Baked Sweets and Treats

Strawberries & Cream Whoopie Pies

Pink Easter Bunny rabbit on gluten free whoopie pie. Honestly I never thought I would be posting whoopie pies on my blog. I was never a huge fan of them. Not sure why, I mean they are two cakey cookies with gobs of creamy frosting in the center. That is sure tempting. If offered a choice I go for layer cake way before a whoopie pie. Until now. These little creamy, strawberry cookie-cakes rock my world. The fabulous news – they are filled with great for you ingredients.

Whoopie pies with fresh strawberries on a blue fancy plate.

Is this little dessert a cake or a cookie? They are something in between. Let’s say a soft cookie sandwich that gives way to a creamy sweet frosting, filling. Nice!

Guilt free, low fat, sugar free strawberries and cream whoopie pies

I ohh and ahh whenever I look at whoopie pies online. They are really pretty and happy, plus they have that cute name and all. As most of you know, I don’t eat traditional sweets any more. They taste great, are fun to gaze upon – but they just don’t make me feel good. In true MarlaMeridith.com style I have lightened up, cut out the sugar and come up with a dang good recipe for this sweet treat, with no sacrifice in flavor.

Gluten Free whoopie pies with strawberry sauce

Gluten free rice flour and finely ground corn flour create such a fabulously textured cookie. They almost melt in your mouth. The crumb is fine and yet the cookies are dense enough to stay together to make a sandwich with a sweet strawberry cream cheese filling.

Bright colored easter animal cupcake toppers on whoopie pies

Having extra strawberry sauce is always nice too. Dip your little pies in it, enjoy it over ice cream, greek yogurt or sauce up your favorite breakfast. With hints of spring everywhere and Easter around the corner I am so excited to break out the brighter colored clothes, accessories and kitschy table top goodies. How cute are these juicy colored animal cupcake toppers?

Cute Easter themed whoopie pies with bunny cupcake topper.

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Whoopie Pie Recipe Links

Graphic with pink fleur de lis for MarlaMeridith.com

America's favorite cake-cookie-frosting sandwich.

Thanks for all of your entries. This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny.

Let’s embrace the whoopie pie together, shall we? Just because I love you I am going to order a Whoopie Pies cookbook for one lucky reader. Isn’t it cute? This giveaway will close on Sunday, April 17th at midnight PST. Open to residents of the USA only. To enter please do one or more of the following and be sure to leave a separate comment per entry.

~ Marla Meridith

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146 thoughts on “Strawberries & Cream Whoopie Pies

  1. Marla these look amazing!! The photography is just out of this world. And arent you just Miss Thinking Ahead shooting with Easter bunnies/props in advance of Easter.

    I am chuckling, too, b/c as I type this I am looking at your beautiful family, then a Pillsbury ad, then a risque Fredericks of Hollywood ad on your sidebar. haha! Wonder if they have anything whoopie oriented for Easter 🙂

    1. Averie: Amazing what ends up on my sidebar ads. I have never seen the one for Fredericks of Hollywood. Hilarious! Perhaps I need to adjust my settings – but that adds some spunk, yes? Maybe they are selling sassy Easter costumes over there, saw the word “whoopie” and came running over. Go figure. I think their models need to hold some strawberry whoopie pies as props. Hmmm.
      Yes, I do think waaayy ahead of the holidays for props, recipes, styling etc. By the time the actual holiday rolls around I am so over it! lol. xo

  2. My favorite whoopie pie is the classic chocolate with vanilla cream filling inside, how can you ever go wrong with that! 🙂

  3. I think my problem with most whoopie pies is that they end up coming out super dry. And they are not a cupcake. Major downfall.

    Yours definitely look delicious! I love all of these strawberry recipes you’ve been coming up with lately!

    1. Joanne: Can you tell I am somewhat addicted to strawberries? Thank goodness they are in abundance and locally grown here in CA. We go through many containers each month. I have many strawberry posts lined up – think I need to pace myself 🙂

    1. Debby: I am so on the chocolate and pumpkin combo. Would love to post them even though the weather is getting warmer. Perhaps I will wait until the fall. Thanks for the link!

    1. Kristin: You gotta try them. I can only imagine the fun you would have with the kids making whoopie pies at home! By the way, just received my prize package from Westminster Crackers from your fab Soup-a-palooza event. My kids are loving them! HUGE amazing package with all kinds of goodies. Ties in perfectly with all the cheese I received from Kerrygold the day before!

    1. Mareya: That’s not weird. As I mention in this post, they are usually something I avoid – until now. They are super popular these days though. Lots of books, blog posts and fascination with this vintage treat. I think I am gonna go on a guilt-free whoopie pie kick!

  4. These look beautiful! My favorite is the classic chocolate with vanilla filling. Every year I’ll make the recipe from Cooks Country and the kids go crazy. These would be fantastic at breakfast!

    1. Carrie: How neat! “Cooks Country?” OK, I have not a clue what that is, but if your girls go crazy for them then I KNOW they are fabulous! Yes, these would be perfect at breakfast and the great thing is there would be no sugar crashes after. xo

    1. Heather: Gotta tell you I am still tempted to whip up a batch of pumpkin whoopie pies even as the weather heats up. Can’t get enough pumpkin over here girl! Or sweet potato for that matter.

  5. Thank you so much for adapting this recipe! I have several co-workers who are sensitive to gluten, so I’m always on the search for recipes I can take for work pot-lucks to include them. This is so fantastic! THANK YOU!

    I’ve never had a whoopie pie, but the red velvet ones taunt me from the bakery case at Starbucks!

  6. A friend and I just made our first whoopie pies (carrot cake) last week! They were more “cookie” than “cake” in texture. I’d like to attempt some different flavors and/or adjust the recipe to see if I can make it lighter, while still holding its form. The cookbook would be GREAT!!

  7. These look amazing – really first time I’m tempted to try whoopie pies. I have recently cut way back on sugar and am looking for some new treats to try. Thanks for making a much healthier version.
    I follow you on facebook.

  8. My favorite whoopie pie recipe was a traditional one that I found in an old Amish cookbook at a used bookstore. Unfortunately, I have since lost the recipe due to several moves. Your gluten-free recipe looks yummy.

  9. I am already a fan of you on Facebook. I will try these strawberry ones then the blueberry ones. I love rhubarb, I may try that too.

    1. Mimi: Love the idea of rhubarb! It could easily be used in this recipe instead of or with the strawberries. A nice rhubarb dipping sauce would be tasty too,

  10. I have to laugh because Janice and I spent all day Tuesday cooking up a healthy whoopie pie of our own. Ours features pumpkin puree … and when we post the recipe (still tweaking), we’ll be sure to link to your recipe. Not too many healthy whoopies out there (most I saw online use shortening). I have not used corn flour before. Where do you buys yours?

    1. Liz: I get my corn flour at either Whole Foods or my favorite local natural foods store “Mother’s Market.” I always buy Bob’s Red Mill brand, great quality & the easiest to find too. Can’t wait to see your whoopie pies. I gotta pumpkin one in the works too!

  11. Oooh Marla~ These whoopie pies look freakin’ fabulous!!!!

    I LOVE strawberries and I love your choice of ingredients, like rice flour. Nice!

    Super healthy sigh me up!!

    You know I’m your BIGEST fan! 🙂

    ~Lisa
    xoxo

  12. These are just adorable, Marla! I honestly haven’t eaten many whoopies pies and I’ve only made them once, so I guess that would be my favorite – pumpkin with cream cheese filling!

  13. Wow, Marla, these are so cute and I can’t believe how delicious they look for a gluten-free baked treat! Wonderful job on them, and what a creative idea for all these juicy California strawberries cropping up in the markets. Let’s see… my favorite whoopie pie would have to be a friend’s gingerbread with cream cheese frosting creation. Pretty good, but I bet these would even top those!

    1. Georgia: Now you have me craving gingerbread whoopie pies. I must develop a recipe for those. I want to explore tons of flavors. I just love making these! I am smitten with gluten free flours. Really liking the flavors and texture much more than the whole wheat pastry flour I usually use. Corn, oat and brown rice flours are a bit more neutral and adapt to flavors better. LOVE the brown rice flour – it will be showing up around here a lot more.

    1. Damaris: Thank you so much my friend! You are such a sweetheart & really make me smile. I am having so much fun with my clicks – besides those little plastic animals made me oh so happy 🙂

  14. I wish I could tell you my fav. I haven’t try them yet. But I think I would love flavors like Chocolate, Vanilla and Peanut Butter.

    melodyj(at)gmail(dot)com

  15. I’ve never been a big whoopie pie fan either, largely, I suppose, because of all that frosting in the middle. But, in your smart and super-talented way, you really have turned this kid favorite into a healthy, delicious treat that anyone (including me!) would love. So happy to see strawberries in the mix here too.

    1. Barbara: I think these could convert you. I never need to get my hands on a traditional whoopie pie, really not my thing at all. Yes, these are perfect for adults and kids and won’t leave you feeling all sugared up.

  16. Delicious looking whoopie pie! I love that strawberry sauce…yum!

    I love the giveaway too. Such a fun book. My favorite whoopie pie is pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting…yum!

  17. Marla, I have made some red velvet sandwich cookies, and smore’s macarons, which both ended up LOOKING like whoopie pies, but I’ve never made (or eaten) a true whoopie pie!?!
    I would be happy just to gaze upon yours~your photos are sublime:)

    1. Thanks Sue! Sounds like if you took some frosting and layered it in between your red velvet sandwich cookies and smore’s macarons you would have yourself some mighty tasty whoopie pies.

  18. why can’t strawberry season be eternal? 🙂
    my favorite whoopie pies are composed of carrot cake cookies with cream cheese innards.

    1. Grace: It sure would be nice if strawberry season was everlasting. Alas, sometimes we just need to turn to apple, pears, pomegranates and fall-winter fruits 😉 Carrot cake whoopie pies have gotta be a win and that is all there is to it.

  19. LOVE banana whoopie pies with any sort of filling… banana is a great base for chocolate, cream cheese, caramel, vanilla, almond… etc. Yum! Can’t wait to try these when strawberries are more seasonal here!

    1. Carrie: Banana must happen oh so soon, it does pair well with all the ingredients you mentioned. Love the texture and flavor it adds to baked goods.

  20. I didn’t know there was such thing as guilt-free strawberry cream cheese whoopie pies but…. I’m kind of glad there is!!

  21. You know I’ve never had a whoopie pie before. However, these strawberry cream cheese whoopie pies might change all that. Gorgeous shots Marla!