NYC's Best Whoopie Pies

I’m a little sick of cupcakes.  The idea of mini-frosted cakes, but cupcakes require patience.  First, you’ve got to to peel off the baking cup, then come up with a strategy to maximize the cake-to-frosting ratio of every bite.  Ultimately, it ends in sticky fingers or unequal bites.  Which is I’m thrilled the whoopie pie is making a big comeback.  The whoopie pie is pretty much a hybrid of desserts — a cupcake, a cookie, and a cake.   New York Times writer, Michele Maynard, recently wrote, “The closest description may be a cake-like sandwich or sandwich-like cake.”   Here’s a rundown of our New York City favorites…

One Girl Cookies
68 Dean St. (btwn. Boerum Pl. & Smith St.)
(212) 675-4996
www.onegirlcookies.com
There’s so many charming things about this Brooklyn Bakery — the family photos on the boxes, the family-named desserts, the way the owner and baker met.   (Dave was looking for an apartment and a baking job.”  Dawn was looking for a roommate and a baker.)  Lucky for us, he opted for the job baking at One Girl Cookies.  His unique take on is a pumpkin whoopie pie filled with rich cream cheese filling.    

Wannahavacookie
www.wannahavacookie.com
Marisa Angebranndt’s serious about her whoopie pies (pictured above.)  I discovered Wannahavacookie at Brownstoner’s Brooklyn Flea, but you can order her sweets online.  Wannahavacookie offers everything from red
velvet to chocolate mint to chocolate chocolate.  My favorite is the chocolate with a salty peanut butter filling.   


Baked
359 Van Brunt St. (btwn. Dikeman & Sullivan Sts.)
Brooklyn, NY

(718) 222-0345
www.bakednyc.com

Baked excels at so many different desserts it’s hard to pick between all of them, and even harder to choose between the roster of whoopie pies (pictured right.)  Seasonal flavors include chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, strawberry, and pistachio. They change daily, so you’ll never tire of their flavors. 

Joyce Bakeshop
646 Vanderbilt Ave. (btwn. Park Pl. & Prospect Pl.)
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 623-7470
www.joycebakeshop.com
This shop bakes all of the classics — madeleines, financiers and an all-American whoopie pie. Their version is a chocolate whoopie pie with silky smooth marshmallow filling.


Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St., at W 11th St.
(212) 462-2572 
www.magnoliabakery.com 
You don’t have to be a cupcake connoisseur to know Magnolia Bakery and its worshippers.  As Magnolia continues to expand its empire, it’s also expanding its menu to include a “whoopie cookie” — maple cream cheese filling sandwiched between brown sugar cookies. 

Trois Pommes Patisserie
260 5^th Ave. (btwn. 1^st St. & Carroll St.)
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 230-3119
This Carroll Gardens bakery has recently gotten a lot of attention for its
whoopie pies, and rightfully so.  Pastry chef Emily Isaacs resume includes Esca, Union Square Cafe, and Picholine.  Isaacs’ whoopie pie looks a little like a pudgy Oreo —  a classic cream filling sandwiched between two chocolatey cookies.

Whole Foods Market
4 Union Square South (btwn. B’way & University Pl.)
(212) 673-5388
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Nothing beats fresh-baked sweets, but it’s always good to have an emergency stash in your apartment for sugar cravings.  If you can’t find a baker, head to the refrigerator section for Whole Foods’  whoopie pies. Their flavors include chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate chip, each with a thick buttercream filling.