Whoopie Pies: the dessert that’s as fun to say as it is to eat. But did you know that the history of whoopie pies makes it one of the most controversial desserts this side of the Mississippi? Over the past 200 years, battles have been fought to claim ownership of the elusive whoopie pie. Of course, we’re exaggerating, but the disagreement over the origin of the whoopie pie is real! Native Pennsylvanians and those who grow up in Maine both claim the original creation of the decadent cookie-cake dessert that we now affectionately refer to as a whoopie pie.
Described as a “New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition,” whoopie pie historians have decided that it has its origins in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country (think Lancaster County). Legend has it that Amish women baked off leftover cake batter into cookies that they then sandwiched together with frosting. The women would put the treats into farmer’s lunchboxes and upon finding them the farmers would yell “Whoopie!!” thus lending the name we know it by today. Just like classic myths, long-time residents of Maine have a similar story to the Amish one, though it has been decided that Amish migrants brought the dessert with them to the Northeast. Now that Flavor Cupcakery has officially settled the debate on the roots of whoopie pies, here are some more facts about one of our most popular items!
- Though their name is iconic, whoopie pies have gone by many different monikers, including black moons, gobs, black and whites, Devil Dogs, and Twins
- Finding a recipe for a whoopie pie in a cookbook might prove to be difficult: the dessert can be considered a cake, cookie, OR pie!
- As we mentioned above, whoopie pies are believed to originally been made from leftover cake batter. The Maine legend paints the picture of a house wife putting the batter on a cookie sheet and shouting “Whoopie!!” when she realized that baking it up worked.
- The world’s largest whoopie pie was made in South Portland, Maine in 2011. It weighed 1,062 pounds! The previous record holder was made in Pennsylvania and weighed 200 pounds.
- The whoopie pie is the official treat of Maine (not to be confused with blueberry pie, the official state dessert)
- Whoopie pies are traditionally chocolate cookie-cake with a vanilla creme filling or a pumpkin cake with a creme filling.
- Flavor regularly offers sixdifferent flavors of whoopie pies! Chocolate Marshmallow, Maple Oatmeal, Walnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Mocha, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
