We all have a nostalgic connection to the sweet treats we ate as children — especially pastry chefs. Many of them pull inspiration from the textures and flavors of their favorite store-bought cookies, even serving “grown-up” or modernized versions of them at their restaurants. But although pastry chefs might be capable of improving upon mass-produced cookies, they too have a soft spot for the original thing. Here are nine supermarket cookies that they keep stocked in their pantries for a quick treat.
Keebler Coconut Dreams
Food & Wine / The Ferrero Group
If you crave Samoas when it’s not Girl Scout season, do we have good news for you: Keebler Coconut Dreams are almost identical. In fact, Little Brownie Bakers, one of Girl Scouts’ cookie suppliers, has the same parent company as Keebler. Just like Samoas, Coconut Dreams are shortbread cookies coated in caramel and toasted coconut, with a milk chocolate fudge drizzle.
“I’ve always loved the combination of coconut and chocolate, and the caramel in them works exceptionally well,” says pastry chef Erick Rocha of Corima in New York City. “They are perfect with a glass of milk and evoke a festive holiday feeling.”
Caitlyn Cole, a pastry chef at Rêve in Birmingham, Alabama, buys a bag whenever she can’t get her hands on Samoas — even if she’s partial to the Girl Scouts’ version. “I swear they still taste better out of the box,” she says.
Tate’s Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Food & Wine / Tate’s Bake Shop
Tiara Bennett, owner of The Pastry Box in New York City, is a fan of Tate’s Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies. “They’re the only cookies that still taste the same to me after all these years,” she says. “The texture and the chocolate never fails.
Lindsey Baruch, content creator and author of the upcoming cookbook, Something Delicious, swears by any flavor of the thin, Hamptons-born cookies. “Tate’s always feels like I’m eating a cookie from a local bakery, but they are easily accessible across most grocery stores,” she says. “I love the chewy texture, along with the snap and crunch.”
Nabisco Pinwheels
Food & Wine / Nabisco
Growing up, Ashley Dahlke, owner of Lo-Fi Coffee House in Elgin, Texas, always packed Pinwheel cookies in her cooler for family camping trips. “They’re soft chocolate cookies, topped with way too much marshmallow and dipped in chocolate.” Available at select grocery stores, the Nabisco product is akin to Mallomars, but with a chocolate wafer base instead of graham cracker. And, just like Mallomars, they taste even better cold, according to Dahlke.
Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies
Food & Wine / The Ferrero Group
Animal crackers are fine, but when they’re frosted and covered with sprinkles, they’re extraordinary. They’re a favorite of Sarah Sanneh’s, cofounder of Heap’s Ice Cream and Pies ‘n’ Thighs in Brooklyn. “The crunchy, yogurty frosting, crumbly, slightly orange-scented animal cracker, and crunchy sprinkles are a combination I never get sick of,” she says.
Keebler Pecan Sandies
Food & Wine / The Ferrero Group
“My favorite store-bought cookies are Keebler Pecan Sandies,” says Amanda Perdomo, pastry chef of Jr & Son in Brooklyn. “I am obsessed with the mouthfeel and chew. The flavor is toasty, buttery, and just the right amount of sweetness. It’s a cookie that reminds me of my childhood and makes me feel nostalgic.”
Lotus Biscoff
Food & Wine / Lotus Bakeries
“I can never resist a Biscoff cookie,” says Sofie Schlieben, corporate pastry chef of JF Restaurants. The crisp, Belgian speculoos cookies (and iconic in-flight snack) have a toasty, caramelized flavor. “To me, they’re the perfect all-day treat. I love dipping them into coffee or hot chocolate, but they’re just as wonderful crushed into a cheesecake crust or ground into cookie butter. Now that they’re so widely available, they’ve become a true staple in my house.”
Walker’s Shortbread
Food & Wine / Walker’s Shortbread
You don’t have to travel to Scotland to enjoy high-quality shortbread cookies. Originally founded in 1898 in the Speyside village of Aberlour, Walker’s Shortbread is now available worldwide. “They’re one of the rare commercial cookie brands that always nail the texture and flavor,” says Natsume Aoi, pastry chef of Nami Nori and Postcard Bakery in New York City. “Shortbread can easily veer dry or overly sweet, but Walker’s keeps that perfect, crumbly bite with just the right level of buttery sweetness. Simple, classic, and consistently excellent.”
Fudge striped shortbread
Food & Wine / Walmart
“My favorite store-bought cookie is fudge stripes, and not even the Keebler brand — just the cheap generic brand,” says Candace Foster, pastry chef of Bayonet and Helen in Birmingham, Alabama. These simple shortbread cookies, popularized by Keebler but available from many grocery stores’ private labels, are drizzled with chocolate fudge. “I keep them in the fridge, as I like the crumbly crunch and cold snap from the chocolate underneath. They’re not too sweet and great with coffee.”
Oreos
Food & Wine / Nabisco
Who could overlook this classic cream-filled cookie? Pastry chef Georgia Wodder has a special connection to the childhood treat. They were invented at the former Nabisco Factory, now Chelsea Market, in Manhattan, just across the street from her restaurant, Crane Club. “They’re good on their own and they’re a perfect mix-in or topping for ice cream,” she says. “They make so many desserts better.”
