Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies are decadent handheld treats that bridge the gap between a cookie and cupcake. The rich chocolate cookie/cakes are offset by the surprising salted caramel filling!
If you love whoopie pies like we do, you'll also want to try our funfetti whoopie pies and these red velvet whoopie pies!
Salted caramel and chocolate come together in this delicious whoopie pie concoction that I know you’re going to love! It takes the traditional chocolate whoopie pies recipe to a whole new level with a salted caramel frosting filling. If you have ever wanted a reason to learn better self-control, these little chocolate salted caramel cookies are possibly the best way to put yourself to the test.
I made dozens and dozens of whoopie pies in all different flavors for a church youth camp that I am a leader at every summer. Afterwards, I had so many requests from the teenage girls from camp (and subsequent messages from their moms) for the recipes, that I decided to share some of my favorite combinations on here.
Whoopie pies are just plain fun. Fun to make, fun to eat, and even fun just saying their name. Who doesn't hear "whoopie pie" and think, "yeah, I want to try that!"
Also, they freeze really well so we were able to make them well in advance and they tasted totally fresh once we got them up to the mountains. They are great for bake sales, kids parties, and more!
What is a whoopie pie?
A whoopie pie is a delicious pillowy cake-like cookie. Honestly, it is pretty similar to the tops of a cupcake while remaining slightly chewy like a cookie while stacked like a sandwich with delicious frosting in the middle.
So whether you consider these chocolate salted caramel cookies or chocolate salted caramel cakes, you’ll have an easier time just agreeing to call them whoopie pies.
How to make these chocolate salted caramel whoopie pies
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The dough is much softer than regular cookie dough and will stick if put directly on the baking sheet, so parchment paper is a must!
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and the salt until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and the brown sugar for 2 minutes using the paddle attachment until its nice and light. Add in the egg and vanilla, and beat it again so it's all mixed well.
- Alternate adding in part of the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing just until combined and beating after each addition. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it all gets mixed together evenly.
- Use a small scoop to drop batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the edges are set and the tops bounce back when you lightly touch them.
- Let the cookie/cakes cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
- Prepare the frosting by beating the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer for 3 to 4 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add in half of the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until it’s combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar. Add the salted caramel sauce, vanilla, and salt, and beat again on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or a large ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
- To assemble, pipe a layer of frosting onto the flat side of one cookie, then top with another cookie to make a whoopie pie. Try to match up tops and bottoms that are the same size.
How do you store whoopie pies?
For best results, I recommend storing your whoopie pies in an airtight container. This will help to keep them from drying out and if left at room temperature, they should be good for up to 1 week.
Should I refrigerate whoopie pies?
While you don’t have to put your whoopie pies in the fridge, you may find that keeping them cold can help to extend life by a few more days. Not only that, but I think the whoopie pies just taste better chilled. Just make sure that you have them in an airtight container.
Can I freeze whoopie pies?
If you want your whoopie pies to last much longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Place your whoopie pies on a cooking sheet so that they can freeze solid, after that, wrap each in plastic wrap and place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. Now you can pull them out whenever you’re hungry. Just let them come to room temperature first.
More Dessert Recipes Like This
- Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
- Soft Funfetti Whoopie Pies
- Smore's Bars
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- Caramel Oreo Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
- Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- The best Homemade German Chocolate Cake
- Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Cookie/Cakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
Salted Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup [caramel sauce] cooled completely
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar for 2 minutes using the paddle attachment until light. Add egg and vanilla, then beat again.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture with the buttermilk, beating after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl, just until combined.
- Use a small scoop to drop batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just done around the edges and the tops bounce back when lightly touched. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Frosting: Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the caramel sauce, vanilla, and salt, then beat again on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Assembly: Pipe a layer of frosting onto the flat side of one cookie, then top with another cookie to make a whoopie pie. Roll edges in additional sprinkles, if desired.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- To freeze, lay each assembled whoopie pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours. Then the frozen whoopie pies can be stacked in an airtight container with a square of parchment paper between them and stored for up to 3 months. Just thaw at room temperature for an hour before serving.
- Store-bought caramel sauce can be used in place of homemade. Just taste and adjust the salt as needed.
