Classic Whoopie Pies
Homemade whoopie pies are an iconic dessert made with two soft, cake-like cookies sandwiching a creamy marshmallowy filling. You can easily switch up the flavors of these whoopie pies for different seasons but there really isn’t much that can beat the classic- chocolate and marshmallow fluff! These easy-to-make whoopie pies are perfect for afternoon snacks or birthday treats.
Growing up, my mom would sometimes get whoopie pies 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.
What are Whoopie Pies?
Whoopie pies are quite simply two chocolate cake-like cookies that sandwich a fluffy white 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!
How to Make Them
Ingredients for the Cookies
- Flour + Cocoa Powder: Provides structure to the whoopie pie while also giving it a chocolaty flavor!
- Baking Soda + Salt: Acts as a leavening agent and gives a little flavor to the cookie.
- Shortening: Used to help the whoopie pie rise during the baking process, as well as keep its shape.
- Sugar: Sweetens these cookies up a bit.
- Egg + Yolk: Binds the batter together.
- Vanilla: Gives a little splash of flavor to the cookies.
- Water + Buttermilk: Softens the cookies and the acid from the buttermilk gives a slight tang.
Directions
Once you have your ingredients, you are ready to begin!
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream shortening + sugar: Using an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
- Alternate flour and liquid: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture. Beat until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix again, followed by another third of the flour mixture, the hot water, and the remaining flour mixture.
- Fold together: Give the batter a few quick folds with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
- Scoop + bake: Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. They should look puffy and completely set.
- Cool the cookies: Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Marshmallow Fluff Filling
- Marshmallow Fluff: A spreadable marshmallow that makes a gooey, fluffy filling.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter to give the filling a smooth finish.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Salt + Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor.
Making the Marshmallow Fluff Filling
- Beat butter + marshmallow fluff: Cream together marshmallow fluff and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in remaining ingredients: Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract; mix until all of the sugar has been incorporated.
- Beat until fluffy: Increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Assemble the Whoopie Pies
Fill the bottom side (the flat part) of half of the cookies with frosting and top with the remaining cookies. To fill the cookies you can:
- Use a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
- Spoon globs of the frosting on.
- Spread the frosting onto the side with an offset spatula.
Flavor Combinations
Over the years I have tried my hand at a number of different Whoopie Pie recipes all with fun and delicious cookie and filling combos. Some of my favorite included:
- Red Velvet + Cream Cheese: These whoopie pies 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 whoopie pies are the perfect fall treat.
- S’mores Whoopie Pies: With a graham cracker cookie, chocolate ganache, and a marshmallow fluff filling, what s’more could you want??
Make them Gobs!
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!
While whoopie pies include this wonderfully sweet marshmallow-laced filling, gobs traditionally have a less-sweet filling made from a cooked flour/milk mixture. If you would like to use a traditional gob filling, make the white filling/frosting from my Ho Ho Cake – it is the same as gob filling!
Recipe Notes
- Store your whoopie pies at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- This recipe can easily be doubled for more whoopie pie enjoyment!
- Want to make them mini? Use a small cookie scoop – about 2 teaspoons of dough – and bake for 4 to 5 minutes.
Other Delicious Sandwich Cookies
Satisfy all your chocolate cookie cravings with these irresistible whoopie pies. Soft, cake-like chocolate cookies sandwich a creamy marshmallow fluff filling in this iconic dessert!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
For the Gobs:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (102.5 g) vegetable shortening
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (125 ml) hot water
For the Filling:
- 1½ cups (190.5 g) marshmallow fluff
- 1¼ cups (283.75 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (120 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 butter 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 5 days.
Notes
- 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 2 weeks.
- 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.
- Make Gobs: Replace the filling with the white filling/frosting recipe from my Ho Ho Cake.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
Made these for the first time today. Didn’t have marashmellow cream so used 1 tbsp butter and melted 12 marshmellows. To that I added 1/2 brick of cream cheese….Yum! Sprinkled with powdered sugar. Best results!
What do you mean by marshmallow fluff could I use ordinary mallows and heat them up to soften , from the uk, wales. Xx
Just made a batch of these gobs I should have made more thank you for the recipe Conrad
I have some ideas on the origins of Whoopie pies. I grew up in Michigan my husband in Texas. Neither of us had ever heard of this delicious treat until we went to stay with a Mennonite family in Lancaster, Pa for a vacation back over 3 decades ago. The owner of the home introduced us to them and when I questioned her she said the Amish had been making them there forever (and this woman was older then) and developed them as a treat to be easily taken into the field for a treat or with lunch. She even gave me her own handwritten recipe card that was stained and used then. It’s one of my most treasured cards not only for the recipe but because it reminds me of her and the wonderful, enchanting, adventure my family shared at her home.
Looks delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Why are my gobs flat?
What if my filling was to thin?
A lot of people have tried to determine the etymology of the word “gob”. Too many sites listing no sources bring up the obscure naval slang of “gobbie” that is unlikely to have been wide-spread in land-locked Johnstown PA. Yes, the first commercially manufactured gobs had a sailor for a logo, but the desert and name very likely existed before the packaging.. Others say it comes from coalminers slang for used up coal or parts of the coal mine, but why would a delicious desert be named as such? These America writers never mention that “gob” has meant both “mouth” and “a soft piece of something” since the 15th century in British English. The Scots who settled Western PA first would have used it with both meanings (as the meaning of “mouth” comes directly from Gaelic), and shows up in other words: gobble, goblet, gob-stopper, gobsmacked and gab. We know that early Scots settlers most heavily influenced the English in Appalachia, including, Western PA as exhibited by other regionalism like yinz, redd up, run (instead of creek/stream) and so on. So “gob” is perfect meaning for a soft desert that can just be stuffed in the mouth. That history may not be as cool as a nickname for sailors, but it is more plausible.
Made this twice now!
Today is the 2nd time I’m made this recipe, and it’s better than I remember:) Just like the first time, I questioned the shortening…but went along with it,…and yes, amazing:) I’m trying to use things I have at home during the pandemic, turns out I had marshmallow fluff for this recipe because of your Twinkie recipe, which I also recently made (also for the 2nd time.)
The difference between gobs and whoppie pies is marshmallow. Traditional gob filling does not have marshmallow. It is a cooked filling made from milk, flour, butter, crisco, powder sugar and vanilla
Can these be frozen? Thanks
The term Gobs come from WW1 . Sailors were known as gobs in those days , why I don’t know . The local women made these cakes to send to the local sailors . A local bakery ( Known a Bunny Bread then later Harris Boyer ) pick up on this and packaged them to sell with a sailor on. They can still be bought in the Johnstown PA area with the sailor on the package
Do you still have the recipe for the shortening icing? That’s how my grandma would make it and I like that kind of icing instead fo the marshmallow one. Thanks!
I’m from western PA. Gobs may look like a Whoopie Pie but I can assure you, they do not taste the same. Whoppie Pies are much sweeter. The recipe here is NOT for gobs.
Original gobs definitely would not have marshmalow fluff on the filling. I have my mom’s recipe, which has the partly cooked filling. I think the secret is the Crisco… I go to a fall festival in Bedford PA and many of the booths have gobs, from the original chocolate to pumpkin or oatmeal. The best ones are the ones with the original filling.
I grew up in Western PA and lived gobs! We always had bake sales at school and had gobs as the main item! I never knew they had a different name until I went to college and no knew what I was talking about!! Our recipe for the filling was a cooked flour and milk paste and then you mixed granulated sugar and shortening to make that fluffy yet not too sweet filling! Soooo good. I need to make these more often as my family loves them as well. We live in IL now, but my kids eat gobs, not Whoopie pies!
ORIGINAL GOB recipe from JOHNSTOWN, PA handed down rom my husband’s grandmother. I double the filling (like my mother-in law) so the recipe below includes doubling it already;
15 T Flour (same as 1 cup less a T)
3 cups milk
Cook milk over low heat. Make like a gravy on the stove, slowly adding flour stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Once this is cool, put in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, Sift together;
4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Then, Set aside and cream together;
2 cups granulate sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
1 tsp vanilla
Add;
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
Blend flour mixture into this.
Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper) and bake 7-8 minutes in 350 degree oven.
While these are cooling make the filling for the gobs as follows;
2 cups + a few tablespoons of Crisco
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
Cream together all ingredients. Slowly add cooled flour mixture to this (that you refrigerated the night before)
Blend very well. Put this filling onto the baked cakes and place together. Wrap in waxed paper individually.
Squeal! Yes, THIS is the recipe for Gobs. Crisco is a must, not marshmallow. My family is from tiny Vinco, PA and every time we attended any family function in the Johnstown area my grandma was sure to bring along a plate of homemade gobs. She’s been gone about 13 years now and I sure have missed them. I’ll be making these soon! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
GOBS and woopie pies are not the same. My grandmother worked at a cookie factory thatmade GOBS in Johnstown PA when she was a teenager. She was able to get the recipe before that factory closed. I only read some of the comments about the filling, some of those are close. The flour and condensed milk get cooked to a soft dough consistency then chilled. After being chilled, the butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla are blended in. For the cake portion, we did make a change. Instead of sour milk, we use sour cream.
share amounts please?
My grandma (also from the Johnstown area) also used sour cream.
Also grew up in western PA but left 40 years ago. I thought about gobs several years ago but couldn’t find a recipe online. I finally tracked down a recipe from a relative still up there. They were an enormous hit down here in the deep South as well! I also used the filling that you has to be cooked–somewhere in the back of my mind I think it might be called Waldorf-Astoria frosting or something. I absolutely love it but am definitely going to try the marshmallow creme filling! I always sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar.
Just curious is the marshmallow better than the other filling that doesn’t call for it.
Hi Janette, I think so, yes!
They were beautiful, but the filling had way too much of a butter taste and I even added a half cup extra powdered sugar. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I will use less butter next time.
I made these last night and was pleasantly surprised! The recipe is easy to follow. I would change the vanilla in the filling to maybe 1 teaspoon instead of a tablespoon, my filling is very vanilla-y lol. Also, I had no parchment paper, so I greased the pan. Not the best choice, as these bad boys like to travel on a greased pan!! Will be trying again!
When we lived in Danville, PA, almost 35 years ago, our special neighbor gave us samples and her recipe for the Gobs.
They were so delicious! I want to bake them for our Ladies Group at our church’s bake sale.
I misplaced the recipe and remembered it had buttermilk, which this recipe has as one of the ingredients. Thank you!
Sincerely, Roseann Stazinsky of TN
I am from the Chicago area and grew up with gobs. Every time I would mention them to people, they would look at me funny and say “never heard of them”! I thought it must be a German thing since it was my Grandma’s recipe and she was German! My grandmas filling recipe is different than this one. She made it in a double boiler with margarine, shortening, milk, flour, sugar and vanilla. Glad to see someone else has heard of them before!! They are a staple at our family picnic every year. I will be eating some tomorrow… yum!
I just made these. I am also from the Pittsburgh area so I grew up with gobs. This was as I remembered them except the icing they suggested. To the other post, yes my mom made an icing she cooked. However, she has a new recipe that gives you the same icing that our moms made but you don’t have to cook it. I just wish the gob cookie was more moist but has a nice flavor. Try this icing, it tastes the same as the cooked.
1/2 cup butter or margerine, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 6 Tab of flour, 1 teas vanilla, 1/2 teas salt. Put in bowl all together, with electric mixer start off slow until it is mixed then turn on high and beat for 5 min until icing consistency. Don’t worry, at first it will look like it is not going to get thick ……keep mixing on high.
Gobs and whoopie pies are not the same things. Whoopie Pies have marshmallow, gobs do not. The cake is also a little different. This recipe is for whoopie pies, not gobs.
These little cakes were named GOBS after sailors in WW II. The story is that a mother wanted to send her son a chocolate cake while he was serving in the Pacific Theater of the war. She knew the cake would be a crumbled mess until her son got it. She decided to make little cake instead. She made them, and mailed them to her son. They were a hit.
I have made this many times and they turn out beautiful if you leave out the hot water😊
I’m from Altoona and I grew up eating Gobs, my mothers aunt made them all the time. I’ve never heard the name whoopie pie until I moved to Fl. This recipe is similar to mine but a true Gob does not have marshmallow creme in the filling.
I read that you substituted butter for the shortening in this recipe. However, this recipe, as far as the cake goes still has shortening listed as an ingredient. Is it in the cake where you made the substitution for in the filling? I may try them both ways and see what is liked best overall so I want to make sure I’m substituting it where should happen. thanks!
Hi Pamela, I made the substitution in the filling; the cake is best made with shortening, as it helps the cookies not to spread too much.
I made this recipe and they turned out delicious. I don’t have a two tablespoon scoop so instead I just used a heaping 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop. I had more than enough filling so I might cut that quantity back the next time and save ingredients. I used a dark chocolate powder because its what I had and they were nice and rich in flavor. Will make again. Thanks for the recipe.
My dad is from Washington, PA –in Texas now, and has always talked about about chocolates gobs, and how his mom would wrap them up individually and freeze them! He hasn’t had one in many years, so I am totally gonna make these for him, and I’m so excited!
i cannot believe i still haven’t made whoopie pies! oh well now i have to make these gobs this weekend to make up for it!
Can you make these in advance? Would it be better to refrigerate them after baking to store? They look amazing! Can’t wait to try them.
Hi Lisa, You definitely can! I made these the day before serving, and they were still good a couple of days after that. I kept them at room temperature, but they should be fine in the refrigerator (although I imagine the texture of the cookies will change a bit).
I have never had a gob with the use of marshmallow cream used for the filling. Whoopee pies have marshmallows not gobs
Hi Cecilia, I’ve actually found three different filling recipes among family recipes… one used raw egg eggs (no thank you), one was a cooked frosting that I found didn’t taste very good, and this one… it was, far and away, the best of the bunch.
These are totally my husband’s style! I’m pinning this for later so I can make them this weekend for father’s day for him!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
eating this while (seriously!) eating a whoopie pie! i may have to try making my own!!
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.
Was it an equivalent amount of shortening that you replaced with butter in the frosting recipe [1¼ cups (283 grams)]? It would be nice to know the original proportions to have another option, as I can only imagine that the shortening would stabilize the frosting and help keep it from it melting and getting really runny in the summer heat. Thanks!
P.S. – 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……
Yes, the same amount of shortening as butter. It was super hot last weekend, but the frosting with butter didn’t get melty or runny, so I don’t think that would be an issue if you’re worried!
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
xx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
This recipe is absolutely a nightmare. I tried it theee times and bought new ingredients. The gobs are flat and lumpy. I am so dissappointed and would never ever recommend this and I bake all of the time. This was a disaster.
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
I grew up in Industry, Pa and my family made gobbs for Christmas.
I love gobbs and have been making and eating them for years. I decided to give your recipe a try.
It was a total fail, I followed the recipe exact, they turned out flat as a pancake. In my opinion to much liquid in the recipe. I never made it to the filling part, I had to throw it all out. I pulled out my moms original recipe and did some research of other gobb recipes. All of them had 4 cups of flour, vs the 2 cups in this recipe.
Is it supposed to be baking soda instead of powder on the recipe? I tried making these today for the Holidays and they are.. very flat. There was no puffing up at all.
Sorry
Johnstown Gobs are make with a filling cooked on the stove and then cooled. Not Marshmellow.
I have made these twice now, and both times they turned out flat as pancakes. And I’m a western PA gal who has been making gobs all her life. I’ll keep looking for my mom’s old recipe.
Hi,
I tried making these and rather than ending up with “dough” it was more like a soupy cake batter. Are the liquid measurements correct?
Thanks!
I’m sorry, this recipe is not good. The cake part of the gob turned out as flat as a pancake & the filling tasted like Crisco! I am now hunting for a better recipe.
I think your amounts might be off. 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of liquid?
So i added another 1 and 1/2 cup of flour and it wasn’t exactly dough like but it was thicker than before so i added it to the oven and it rose a lot so next time i would probably only cut the water in half because up to the buttermilk it seemed right
Is the dough meant to be so watery? i used the correct amount of ingredients and its extremely watery like batter
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
Someone needs to fix this recipe. I doubled it and the entire thing had to be thrown out once I realized how VERY FAR OFF the liquid measurements were. What a total waste.
I, too, had a very thin batter. I suspected the ratio was too much liquid to dry but I wanted to try the recipe exactly as written. And the cakes were too thin. When I looked at other recipes I noticed less liquid to dry. I’m going g to try again but I’m cutting the buttermilk and water in half.
should’ve read the comments. batter was fine, until I added the hot water. then it turned watery. was so looking forward to these!
oh well.
just to point out I did use butter in place of the shortening.
before I dump it I”m going to add some more flour if that doesn’t help I’ll stick it into cupcake pans
Plus our recipe uses 2 cups sugar and 4 cups flour and 2 eggs for the cakes and 3/4 cups of cocoa
These are TERRIBLE!!!! Bleck. Flat Soupy and utterly dissapointing… throwing out the $ of what it took to make these…
Epic fail! I’m so sad. I didn’t make any substitutions either. Completely soupy and flat. :( I’m off to find another recipe…
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. My batter also turned out thin and my first pan was flat, so I added more flour until they puffed up. 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!!
This was my first Christmas Eve without my family. I tried making these at midnight so I could have a piece of my normal tradition with me. They turned out awful, and now I’m sitting here alone trying not to cry.
I spent $30 on these ingredients because I don’t have any of them regularly, thank you.
Mine came out TOTALLY FLAT too!! I followed the recipe exactly!! A little frustrated and disappointed right now b/c I really don’t feel like doing this all over again. I tried these cause I used the filling recipe as opposed to the one on epcurious (I did use their cake recipe which came out much less flat but slightly dry, so I tried this one instead). Ugh!
I wish I had read the comments before I made these today. Mine too were flat as a pancake. So disappointed. And the taste of the chocolate cookie part was bad. What a waste of ingredients. I was so excited to make these :(
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!
For those of you with the problem of batter being to runny, there’s almost an identical recipe on all recipes, but the liquids are cut in half, I think that would make all the difference.
Hi Michelle, my batter thinned out too once I added the cup of hot water. It wouldn’t quite hold the shape from the cookie scoop and after baking in the oven, these came out like flat pancakes. I made sure to follow the recipe exactly – except instead of Crisco since I’m from Australia, I substituted with Copha (Aus version of veg shortening). I converted the 1/2 cup of Crisco to grams of Copha following conversion found on another forum. When creamed with the sugar, I did get the light and fluffy texture. It all went downhill after adding the hot water though. I’d be grateful if you can offer any guidance. Many thanks for your wonderful blog – have tried out a couple of your cupcake recipes and those are perfect.
Hi Ann, I’m so sorry you had some trouble with these cookies. I’ve double checked this against my mom’s recipe, and all of the quantities are correct. I’m not sure if the substitution would cause any issues, but be sure that your oven temperature is correct (I always recommend using an oven thermometer).
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.
I had the same problem with the batter being too thin. I did not make any substitutions or change any of the directions. I am certain that I did not leave anything out. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the comments about reducing the liquid until it was too late. Has that worked for anyone? The cake tastes ok, not great, but it is unappealing because it is very flat – each is about an eighth of an inch thick. Has anyone been able to make this successfully?
I was so excited to make these, but was disappointed. The batter was very very thin and I had to dispose of it. I really wanted to make them, but it was a complete failure. I used all of the right ingredients, so I don’t know what could’ve happened?
Looks like lots of people have had this issue too. I had the same thing happen to me. Others are cutting the liquid in half… maybe that would help. I also had trouble getting the shortening and sugar to be anything close to “light and fluffy”. Super disappointing. A lot of the other recipes on this site are great, tho.
Exact same thing happened to me. I had to throw it all out. Very disappointing because usually I have very good results with BEB recipes.
I made this recipe this morning. The chocolate cookie part is awful…tastes like matza. Not sweet or chocolatey enough. I tried adding more sugar/chocolate to salvage it but after i baked it that unsweeet matza taste was back. Ending up chucking the batter and making cupcakes instead.
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.
I had the same saucy batter issue like a lot of people here. I don’t think it is an issue with me using buttermilk that I had to make from regular milk because I have been substituting real buttermilk for the one that I make myself countless times and it is never an issue. I noticed the dough turned to batter once I added the hot water though. Next time I will leave that out.
Okay….so I salvaged the the recipe for myself and the outcome was well received by the eager mouths I was feeding. Being that the batter was more cake like I made them into cupcakes instead and kept them in the oven for about seven minutes. Then I let it cool like the directions state. Then I cut them in half and filled them with the creme. *I* have never had whoopie pies before. But two of the mouths I fed has had them before and they were very pleased with the results.
So yes, the batter was saucy. But it was still kind a good turn out. I will probably add a buttercream filling though next time. Just a preference for me.
I added 2 tbl of ground coffee to the flour, which I didn’t think would make a difference, but I screwed up the technique in the 3rd step, but was hesitant to add in that extra cup of buttermilk and hot water. I used powdered buttermilk and added 2 cups of regular water as I was adding the hot water. Should I use regular buttermilk? I did taste them today, and they tasted fine. :) Just were very flat, moist(the cake would stick to your fingers and each other slightly) But the filling was great albeit a bit messy using the pastry bag. :) I doubled the recipe…I got about 74 whoopie pies albeit ugly ones as they spread…but they still tasted good. I baked them for 4 minutes cause I did the “mini gobs”. I will probably try the recipe again but a single batch and follow the 3rd step exactly. Can I sub unsalted butter instead of shortening or does it need to be shortening?
Hi Maria, I would recommend using regular buttermilk and following the recipe as written; I haven’t made them any other way so unfortunately I can’t guarantee the results when there are substitutions and such. I would stick with the shortening instead of butter; they have different properties that will affect the texture of the cookies.
Alright, I will do actual buttermilk next time(which may be soon) and keep using shortening. :) Thanks, Michelle!
Hi, Michelle!
I just tried this recipe, but the batter was VERY soupy and I got more flat, pancake gobs rather than any puffier gobs. I doubled the recipe….and I am not sure what went wrong. In any case, if you can tell me what I did wrong, perhaps not mixing the buttermilk and flour and hot water in the right method…but the dough was more like thin cupcake batter than thick chocolate cookie cakes. HELP!
Hi Maria, Did you make any changes to the ingredients or technique? I’m not sure why the batter would be so thin.
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.
I just made these and I’m disappointed :( They are reAlly flat _ Not sure what happened. I followed the recipe except I used coconut milk with lemon juice as a substitue for buttermilk. I’ve done this for a lot of cakes and baking and have not had a problem. I will try it with buttermilk next time :)
I had the same problem. The batter was super thin and watery. I’m going to try them again and cut the liquid in half. I think that’s probably what the problem is!
I, too, had the same problem….I doubled the recipe…the batter was soupy too. Let me know whether you figure out what works. I think I may cut the hot water and buttermilk in half too to see if that helps.
I just made these and had the same problem. The first batch I made was very runny and turned out flat even after baking. I tried to save the rest of the batter so I added baking powder. They fluffed up some and basically look like the picture now. I’m not sure if the original recipe is suppose to have baking powder instead of soda? I don’t think they taste that great but at least they look more appetizing. Happy Baking!
Same thing here. Batter not dough. Flat cookies with not much taste. I followed the recipe. Filling needed milk to mix. Disappointed .
This is a lot of liquid!
“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!
I have never heard of “gobs” before. But chocolate cookies and a cream filling can never be wrong!
I live in Western PA, but have never heard of them being called Gobs. I cannot WAIT to make these! They look so yummy :)
knowing your love of peanut butter and chocolate, have you ever tried the peanut butter chocolate gobs from getgo? so yummy
Hi Veronica, I haven’t, but I’ll have to search them out after Easter (I gave up peanut butter for Lent, ah!).
I love whoopie pies, they’re one of my favorite desserts ever! And while I’ve tried many, many varieties, the classic chocolate with white filling is hard to pass up. These look awesome :)
I never heard them referred to as “gobs” before. You learn something new every day! They look delicious!!
I’ve been waiting patiently for you to post this recipe. Im originally from Maryland where we call them Whoopie pies. I love these things!
YUM. I need to use your recipe. For some reason I thought cake mix would work and it was a hot mess.
I have used cake mix the trick is to use less water and use a pkg of instant pudding. They seem to come out just fine. Light and delicious. I too, am from Pa. My Husband was from the Amish community so have his Mom’s recipe but looking up the history of whoopie pies. The Amish(PA) version uses lard as a foundation for their filling. New England also lays claim to these tasty little cakes. Either are good. I prefer the Amish Version. Fun to make and simply delicious
Yum! These look like devil dogs!
So funny- I’ve never heard of Gobs. But I do know I love whoopie pies and I also know these look awesome!
Yes GOBS! That’s what we called them growing up :)
I love that you call them Gobs too. :) My grandmother grew up in PA and passed the recipe down to my mom. I was raised in NC and always thought it was a southern thing (since no one else has ever heard of them), but I stand corrected! Glad to know the true origin.
mmmmmmm’s and more mmmmm’s
Never heard of them as Gobs before, definitely not an East Coast thing. In NC we call them whoopie pies but either way these look so amazing and so yummy!!! Can’t wait to try!
wow,
these look so massive and much bigger than the whoopie pies that i have seen!!! Look at that filling…I could eat them all in one go!!!
Shobha
I would take Gobs and Gobs of these in my MOUTH!!!!!!!! AMAZING!
These look so fluffy and delicious! I never really heard of Whoopie Pies growing up. I actually started to discover them a few years back when I began following blogs. Now I think I like them more than cupcakes!
Hi, I actually had those first in Maine and our family there calls them “black moons”. I am not a big fan of vegetable shortening, any possibility of substitution for butter or cream? (I am French so butter and cream are always my default baking ingredients :)).
Thank you!
Hi Virginie, The shortening really does contribute to that fluffy filling, but you could certainly try butter if you’d like. The filling will have a yellowish hue to it (it won’t be pure white) and the consistency will be a bit different. You might want to try 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter first.
We are about fifteen minutes from Johnstown, and they are called gobs here. We had friends that moved here from New England, and they called them whoopie pies. As Leann said, the filling is a mixture of milk and cornstarch that is cooked until stiff and then cooled until warm. Then a creamed mixture of shortening, sugar, and vanilla are added a little at a time and beaten on high for ten minutes. Your cookie looks yummy. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
I’ve never heard of Gobs…that must be an East Coast thing? I’ve heard of Whoopie Pies, however, I’ve just never tried one yet. This year I’m going to have a lot of firsts, beginning with these and Nutella, for starters. These look light, fluffy, and delicious!
http://yum-yumblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/gobs.html
Here is what I found on the origin of the term gobs. I grew up eating them and never knew what a whoopie pie was until recently so they will always be gobs to me!!
Here is what I could find on the origin of gobs I was curious of where the term came from myself. I grew up eating them and still enjoy making/ eating them to this day. I actually never knew what a whoopie pie was until a few years ago so they will always be gobs to me!!!
Hey I was born in Jonhstown and we call them Gobs too. We typically make them at the holidays or special occasions. Our filling is a cooked in a saucepan though.
Mmm… I could really go for a cold one right now.
Enjoy!
Leann
Leann – I love ’em cold too. I individually wrap and freeze them for a cool sweet treat.
**Melt** – these look fantastically decadent!!! I need to make these soon! Such a strange name! I think I like whoopie pie better!! hee hee
I never heard of them being called Gobs. It’s kind of cute! I’ll have to ask my Friends in PA if they ever heard of them being called that. Your Gobbs look amazing and so light and fluffy!! I can only imagine how wonderful they taste!
I’m a born and raised Western Pennsylvanian, and I’d never heard the term “whoopie pie” until I was in my late teens. I have however seen “gob” used to describe a number of different flavorings other than chocolate (although chocolate is by far the most popular around here). Pumpkin and red velvet gobs seem to be the most common of the seasonal variants.
Found this on the origin of the name: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/WhoopiePieHistory.htm
Oh, my! These look incredible – kinda like Oreo Cakesters but a million times better! Pinning :)
YUM! I love whoopie pies… never knew they had another name! :) Yours look absolutely perfect!
I have never made that kind of filling for whoopie pies, the marshmallow
addition sounds different….
“UMPTEEN” kills me!
Love the looks of these and Ive never had Gobs but I like how they seem a bit more substantial than a choc whoopie pie…sometimes whoopie pie cookies are just a little on the thin side for me and I like the looks of these Gobs. And oh, wow, that filling!
As an aside, I am running a giveaway on my site right now to win 5 dozen cookies from Momofuku Milkbar and I’ve asked people to leave the link of their all-time fave cookie in order to enter…and your site and your cookies have been mentioned more than any other! :)
that is so funny that you mention gobs. my mom’s family is originally from pennsylvania (the johnstown area) and my grandma has a “family gobs recipe” as well. the filling for our gobs is much different though… it’s hard to explain, but i know it has vinegar and eggs in it… we have a couple other family recipes that have eggs and vinegar (sweet recipes) so i just assumed it was a “pennsylvania” thing. : P …so, while i’ve always thought gobs were similar to whoopie pies, in my mind they’re different because of the filling. fun to know someone else knows what gobs are. : )
That is soo funny because I am from Johnstown too!! :) Our filling for the gobs sound very similar to yours with the vinegar!
I am from that area too! The filling in this recipe didn’t seem the same as what I have had but I can’t find my filling recipe… I think it may be similar to yours because you have to cook it, as I would imagine you would with eggs.
I am a Johnstown native, and I must say that I have had whoopie pies and they are nothing like a true GOB. And yes, the recipe that has been in my family for generations also has a filling that has a portion of it that needs to be cooked. Nothing else tastes like i.
I’m from Fayette County originally – you Johnstown natives probably know it! We always made the. With flour icing which does require cooking. I can post a recipe if interested.
I would love the recipe. I am so curious about the gobs. Thanks. Denise