Whoopie Pie Pan from Williams-Sonoma

I had to giggle when I saw this new pan from Williams-Sonoma. Its utter specificity of purpose was just a little funny. But after I had my giggle, I found myself craving a whoopie pie, and then I started wondering if this little pan might actually have some true functionality in the baker's kitchen after all.

I could actually see using this for making thick cookies and individually-sized cakes for more elegant presentation, and even for individually-sized meatloaf portions. It could also be great for oven-baked pancakes, baked eggs, and mini-frittatas. The shallow wells are possibly more conducive to many individually-sized goodies than the sloped sides of the wells in deeper muffin tins.

And then of course there would be whoopie pies.

Do you own a whoopie pie pan? (And if you are, are you willing to 'fess up to it?)

• Find it: Whoopie Pie Pan, $24.95 at Williams-Sonoma

Related: Sweet Treat: Whoopie Pies

(Images: Williams-Sonoma)

Comments (16)

I had the same giggle this weekend when I saw these. I do not plan on buying one, it's just one more thing to clutter my kitchen.

I have something similar already, I think it came from my husband's side when we combined household. I've never heard of whoopie pies before (lolz), I use mine to make individual Yorkshire puddings.

hmmm... strangely enough I actually think this opens up a great world of baking possibilities. Mini cakes, muffin tops, cookies, mini custard pies...
I totally had no idea what a whoopie pie was until I met my now husband either!! And I have lived in US since I was 11.

... I want one of these. Horribly.

I have this mini-cake pedestal, and this would make perfect sized cakes. It would be SO CUTE. And it would have to be covered in rainbow sprinkles.

... but EZBake Oven pans are also the right size, and they're cheaper, but not non-stick.

@thisisnina -- No muffin tops! the only way to get a proper muffin top is to bake the whole thing and pop the top!

I could see myself building elaborate (yet tiny) layer cakes, lol.

Could you really use this for things that you couldn't use ramikens for?

The last thing I would use that pan for is whoopie pies. I've made them several times, and a cookie sheet is definitely the way to go. However, as others have said, there are tons of other desserts that would be fun to adapt for this pan.

@ScottyT, but how would you get mini-layers out of a ramiken? And don't you have to fuss with the timing and such if you bake a cake in a ceramic pan vs. a metal one?

Yeah, not so much for whoopie pies but other things would be fun in that pan.

I always thought that some of the charm of whoopie pies was that they are all rustic and hand formed.

I had one of these pans in my hands the last time I went to Williams-Sonoma. I put it back because I figured it was just one more pan that would only have one use. Now you bring up everything you could make with one. I may have to purchase one :)

Overpriced and not even necessary! You just drop batter onto a cookie sheet to make the little cakes.

I didn't have a Whoopie pie until I moved to the PA area, so I'm not surprised by some people not eating/hearing about Whoopie pies prior.

I wouldn't own one, just because even as a one-trick pony, the pan doesn't make sense. As Mocena pointed out, the charm of whoopie pies is the hand-crafted look. That edge is really getting on my nerves.

It would also probably be good for tartlets, instead of tons of indivual mini tart pans.

My mom just bought this pan and it's perfect, do wish it was double the size to make more though!

You could make an "egg McMuffin" type thing if you filled it with beaten eggs?

@ScottyT: A little Seinfeld reference?

I probably would never make whoopie pies, but I'm loving all the other ideas.

I love the labor of the whoopie pies. I can think of lots of great uses for this, but not for a whoopie pie. I use on small (1/2 T) ice cream scoop portioner to make small ones. I think it is quicker/easier than the pan would be.