Maple Cream Pie
Whole Foods Market – Portland (Pearl District store, only.)
apx $3 (sold by weight at $7.99/lb)
To erase any confusion straight from the get-go, this is NOT, in fact, a pie. It is, as you can see, a sandwich cookie. One big, fat, muthafuggin sandwich cookie. I do not know why things like this – desserts that have nothing to do with pie (like whoopie pies, for example) – get called “pie.” Because it’s totally not pie.
What it IS is this: a big ass cookie. Two large oatmeal cookies, to be specific – with an obscene (i.e., way too much) amount of maple-y butter cream filling.
I used to buy this every now and then during moments of exceptional gluttony, and it seems to have been revived after a 2-3 year hiatus. And I have to tell you that it is even better than I remember it.
Okay…
First: The filling: NOTE: I scraped off at least 80% of the filling before even beginning to have my way with this beast. But even though there is far too much butter cream, it is very delicious butter cream – not the greasy, flavorless shit usually found on the top of overrated, overpriced and 
over-frosted cupcakes. It is stiff and firm – packed with sabor. I am not a big fan of most butter cream, but this…this is good. But a dab will do ya (I’m pretty sure you’re looking at a cube’s worth of butter in this single cookie). So I saved it. It is in my fridge now…waiting to be re-purposed. (Gotta get on that project, asap.)
Second: The oatmeal cookies. These stand alone, sans filling, as some of the very best oatmeal cookies I have ever eaten. The flavor reminds me a bit of the Mother’s Iced Oatmeal Cookies of my childhood, but soft and chewy instead of hard and crispy. And also of the cookies used in It’s Its ice cream sandwiches (thanks to my friend who reminded me about Its Its when I told him about this cookie yesterday). Man, they are oaty. Would you get a load of those oats? Look. Look at all of those oats. Seriously, look at them. And they use salt! (Thank you, WF bakers.) And…according to the ingredient list, they do not contain a spec of refined sugar; the only sweetener listed is maple syrup, which is used in both the cookie and the filling.
$3 may sound steep for one cookie, but let’s break it down:
- 2 cookies, each roughly 4 inches in diameter
- 1 fat layer of maple butter cream frosting
- It is easily a sharable cookie. Eating the whole thing in a single go is not advised.
So…in this regard it is a very fine value, indeed.
Bonus points for originality.
In sum, I cannot imagine loving oats, loving maple, and then not loving this cookie.
I see the “pies” very occasionally at Whole Foods markets in L.A. Did you notice if the package had the name of the maker of the pie/cookie. Maybe I could email them to find out where they distribute the product in L.A. You are right about their yumminess. Thanks for any help.
Hi Bob,
The maple cream pie is not a prepackaged cookie. It is made in-house, at a Whole Foods store in Portland. (Sorry I didn’t make that more clear in my post.)
In fact, I have seen it ONLY at one particular WF store in Portland (Pearl District/Downtown), and never at any of the other ones in town. Or at any WF in another city, for that matter. I doubt they distribute it all the way to LA, but maybe there’s a store down there that makes it? Here’s hopin.
Good luck – and thanks for backing me up on the amazingness of this cookie!
Joanna
Years ago I used to buy these at WF in Va. Haven’t had one in ages, but stumbled on your blot while searching tor a recipe. Now I simply MUST find one!
Hi Sarah,
I wonder if you could convince the WF in your area (are you still in VA?) to make it! I’m not sure whether or not they give out their recipes, but you could always try asking the store in Portland (where I’ve bought it recently) if they would part with it: (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/pearl/).
At the very least, they should be able to tell you the ingredients – and then you could try to recreate it. I do know that it contains no refined sugar at all – only maple syrup (in both the cookie and the filling. But there is more than a little bit of real butter in that filling. It is NOT vegan!)
Good luck – please report back if you strike maple cream pie gold!
Joanna
Ah I just found this post because I googled “whole foods maple cream pies.” They sold these in all Massachusetts Whole Foods when I was a kid, but when I was about 15 or 16 they stopped making them. I have craved one ever since, and now that I am pregnant I am really dying for one. Do they still make them in that store? Perhaps if I call and beg they can mail me some.
Hi Graceh,
I know what you mean, they really are a unique (and totally craveable) cookie. I’m pretty sure they still make them at that particular Whole Foods, and I know they make them at the WF on East Burnside (in Portland). Who knows, maybe they WOULD send you some. You should give them a call – there’s a chance they’d at least give you the recipe. Let me know if they do!
Anyone ever track down copycat recipe for these ambrosial cookie-pies? I fell in love with maple oatmeal whatever at WFM in Reston, VA – maple grabbed my attention, and it was love at first bite! But daggnabbit — that was in the early 2000s when I was in Reston several times a week, but when I went back, years later, no maple cream oatmeal sandwich anythings… But haven’t been able to get them out of my head…
Got back on the hunt last night when friends brought me a gallop of pure NH maple syrup made by their daughter and her huband… and I shared my thoughts re those marvelous confections and my friends remembered them, too… YEE-HAH!
Just now found a WFM recipe for maple cream cheese frosting and another WFM recipe for oatmeal cookie — both made with maple syrup only, NO SUGAR.
BINGO!
So I’m going to experiment as soon as I get my hands on cream cheese!
Will share results -here’s hoping!
Hi Lauren,
No, I have never tracked down a recipe for them but to be honest, I don’t remember ever having tried very hard. I have not seen them at The Whole Foods stores in my area (Portland, OR) for YEARS (maybe more than 10) and weirdly was thinking about them only a few days ago.
I truly don’t believe it was a cream cheese frosting because I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting (or anything that features cream cheese in a starring – or even supporting role). But if I’m wrong and it was, in fact, cc-based, I want to know and I will eat my words. And also hopefully another one of these magic dream cookie sandwiches someday before I die.
Please report back with your results!