This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see our full disclosure policy for details.
Red velvet desserts always feel a little extra special, and they happen to be my husband Darby’s favorite flavor—which is always a win in my book. With their signature hint of cocoa, subtle tang, and rich cream cheese frosting, they’re the kind of treat that disappears quickly.
These Red Velvet Whoopie Pies start with a red velvet cake mix, making them surprisingly easy to prepare. Two soft and cake-like cookies are sandwiched together with a generous layer of homemade cream cheese frosting for a bakery-worthy dessert that looks impressive but couldn’t be simpler to make.
June’s Cake Mix Tip: A little flour and a chill in the refrigerator are the secret to turning cake mix cookie dough into, bakery-style whoopie pies.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- A red velvet cake mix does the heavy lifting. It provides the signature color, mild cocoa flavor, and foolproof consistency, so you get impressive results without starting from scratch. If you love this classic flavor, be sure to check out all of my red velvet cake mix desserts for even more easy and bakery-worthy recipe ideas.
- A little flour gives the cookies structure. Since cake mix cookie dough can be soft, adding flour helps the cookies bake up thick and sturdy enough to sandwich with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting.
- Sour cream adds moisture and that signature red velvet tang. It keeps the cookies soft and tender while giving them the subtle tangy flavor that makes red velvet so distinctive.
- Chilling the dough creates bakery-style cookies. A couple of hours in the refrigerator helps the dough firm up, which means the cookies bake evenly and hold their round shape beautifully.
- Homemade cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch. Rich, smooth, and just a little tangy, it pairs perfectly with the soft cookies and makes every bite taste like red velvet cake.
- Vanilla bean paste adds a little something extra. It gives the frosting a deeper vanilla flavor and those beautiful specks that make the filling look as special as it tastes.
What Exactly is Red Velvet Flavor
Red velvet has a flavor that’s all its own. It’s not quite chocolate, but it does have a mild cocoa flavor and a slight tang that comes from buttermilk or sour cream in the batter.
The tang is a big part of what makes red velvet distinctive, and it’s also why cream cheese frosting is the classic pairing. The richness of the frosting balances the flavor of the cookie perfectly.
And then there’s the color. That deep, dramatic red is part of what makes red velvet so recognizable, and it makes these whoopie pies look as good as they taste. It also makes this one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes!
If you love red velvet cake as much as I do, try all my other red velvet cake mix recipes!
Ingredients Needed
- Red Velvet Cake Mix: This is the base of the cookies and gives them their flavor and color and keeps the whole recipe super easy.
- Sour Cream: Adds moisture and a touch of tang.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: I love using this in the frosting because it adds a richer vanilla flavor than extract alone, along with those distinctive black flecks. It’s an easy upgrade that makes the finished frosting look and taste a little more special.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat here. Low-fat versions have a higher water content and can make the frosting too thin to pipe properly.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Filling Variations
While homemade cream cheese frosting is traditional in red velvet desserts, you can easily substitute it with another frosting. Here are some of my favorites:
- Cookies and Cream Frosting
- Biscoff Buttercream
- Cereal Milk Frosting
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Marshmallow Buttercream
How to make Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake mix and flour until evenly combined.
Step 2: Add the butter, eggs, and sour cream and mix with a handheld mixer {or by hand} until just combined.
Step 3: Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. You should get 24 cookie mounds. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Step 4: Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll each mound into a smooth ball and place about 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges and tops are set and the tops are just starting to crack. Move the cookies immediately to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Continue until all cookies are baked.
Step 6: For the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl and mix with a handheld mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely incorporated. Pipe a generous amount of frosting onto half of the cookies, then top with the remaining cookies to sandwich them together.
Expert Tips
- Whisk the dry ingredients together first. Combining the cake mix and flour before adding anything wet ensures the dough comes together evenly without overmixing.
- Don’t skip the chill time. The dough needs time in the refrigerator to firm up, and that’s what gives you round, consistent cookies once they come out of the oven.
- Roll the dough into smooth balls before baking. Taking a moment to roll each scoop in your hands makes a real difference in how uniform the finished cookies look.
- Wait until the cookies are fully cool before frosting. Even a little warmth will cause the frosting to slide, so patience here is worth it.
Storage and Freezing
Store the assembled whoopie pies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving so the cookies soften and the frosting becomes perfectly creamy.
They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag for best results.
Red Velvet Whoopie Pie FAQs
The cookies have a mild cocoa flavor with a subtle tang from the sour cream, and the cream cheese frosting adds a rich, creamy touch. It’s a combination that tastes a lot like red velvet cake in handheld form!
There’s so much you can do with red velvet cake mix! Of course, there are cakes like my Easy Red Velvet Bundt Cake and Black Bottom Red Velvet Cake. You can also make cookies like Red Velvet Oreo Cookies and Red Velvet Sheet Cake Cookies, or other fun treats like Red Velvet Cake Donuts, Red Velvet Brownies, and Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Check out all my red velvet cake mix recipes for tons of ideas!
You can bake the cookies a day ahead and store them unfrosted at room temperature, then assemble them before serving.
Vanilla bean paste is a thick, concentrated ingredient made from real vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and sugar. You can use it as a 1:1 substitute for vanilla extract in this recipe, or swap it the other way around if that’s what you have on hand.
Do you love red velvet cake mix recipes? Try these…
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Easy Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookies
- 1 box red velvet cake mix, {13.25 ounces}
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup butter, {melted}
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter, {softened}
- 4 ounces cream cheese, {softened}
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, {or vanilla bean paste}
Instructions
Cookies
- Cover a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine cake mix and flour, whisk until they are evenly combined. Add the butter, eggs and sour cream to the dry ingredients. Using a hand held mixer {or mix by hand}, mix the ingredients until just combined.
- Scoop dough onto the lined baking sheet using a medium cookie scoop {you should get 24 cookie mounds}. Refrigerate the dough scoops for 1-2 hours.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°. Take the chilled cookie dough and roll in your hand to form a smooth round ball. Place them about 2 inches apart on a silicone mat {or parchment paper} lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges and top of the cookie are set and the top is starting to crack. Move cookies immediately to a cooling rack to cool completely. Continue until all of the cookies are baked.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl combine butter and cream cheese. Use a hand held mixer to mix until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until completely incorporated.
Assembly
- Pipe a generous amount of frosting onto half of the cookies and top with the other half of the cookies. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These whoopie pies are also great refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would any cake mix flavor work? I’m allergic to chocolate which is in red velvet. Thanks!
Yes! You could substitute any cake mix with great results.
These are my husband’s favorite cookie. So easy and so good.