I reworked a box mix and pantry shortcuts into Red Velvet Whoopie Pies that hide a clever semi homemade swap and a surprisingly simple cream filling.

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Sometimes I crave something equal parts showy and lazy, so I made Semi Homemade Red Velvet Cake Sandwich Cookies. I used a red velvet cake mix and a smear of cream cheese frosting and ended up with these cheeky Whoopie Pies that look like I spent all day but i did not.

They’re a little smug looking, slightly messy, and kind of addictive. If you like bright color, soft cakey cookies and a frosting that refuses to behave youll want to know how they hide that boxed mix trick.

Promise, they taste more like a treat than a cheat.

Ingredients

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Red velvet cake mix: mostly refined carbs and sugar, gives color and flavor
Eggs: add protein, moisture and structure, make cookies hold together
Vegetable oil: supplies fat, keeps cookies tender, high calories, no fiber
Cream cheese: makes tangy creamy frosting, adds fat and some protein
Butter: gives richness and help set frosting, mostly saturated fat
Powdered sugar: pure simple carbs, sweetens and smooths frosting, very sugary
Heavy cream: thins frosting, boosts creaminess and calories, use sparingly
Vanilla: tiny but deepens flavor, no real nutrients, just taste
Sanding sugar: adds crunch and sparkle, purely decorative extra sugar

Ingredient Quantities

1 box (15.25 oz) red velvet cake mix, the boxed kind

2 large eggs room temp

1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola or neutral)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine salt (optional, but i use it)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk for thinning the frosting

1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the frosting

2 to 3 tablespoons red sanding sugar or sprinkles for garnish, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.

2. In a large bowl stir together the 1 box red velvet cake mix, 2 room temp eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the 1/4 teaspoon fine salt if you’re using it, mix until just combined, batter will be thicker than cake batter but soft.

3. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to drop rounded mounds about 1 inch apart onto the prepared sheets, press each mound down a little with the back of the spoon so they’re cookie shaped, or leave domed for a more cake-like cookie.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies, 10 to 12 minutes for larger ones, until edges are set and centers spring back a bit, don’t overbake or they’ll dry out. Let the cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. While cookies cool make the filling: beat together 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until smooth and no lumps remain.

6. Gradually add the 2 cups sifted powdered sugar while mixing on low, scrape the bowl, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk, mix and add the second tablespoon if you want a thinner, pipeable consistency; if it’s too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.

7. Taste and adjust, a little extra vanilla fixes blandness, if frosting is too sweet a tiny pinch of salt helps, chill the frosting 5 to 10 minutes if it’s too soft to pipe or spread.

8. Assemble sandwiches by spreading or piping about 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting on the flat side of one cookie and topping with a second cookie, press gently to spread to the edges.

9. Optional: press the sides into 2 to 3 tablespoons red sanding sugar or sprinkles for crunch and color, refrigerate the finished sandwiches 15 to 30 minutes to set the filling. Store in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C)
2. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Large mixing bowl, for the cake mix batter
4. Measuring cups and spoons (1/3 cup, tablespoons, teaspoon)
5. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop plus a regular spoon to press the mounds
6. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk if you want to do it by hand
7. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and spreading frosting
8. Wire cooling rack to cool cookies completely
9. Piping bag with small round tip or an offset knife/spreaders for filling and finishing
10. Small bowl for the frosting and a spoon for tasting

FAQ

Can I use a different cake mix or make the cookie dough from scratch?

Yes, any red velvet or chocolate boxed cake mix will work fine, but a scratch cake recipe will change the texture and might need you to tweak liquids and leaveners. If you go scratch, keep the dough a bit thicker than cake batter so the cookies hold their shape.

My cookies spread too much and come out flat. What do I do?

Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes, use a cookie scoop for even portions, and bake on a cool, lined tray. You can also cut the oil by a tablespoon or add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra cake mix to firm the dough. Bake until edges are set not fully browned.

The cream cheese frosting is too runny or too stiff. How do I fix it?

If runny add a little more sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If too stiff add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream or milk at a time until you get piping consistency. Always start with softened cream cheese and butter, and chill the frosting briefly if your kitchen is warm.

Can I make these ahead or freeze them?

Yep. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze them flat single layer, then stack with parchment. Filled sandwich cookies can be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge or at room temp to avoid sweating.

How do I get even, professional looking cookie sandwiches?

Use a small cookie scoop for uniform rounds, let cooled cookies rest on the sheet for a minute then move to a rack to cool completely. Pipe the frosting with a round tip or spread with an offset spatula, press gently to even out filling, and dip edges in sanding sugar if you want them pretty.

Any allergy friendly swaps for eggs or dairy?

For eggs try a flax "egg" (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water per egg) or commercial egg replacer but expect a slightly cakier cookie. For the frosting use dairy free cream cheese and vegan butter and it still works, just chill it so it stays firm.

{Semi} Homemade Red Velvet Cake Sandwich Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Eggs: 2 large eggs → try 2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let sit 5 min) for binding, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for moisture. Flax keeps structure but less rise, applesauce makes them a bit denser.
Vegetable oil: 1/3 cup → melt 1/3 cup unsalted butter 1:1 for richer, more cookie like flavor, or use 1/3 cup applesauce to cut fat (cookies will be softer not as crisp).
Cream cheese (8 oz): → swap with 8 oz mascarpone for a silkier milder frosting, or Neufchatel for a lower fat but almost identical texture. For vegan use a firm dairy free cream cheese but expect a slightly looser frosting.
Heavy cream (1–2 tbsp for thinning): → use whole milk 1–2 tbsp (thins frosting but less rich) or 1 tbsp sour cream + 1 tbsp milk if you want extra tang and still thin it out.

Pro Tips

– Chill the dough or scooped mounds if they feel too soft before baking, that way they hold their shape better in the oven and dont spread into flat pancakes.

– Pull them when the edges look set but the centers still feel a bit soft, they keep cooking on the sheet so overbaking = dry, trust the cooling to finish them.

– For the filling beat the cream cheese and butter until totally smooth, sift the powdered sugar in slowly so the frosting isnt grainy; if its too thin add a little powdered sugar, too thick add a teaspoon of milk at a time, and a tiny pinch of salt fixes overly sweet.

– Pipe or spread the filling only after cookies are completely cool, press gently to get even sandwiches, roll the sides in sanding sugar for crunch, and chill briefly to firm before stacking or packaging.

{Semi} Homemade Red Velvet Cake Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Louise Nightin

0.0 from 0 votes

I reworked a box mix and pantry shortcuts into Red Velvet Whoopie Pies that hide a clever semi homemade swap and a surprisingly simple cream filling.

Servings

servings

Calories

395

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350 F / 175 C)
2. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. Large mixing bowl, for the cake mix batter
4. Measuring cups and spoons (1/3 cup, tablespoons, teaspoon)
5. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop plus a regular spoon to press the mounds
6. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk if you want to do it by hand
7. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and spreading frosting
8. Wire cooling rack to cool cookies completely
9. Piping bag with small round tip or an offset knife/spreaders for filling and finishing
10. Small bowl for the frosting and a spoon for tasting

Ingredients

1 box (15.25 oz) red velvet cake mix, the boxed kind
2 large eggs room temp
1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola or neutral)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (optional, but i use it)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk for thinning the frosting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the frosting
2 to 3 tablespoons red sanding sugar or sprinkles for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
In a large bowl stir together the 1 box red velvet cake mix, 2 room temp eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the 1/4 teaspoon fine salt if you’re using it, mix until just combined, batter will be thicker than cake batter but soft.
Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to drop rounded mounds about 1 inch apart onto the prepared sheets, press each mound down a little with the back of the spoon so they’re cookie shaped, or leave domed for a more cake-like cookie.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes for smaller cookies, 10 to 12 minutes for larger ones, until edges are set and centers spring back a bit, don’t overbake or they’ll dry out. Let the cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cookies cool make the filling: beat together 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter until smooth and no lumps remain.
Gradually add the 2 cups sifted powdered sugar while mixing on low, scrape the bowl, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk, mix and add the second tablespoon if you want a thinner, pipeable consistency; if it’s too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.
Taste and adjust, a little extra vanilla fixes blandness, if frosting is too sweet a tiny pinch of salt helps, chill the frosting 5 to 10 minutes if it’s too soft to pipe or spread.
Assemble sandwiches by spreading or piping about 1 to 2 teaspoons of frosting on the flat side of one cookie and topping with a second cookie, press gently to spread to the edges.
Optional: press the sides into 2 to 3 tablespoons red sanding sugar or sprinkles for crunch and color, refrigerate the finished sandwiches 15 to 30 minutes to set the filling. Store in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze for longer.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.