Martha Stewart Banana Whoopie Pies

Martha Stewart banana whoopie pies are soft banana cookie sandwiches made with ripe bananas, sour cream and cream cheese filling, ready in 45 minutes. Save this easy dessert for potluck night, baby showers or Easter brunch, because this party-sized batch makes 3 dozen cookies for a crowd.

Alternate the banana mixture and the flour mixture when you add them to the butter, and don't dump either in all at once. Skip that and the batter turns heavy and wet, so the cookies bake up dense instead of soft and cakey.

Martha stirs sour cream into the mashed banana before it ever meets the butter, which keeps the little cookies moist and gently tangy. Piping the batter into small rounds also gives you even, bite-size sandwiches with a tidy cream cheese center.

Martha Stewart Banana Whoopie Pies

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

36

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Calories

140

kcal

Little golden banana cookies bake up soft and cakey, then sandwich a tangy cream cheese filling. A light dusting of confectioners' sugar finishes each one just before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

• 1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
  

• 1/2 cup sour cream
  

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  

• 1 large egg
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
  

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
  

Directions

• Prep the oven and bowls: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Then sift 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt into one bowl.
• Mix the banana and sour cream: Stir 1/2 cup mashed banana into 1/2 cup sour cream in another bowl. Set it next to the flour mixture, since you'll alternate the two when you build the batter.
• Cream the butter: Beat 4 ounces softened butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. It's ready when it looks pale and creamy.
• Build the batter: Beat in 1 large egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until combined. Then add the banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the flour mixture, so the batter stays smooth.
• Pipe the rounds: Scoop the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch rounds onto the baking sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake the cookies: Bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden. Then slide the parchment with the cookies onto wire racks to cool, since warm cookies would melt the filling.
• Whip the filling: Beat 16 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla on medium speed. After about 2 minutes it turns smooth and spreadable.
• Fill and serve: Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the flat side of half the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve right away.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Riccle piping bags and tips set, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make banana whoopie pies ahead of time?

You can bake the unfilled cookies up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered. Fill and dust them just before serving, since the cream cheese filling softens the cookies as they sit.

How ripe should the banana be?

Use a large, very ripe banana with plenty of brown spots, since it mashes smoothly and tastes sweeter. You need about 1/2 cup mashed, so one banana is plenty.

Can I use a spoon if I don't have a pastry bag?

Yes, a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works the same way. Pipe or drop small, even mounds about 1 1/4 inches wide, so the cookies bake evenly and match up for sandwiching.

How should I store the filled whoopie pies?

Because of the cream cheese filling, keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and eat them within 2 to 3 days. Let them sit out for about 15 minutes first so they soften up a little.

What's the most common mistake with these cookies?

Filling them while the cookies are still warm is the big one, because the heat melts the cream cheese and it squeezes out the sides. Wait until they're completely cool on the racks.