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If you love the taste of Red Velvet Cake but want a smaller, more portable treat, these Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies are the perfect solution. These whimsical desserts feature two soft, cakey, and vibrantly red cookies sandwiched around a generous mound of classic, tangy Cream Cheese Whoopie Pie Filling. They are the perfect size for gifting or for a sweet celebration on Valentine’s Day.
This red velvet whoopie pies recipe uses essential ingredients like buttermilk and a touch of cocoa powder to achieve that signature Red Velvet tang and subtle chocolate flavor. The secret to the perfect shape lies in the simple piping technique—no special mold required! Once baked, the soft red velvet cookies are paired up and filled, creating an irresistible treat that is as delightful to look at as it is to eat.
Table of Contents
Why This Whoopie Pie Recipe is the Best
- Perfect Cakey Texture: Unlike a traditional cookie, these “pies” are soft, puffy, and moist thanks to the use of buttermilk and a mix of leaveners.
- Classic Filling: Uses a rich cream cheese whoopie pie filling that perfectly complements the tangy cocoa base.
- Easy Heart Shape: Achieved simply by piping the batter onto a stenciled parchment paper—no special cutters needed.
- Portable Dessert: The individual sandwich format makes these easy valentine whoopie pies ideal for boxing and gifting.
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cookie Shells (Makes about 10 Pies / 20 Cookies)
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 large Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp (1 oz.) Red Gel Food Coloring (professional grade recommended)
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Making the Red Velvet Cookie Shells
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw heart shapes onto the parchment (or use a small heart cutter as a stencil) leaving about one inch of space between them, then flip the paper over so the stencil faces down. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy and combined. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Beat in the buttermilk and the red gel food coloring. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overbeat the batter.
Transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½ inch round tip (or a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off). Pipe the batter onto the prepared parchment paper, following the stencils. Tip: You only need to pipe a V-shape or fill the center, as the batter will spread to fill the heart during baking.
Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the centers appear set and the edges are lightly firm. Cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Preparing the Cream Cheese Filling
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until the filling is light, fluffy, and smooth.
Assembling the Whoopie Pies
Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pair the cooled cookies by similar size and shape.
Pipe the filling generously onto the flat side of one cookie, leaving a small border around the edge.
Top with the matching cookie (flat side down). Gently press the two cookies together so that the filling reaches the edge.
Store the finished heart shaped whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips for Perfect Whoopie Pies
- Piping is Best: While you can scoop the batter, piping (even with a zip-lock bag) offers the best control for achieving the desired heart shape and keeping the cookies uniform in size for pairing.
- Buttermilk for Cakeiness: The buttermilk is key to the texture. Its acidity, combined with the baking powder, creates the light, soft, cakey texture needed for a true whoopie pie.
- Cool Before Filling: Ensure the soft red velvet cookies are completely cool before adding the filling. Warm cookies will melt the butter and cream cheese, causing the filling to ooze out and the pies to slide.
- Storage: Due to the cream cheese filling, these pies must be stored in the refrigerator. The flavor actually improves after a few hours in the fridge, as the filling slightly softens the cookies.
Variations
- Lighter Filling: Substitute the cream cheese buttercream with marshmallow fluff or a simple vanilla whipped cream (whipped cream and powdered sugar) for a lighter texture.
- Extract Swap: Substitute the vanilla extract with almond extract in the cookie shells for a different flavor complexity.
- Double Chocolate: Use a chocolate buttercream instead of the cream cheese filling, or dip half of the assembled pies in melted dark chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to use the heart stencil if I don’t have a cutter? A: Yes, the stencil is highly recommended. Since the red velvet whoopie pies recipe batter is thick and spreads while baking, the stencil ensures you pipe the batter in the right shape and size, resulting in uniform heart shaped whoopie pies.
Q: What is the difference between a whoopie pie and a regular sandwich cookie? A: A whoopie pie is made with a cakey shell (thanks to buttermilk or milk and leaveners), while a sandwich cookie shell is typically denser, crisper, and fattier. Whoopie pies are softer, thicker, and meant to resemble a mini cake.
Q: Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? A: You can, but you will lose the signature tang and the ideal cakey texture. Buttermilk is critical for the Red Velvet flavor and texture. If you don’t have it, you can make a substitute by adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then filling the rest of the way with milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Q: How long can I store the assembled whoopie pies? A: Since they contain a cream cheese filling, store the assembled pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They are best eaten within the first 2–3 days.
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- piping bag
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp red gel food coloring
- 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw heart shapes as guides, flipping parchment over so ink faces down.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla.
- Beat in buttermilk and red food coloring, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- On low speed, mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined.
- Transfer batter to a piping bag and pipe heart shapes onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until set. Cool on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Pair cookies by size. Pipe filling onto flat side of one cookie and top with matching cookie.