Chocolate Gobs (aka Whoopie Pies)
Homemade gobs are a nostalgic dessert made with two soft, cake-like cookies sandwiching a fluffy white filling. You can easily switch up the flavors for different seasons, but there really isn't much that can beat the classic- chocolate and white icing! These easy-to-make gobs are sometimes also called whoopie pies based on the filling, and are perfect for afternoon snacks or birthday treats.
Growing up, my mom would sometimes get gobs as a treat from the grocery store, and at most birthday parties, someone's mom inevitably showed up with a plate of them. They were just one of those things that were always around as a kid, and now as an adult, I realized that I totally took them for granted. Lucky for us, my mom had given me a copy of her recipe, which she received from her friend Karen umpteen years ago, and here it is!
I love how incredibly easy these are to make, not to mention how fast they bake! You can certainly make them larger or smaller if you'd like; I experimented with a few different sizes and found these to be perfect in terms of my personal preference. They're large enough that you don't feel like you need to eat more than one to get your fill, and not so big that you feel as though you totally gorged when you're done eating one.
The History
Whoopie pies are quite simply two chocolate cake-like cookies that sandwich a fluffy white creamy filling. Sometimes considered cookies, pies, sandwiches, or even cakes these delightful treats are truly one-of-a-kind.
While many New England states try to stake their claim on creating the original whoopie pie, Maine has gone out of its way to honor this baked good. Not only is it the state treat but Maine also holds the record for the largest whoopie pie, weighing in at a whopping 1,062 lb!
Gobs vs. Whoopie Pies
As someone who hails from western Pennsylvania, I grew up calling these "gobs". I've since learned that there is one big difference between traditional whoopie pies and gobs - the filling!
Most people contend that whoopie pies include a marshmallow fluff-based filling, while gobs traditionally have a less-sweet filling made from a cooked flour/milk mixture. The recipe included here does have marshmallow fluff in the filling, but we grew up eating these and calling them gobs.
If you would like to use a cooked filling, make the white filling/frosting from my Ho Ho Cake - it is the same as the more traditional gob filling!
Key Ingredients
While most of the ingredients needed for gobs are pantry staples, I wanted to highlight a few important ingredients for you. As always, be sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder (i.e. Hershey’s).
- Vegetable Shortening: This helps the gobs rise during the baking process, as well as keep their shape.
- Buttermilk: Acid from the buttermilk reacts with the cocoa powder and bakingsoda to create rise and tenderness in the cookie. If you don’t have any (or can’t get any), you can use this substitution method, or use plain full-fat Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream in its place.
- Marshmallow Fluff: The base for the filling; as mentioned above, you can substitute a cooked icing if you prefer.
How to Make Gobs
Once you have your ingredients, you are ready to begin!
Step #1: Make the Cookies – Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy, then add the egg, yolks, and vanilla extract. Alternate adding the dry ingredients, buttermilk, and hot water.
Step #2: Scoop the Cookie Dough and Bake – Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, drop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment paper). Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. They should look puffy and completely set.
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Step #3: Make the Filling – Cream together the marshmallow fluff and shortening until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix to incorporate.
Step #4: Assemble the Gobs – Using a piping tip or spoon, pipe or spread filling on the bottom side of cookie, repeating with half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies.
Different Flavor Combinations
Over the years, I have tried my hand at a number of different gob (or whoopie pie) recipes, all with fun and delicious cookie and filling combos. Some of my favorites included:
- Red Velvet + Cream Cheese: These gobs have fluffy red velvet cookies sandwiching a tangy-sweet cream cheese filling.
- Pumpkin Spice + Maple: With fluffy pumpkin spice cookies and a sweet maple cream cheese filling, these pumpkin spice gobs are the perfect fall treat.
- S'mores: With a graham cracker cookie, chocolate ganache, and a marshmallow fluff filling, what s'more could you want??
Recipe Notes
- Mini Gobs: Use a small cookie scoop - about 2 teaspoons of dough - and bake for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Storage: These should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Gobs can be frozen… wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for about 1 hour.
More Delicious Sandwich Cookies
If you make this gobs recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Gobs (aka Whoopie Pies)
Ingredients
For the Gobs:
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (92 g) vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml) hot water
For the Filling:
- 1½ cups (192 g) marshmallow fluff
- 1¼ cups (283 g) vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until completely smooth and combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add one-third of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix again, followed by another third of the flour mixture, the hot water, and then the remaining flour mixture. Give the batter a few quick folds with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Drop the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheets using a medium cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons of dough). Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes. The cookies should look puffed and completely set. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Filling: Cream together the marshmallow fluff and shortening on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract; mix until all of the sugar has been incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Assemble the Gobs: Using a pastry bag with round decorating tip, or a spoon, spread some of the filling onto the bottom side of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. The gobs can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk: If you do not have buttermilk and need a substitute, follow the instructions here.
- Shortening: I do not recommend making a substitution in the cookie, as the shortening helps the cookie hold its shape. However, if you want to replace half or all of the shortening with butter in the filling recipe, I think that would totally work!
- Filling Substitute: For an even more traditional filling, replace this filling with the cooked white icing recipe from my Ho Ho Cake.
- Doubling: This recipe can easily be doubled.
- Mini: Use a small cookie scoop (or about 2 teaspoons of dough). Reduce the baking time by 1 to 2 minutes.
- Storage: The whoopie pies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing Instructions: Wrapped individually in plastic wrap, the assembled whoopie pies can be stored in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a brief time at room temperature.
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe was originally published in February 2013.
Photography by Dee Frances
Gobs…. huh… the more you know. But thanks for giving me some snack inspiration!
From one Pittsburgher to another — this is what I found on the internet.
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 Cost, 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.
I grew up on the north side of Pittsburgh (Hampton Township), and the bakery that we always stopped at on the way to go skiing at Silver Spring called these “Whoopie Pies” – so what they’re called might also depend on where the baker grew up……
Gobs really are a great treat! We have friends who live in the Lancaster area and were recently here for a weekend visit. They brought us Pennsylvania Dutch – – – authentic Amish made – straight – from – the – roadside – stand – – – Whoopie Pies. They are definitely a little different from Western PA gobs, but so good. They brought the chocolate and red velvet. Both of these articles give the reason for the “whoopie pie” name.
http://www.discoverlancaster.com/lancaster-county-whoopie-pie.asp
http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/dining/mc-whoopie-pies-pennsylvania-dutch-20170307-story.html
The calorie count given in the one article . . . . well, just skip that sentence and enjoy gobs or whoopie pies.
These are an absolute must. From one Pittsburgher to the other … I am making these. Thanks for the recipe.
I would love to spend a day in Michelle’s Kitchen as a tester! I don’t know how she keeps the pounds off as all of her recipes are so great that I could eat each one in a single day!
As an aside and there is a remedy for it, Marshmallows and Jello are made from the Hooves of Horses. There is a substitute that is available but you may have to go to PeTA for it. You can also check out the Horsefund.org because they address this and have the substitute product. I am a Vegan because I have a nasty Auto Immune Disease but I still rescue Horses and they are failed Racehorses. It costs me a ton of dough to rehab them and they are Boarded in PA. I can always ride but sometimes I cannot walk very well. MS does that.
Thanks for all of the delicious recipes and I hope your Men in Short Pants continue to be happy and healthy!
:)
Ellen in NJ
I found the origin of “gobs”!!
http://www.post-gazette.com/life/food/2010/07/08/Johnstown-bakery-owns-rights-to-Gobs/stories/201007080212
They look super! If it’s any help at all, in Ireland “Gob” is your mouth. Usually used in a slagging/joking way – like if someone told you a particularly shocking piece of gossip you might say “shut your gob!”, but you wouldn’t really mean it and would want them to continue! The phrase “stuffin’ your gob” is also used, so perhaps it’s a derivative of that? As in these baked goods were SO good, that they’d go straight into your gob before they were even cooled – it makes perfect sense to me anyway – but that could just be an Irish thing!! :-)
Rebecca
So, my journey toward baking gobs started a week ago when my Baby Boomer Mom made mention of them during a dinner discussion. She recalled fondly these delicious, chocolaty cream-filled sandwiches that a co-worked would bring in to share. All she knew was that they were called “gobs”, and that they were fantastic, and that she’d do just about anything to have one again.
That led me to your recipe. It was so easy to follow. And though I’m sure I took longer than the average person would to make these, they came together quickly. I started baking around 7:30 and had the gobs constructed and plated by 8:30!
What REALLY fascinated me: I tasted the cookies and the cream individually and was, honestly, a little concerned by how bland they seemed to be…. but, once they were placed together? It was like magic. These gobs were SO delicious! My hubby and kids loved them. I loved them. And, most importantly, your recipe transported my Mom back to those days when she was first introduced to these tasty little treats. Thanks so much for sharing!
Awww I’m so happy your mom loved these!
They were easy to make and my son love them alor. I tried it with pumpkin and with the chocolate I made peanut you icing. Thank you for such a blast from the past my gram and I used them all the time.
This may explain the origin of the name “gobs”. http://www.post-gazette.com/food/2010/07/08/Johnstown-bakery-owns-rights-to-Gobs/stories/201007080212
Sorry
Johnstown Gobs are make with a filling cooked on the stove and then cooled. Not Marshmellow.
I am from the Johnstown area too and our family gob recipe gas a paste made from milk and flour cisco shortening and powder sugar and vanilla.
Plus our recipe uses 2 cups sugar and 4 cups flour and 2 eggs for the cakes and 3/4 cups of cocoa
Is it ok to put food coloring in the filling to make them Super Bowl themed?
Sure!! Have fun!
BEB, these Gobs are delicious!! My family and co-workers are in awe! I am from Pa too, Johnstown area, and my mom would make these every Christmas. This year her recipe is packed away in storage, so I made your recipe. The cake part is so moist and delicious. The filling was different than my moms, because I remember her cooking her filling, too. I made your filling, but I added 1/2 block cream cheese to tone down the shortening taste and another cup of powdered sugar. Delicious! I also made some with peanut butter filling, they are definitely the favorite!! Thank you BEB!!
These look delicious! Last year for Christmas my cousin got me a whoopie pan and I was wondering if I could use that. I don’t know if it wouldn’t be enough dough or not. What do you think?
Hi Elena, I have never used a whoopie pie pan, so I’m not sure if it would work with this particular recipe. If you give it a try, please let me know hot it worked!
THE only problem I see with this recipe is that Gobs and Whoopie Pies are two different things. I grew up in PA and moved to Maine. Whoopie pies have a thinner “cookie” these are gobs which are thicker. Gobs originally came from the amish, where whoopie pies came from the french canadians. Mainers get very cranky when you call their whoopie pies, gobs and Pennsylvanians feel the same vice versa.
Thank-you so much for posting this! I had never had gobs before and was trying to make them for a friend. I don’t bake much and found the recipe simple to follow and the results got rave reviews from my peers! I am so happy I stumbled upon your site and may just have to follow your posts.
Hello–
I LOVE your site and have baked so many of your incredible recipes! I am very excited about these as my family just loves them. One question–do you really bake them at 450? Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
Hi Nicole, Yep, bake at 450 for a very short time! Enjoy!
What’s vegetable shortening?
I’m not sure if you’re in the U.S. or not, but if you are, it’s Crisco.
“gob” is a un-politeish British word for mouth as it “shut yer gob up” (in my part of England it is used quite a lot ….I imagine it comes from that in that one of those would fill your mouth up. Gobsmacked is another variation on the word – so socked you cannot talk!
Sorry shocked not socked!!
I have never heard these called gobs before, but whatever you call them they look scrumptious!
last year my mom bought me a whole gob cookbook (http://www.amazon.com/Gobba-Hey-Gob-Cookbook/dp/1608194787) I have made a few of them and they’re all great! Yours look gorgeous!
I grew up eating whoopie pies as my mom is from New England. What I grew up eating resembles gobs and not the lighter/sweeter versions that everyone seems to be making now. I can’t eat any flavor other than chocolate because I don’t think its the real thing. Your recipe looks so similar to my mom’s and I think nothing goes better with these than the filling. I could definitely eat these forever!
They look so light and cakey! :D Absolutely delicious!
I’ve never heard of a gob before, but it looks dang good! Sounds like a name you would call a person on the playground…
The frosting here looks amazing, then I scrolled down to the recipe and realized why. :) Fluff and shortening, so dangerous!
First off ….i have just started following you…im a huge baker and love to cook so it is nice to know i have a trusted source to go to for advice and recipes i can trust…i have heard that gobs stem from PA miners who topi them as snacks …something about piles
of coal were called gobs…who knows…i will be making these this weekend!! Yum
These look awesome! I’m obsessed with the peanut butter frosting recipe that you have on here, and I’m thinking that would make an amazing filling too!
These look so much better than any whoopie pies I have ever seen! Now I want Gobs!