Candy Cane Whoopie Pies (Soft & Fluffy)

Soft chocolate whoopie pies made from cake mix, filled with creamy buttercream and rolled in crushed peppermint chips. A festive, easy holiday dessert!

A Festive Treat. . .and Not Just for the Holidays

These Candy Cane Whoopie Pies are a festive twist on a classic treat, combining rich chocolate cake with a cool burst of peppermint in every bite.

Soft, cake-like chocolate rounds are baked from an easy cake mix base, then sandwiched together with fluffy vanilla buttercream.

To finish them off, the edges are rolled in crunchy peppermint chips, adding just the right amount of holiday sparkle and flavor. They’re simple enough for home bakers, yet special enough to shine on Christmas cookie trays, dessert platters, or gift boxes.

Candy Cane Whoopie Pie Ingredients

You will find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, as always. But here's a glance at what you're going to need to make the simple out-of-the-box treats! You might already have these ingredients in your pantry or fridge.

For the cookies

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup sour cream (key for softness)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional (for subtle peppermint):

• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (optional—go light since the edges will be pepperminty)

Buttercream Filling (Classic & Stable)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, room temp
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1½–2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt (skip if you use salted butter)

Optional peppermint version:

• Add ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract (again—less is more)

How to Make Candy Cane Whoopie Pies

These are truly simple to make, and over-the-top delicious! You're going to enjoy this process, I promise. Here's how you're going to make them:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil sour cream, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat until the batter comes together. It will be thicker than cake batter but not quite as stiff as typical cookie dough.

Scoop 1½ tablespoons per cookie, spacing 2½ inches apart.

Put in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.

Cool completely.

Make the frosting by beating the room temperature butter, then adding the powdered sugar, milk (to get to desired consistency), vanilla, and pinch of salt (unless you use salted butter).

Beat frosting until fluffy and pipeable.

Assembly (Your Candy Cane Finish!)

Pipe filling onto the flat side of one cookie.

Sandwich with a second cookie.

Roll the edges in crushed peppermint chips or candy canes.

Chill 15–20 minutes to set before serving or packaging.

Serve and enjoy!

What to Expect from these Whoopie Pies

Friends, I have to be honest with you: I'm supposed to be on a diet right now. But even the very idea of these whoopie pies is making me giddy. They were over well with my Christmas guests, who loved them so much!

Maybe it's the soft cake-like cookie. Maybe it's that creamy, buttery frosting in the middle. Or maybe, just maybe, it's those crunchy peppermint chips on the edges. All of those things merge together to form the perfect flavors and textures, not just for the holidays, but (truly) any time of year! Mint chocolate lovers are going to flip over this one, I promise!

Nostalgic Desserts are the Best

I’ve always had a soft spot for nostalgic desserts—the kind you’d find wrapped in wax paper at a bake sale or tucked into a lunchbox as a surprise. (That'll take you back!) Whoopie pies definitely fall into that category. There’s just something about two soft, cake-like cookies with a creamy filling in between that feels instantly comforting.

These candy cane whoopie pies were especially fun to make because they take a classic treat and dress it up for the holidays. Between the chocolatey cookies, fluffy buttercream, and peppermint crunch around the edges, they’re festive without being fussy—exactly the kind of dessert I love sharing with friends, neighbors, and family during the Christmas season.

If you enjoy easy, nostalgic bakes with a little holiday flair, you’re definitely in the right place at Out of the Box Baking.

Variations on this Recipe

I love these exactly like they are, but you know me: I also love to change things up! Here are some ideas that come to mind:

• Add half a cup of chopped Andes mints to the cake mix before baking. This will really up the mint flavor. Then, (if you like), roll the edges in Andes instead of peppermint bark chips.
• Not into mint? Just roll the edges in mini chocolate chips or even mini M&Ms for a richer chocolate flavor.
• Peanut butter fan? Add some peanut butter to the buttercream and roll the edges in chopped peanuts.

Really, the possibilities are endless! Just use your imagination, friends!

Other Minty Favorites from Out of the Box

If you love the bright, cool flavor of peppermint you're going to love all of these offerings! (We're crazy about mint, so we have quite a few!)

• Easy Doctored Brownie Mix with Mint Chocolate
• Delicious Mint Oreo Trifle
• Double Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Soft Christmas Peppermints
• Yummy Double Mint Chocolate Cookies
• Peppermint Brownie Mix Cookies

Thanks for stopping by!

That's it for this post. Before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?

About the Baker

Hi! I’m Janice, the baker behind Out of the Box Baking. I love taking familiar desserts and giving them a simple twist—especially when cake mix is involved. These candy cane whoopie pies were a fun reminder that you don’t have to complicate things to make something festive, delicious, and worth sharing.