake.

Bake 15 minutes or until they are firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Whoopie Pie Filling. When the cakes are completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a generous amount of filling. Top with another cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly. Repeat with all cookies to make nine (9) pies. Let finished Whoopie pies completely cool before wrapping.

Wrap Whoopie pies individually in plastic wrap, or place them in a single layer on a platter (do not stack them, as they tend to stick).

To freeze, wrap each Whoopie pie in plastic wrap. Loosely pack them in a plastic freezer container and cover. To serve, defrost the wrapped Whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

Makes 9 large whoopie pies.

Whoopie Pie Filling:

1 cup solid vegetable shortening*
1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
2 cups Marshmallow Fluff**
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* Butter may be substituted for all or part of the vegetable shortening, although traditional Whoopie Pies are made with vegetable shortening only

** Marshmallow Creme may be substituted.

In a medium-size bowl, beat together the vegetable shortening, sugar, and Marshmallow fluff until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract until well blended.

Sources:
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat newspaper, Johnstown’s Gob – A mealtime tradition, March 12, 2009.
Saveur Magazine, Issue 122, Hometown Hero, by Beth Kracklauer.
What’s Cooking America, I’ll Have What They’re Having, Legendary Local Cuisine, by Linda Stradley, 2002.

Categories:

Chocolate Recipes    Food History    New England   

Comments and Reviews

20 Responses to “Whoopie Pie History and Recipes”

  1. Suzanne Guilbault

    You mentioned that the first whoopie pie in Maine was Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Massachusetts. That is incorrect, it is Lewiston, Maine! I am from Lewiston and actually worked at Labadie’s and it is indeed Maine (ME)! Just thought you might want to correct that.

    Reply
    • Whats Cooking America

      Thank you for the catch! This has been corrected to reference Maine instead of Massachusetts.

      Reply
  2. Jamie

    I was looking at the New England Whoopie Pie recipe ingredients and either an ingredient was left out or an extra 1 teaspoon was added between the flour and baking soda.

    Reply
    • Linda Stradley

      You are right. 1 teaspoon baking powder was left out. Thank you for letting me know of our error.

      Reply
  3. Cathy Jaggers

    The man who bought the rights to the gob is Tim Yost, not Tim Cost from Yost Bakery.

    Reply
    • Linda Stradley

      You are right! Thank you for making me aware of my typo. I made the change.

      Reply
  4. Jean

    Why is the recipe using boxed cake mix no longer on this page. I used it many times and now it’s gone?

    Reply
  5. Mark B

    When making whoopie pies I like to use butter cream icing (from a Hilton Butter Cream icing recipe I have). The butter cream is wonderful but you can also make different different flavored butter cream to ad some variety to your whoopie pies.

    Reply
  6. Gary Miller

    Johnstown gobs don’t have a marshmallow filling. They have a cooked filling that includes flour.

    Reply
  7. Ginny

    Does anyone have the recipe for the cooked filling with flour that Gary mentioned ? This one is more work, but my ex-mother in law used to make it this way, and it was wonderful!

    Reply
    • Tammy

      That is called Ermine Frosting.

      Reply
  8. Morgin Klein

    I would like the gob filling recipe as well. I’m originally from Johnstown, and my favorite treat was the gob, but in order to get them here, I’ll have to make them. So that recipe will come in handy!

    Reply
  9. Terri (Raspotnik) Fuller

    I am from New Florence, near Johnstown.
    I have 3 great gob filling recipes, 2 are cooked and 1 is whipped but not cooked. Both are delicious, if pushed I’d say the cooked is a bit better.
    Cooked Gob Icing #1
    1 cup milk
    2 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch (can exchange for 3 heaping Tblsp of flour)
    Cook over low heat until thick, stir constantly. Cool completely in fridge.
    Next:
    Combine: 1/2 cup shortening
    1 stick of oleo
    1 teaspoon Vanilla
    Dash of salt
    1 cup granulated Sugar
    Beat these together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat until fluffy, a good 5-7 min on high mixer setting.
    Cooked gob icing #2
    1 cup milk
    2heaping Tablespoons of Starch
    Combine and cook over low heat, stir constantly until thick, doesn’t take long. Cool completely in fridge .
    Combine in large bowl the following:
    1 cup granulated Sugar
    1 scant cup of shortening
    2 teaspoons vanilla
    Add the cooled paste and beat on high a good 7 minutes.
    No Cook Gob Icing:
    1/2 cup Shortening
    1/2 cup oleo
    1/2 cup milk
    3/4 cup granulated Sugar
    2 teaspoons Vanilla
    7 heaped Tablespoons of Flour
    Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Beat on high speed by mixer at least 5 min or until fluffy and smooth. I found it helpful to have the bowl cold before using.
    If you are interested, I’ll also enclose our family Gob recipe
    Greacher (Gricar) Gobs
    2 cups Granulated Sugar
    1/2 Cup Shortening
    2 Eggs
    1 Cup Buttermilk (or make with 2 Tablespoons Vinegar added to 1 cup Milk)
    1 Cup Boiling Water
    1 Teaspoon Vanilla
    4 Cups Flour
    2 Teaspoons baking soda
    1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 Teaspoon salt
    1/2 Cup Cocoa
    Cream sugar, shortening and eggs. Add milk, water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Drop by tablespoons onto lightly greased and floured cookie sheets. Bake at 450, on 2nd or 3rd rung up from bottom of over, for 5 min or until the center of gob springs back to touch.
    Cool then ice bottom gob, top with 2nd gob. Enjoy!

    Reply
  10. Candace

    Thank you, thank you. This was like the recipe I lost and could never seem to find anything similar. (o;

    Reply
  11. Wendy

    Gobs aren’t traditionally made with any of the icings you list here. This is why people from the Johnstown area insist they aren’t the same thing as whoopie pies. They aren’t. Gob icing is made by cooking flour and milk into a paste and then adding sugar and shortening. I have my mom’s old recipe. 5 Tbs flour plus 1 cup milk, cook while whisking constantly until it’s very thick, then cool completely (we always stuck the pot out in the snow if it was winter, doesn’t work so well down here in NC. Lol.) Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup shortening, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp vanilla. The cake recipe is identical to what Terri posted. I have celiac disease and I just made these using our family recipe and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour. I’d been toldthis flour really worked and this was the first recipe I decided to test it on. They came out perfect!

    Reply
  12. Cindy

    My mom used to make these back in the 1970s and we called them gobs. We’re from Philly, but she got the recipe from a co-worker.

    Reply
  13. Whoopie Pie Expert

    If it takes like a stick of butter or marshmallow fluff then you’re not making a whoopie pie and need to be slapped.

    Reply
  14. Emily

    My family is from Johnstown, some still live there and we have always called them Gobs. Love this recipe I’ve made it a bunch of times and it comes out perfect every time. I make banana gobs instead of coco powers add two ripe bananas to the mix. You will be so happy you did.

    Reply
  15. Barbara

    I am trying to find the shopper pie recipe from Maine. The filling did not have any kind of Marshmallow cream or Fluff. It also is not a butter cream frosting. I do remember it was made with shortening (I think). Please help me.

    Reply
  16. Sue Sherrill

    I’ve always wondered why the sugar wasn’t put into the cooked sauce for the frosting rather than whipping it in with the possibility of the texture of gritty sugar in the frosting. I often did that and I wonder why no one else does?

    Reply

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