The Complete Guide to Whoopie Pies: Maine’s Beloved State Treat

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In Maine, the whoopie pie isn’t just a dessert—it’s cultural heritage, legislated tradition, and a source of fierce regional pride. Since 2011, when the Maine Legislature officially designated it the state’s treat (distinct from the state dessert, which is blueberry pie), the whoopie pie has held a special place in the heart of New England culinary identity. But this deceptively simple confection—two rounds of cake-like cookies sandwiching a sweet, creamy filling—carries with it a complex history, passionate debates about origin, and a thriving modern culture that extends from century-old bakeries to annual festivals drawing thousands.

What Is a Whoopie Pie?

At its most basic, a whoopie pie consists of two soft, mound-shaped cakes with a creamy filling between them. The classic version features chocolate cakes with vanilla marshmallow-flavored filling, though modern variations have expanded far beyond this traditional formula. The cakes should be tender and slightly pillowy—more cake-like than cookie-like—and the filling should be fluffy but substantial enough to hold the structure together.

The whoopie pie exists in a curious taxonomic gray area. It’s been called a cookie, a pie, a sandwich, and a cake, depending on who you ask. In Maine, most people simply call it what it is: a whoopie pie. In western Pennsylvania, the same treat goes by “gobs.” Other regional names include “black moons,” “black-and-whites,” and “BFOs” (Big Fat Oreos)—though that last one is more colloquial than official.

What makes a Maine whoopie pie distinct from its cousins elsewhere comes down to a few key characteristics: the soft, tender texture of the cakes, the balanced ratio of filling to cake, the traditional use of vegetable shortening in the filling for stability and texture, and often, the inclusion of marshmallow fluff (Marshmallow Fluff, specifically, which has its own New England heritage—it was invented in 1920 in Lynn, Massachusetts).

The Great Whoopie Pie Origin Debate

Ask where the whoopie pie originated, and you’ll start an argument that’s been raging for decades. Maine, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts all lay claim to inventing this treat, and the evidence supporting each is frustratingly circumstantial.

Maine’s Case

Maine’s strongest evidence centers on Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, which has records of making whoopie pies commercially since 1925. This makes it the earliest documented commercial production of whoopie pies in the United States. Unfortunately, the original bakery burned down with all its early records, but the date of 1925 has been verified through other sources. Labadie’s continues to make whoopie pies today—now in its third generation of family ownership—using what they claim is the original recipe from nearly 100 years ago.

Maine folklore tells a charming backstory: farmers’ wives would use leftover cake batter to make small, portable treats for their husbands to take to work. These little cakes, sandwiched with whatever icing was left over from the day’s baking, became lunch-pail staples throughout rural Maine.

When Maine designated the whoopie pie as its official state treat in 2011, it was partly a response to what Mainers saw as an attempt by other states to claim credit for something they considered distinctly theirs. Amos Orcutt, president of a Maine whoopie pie makers’ trade organization, was reportedly “appalled and aghast” when a 2009 New York Times article stated that food historians believed whoopie pies originated in Pennsylvania. His lobbying efforts led Representative Paul Davis to introduce legislation recognizing the whoopie pie’s importance to Maine’s culinary identity.

Pennsylvania’s Claim

Pennsylvania’s claim rests on the Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch communities, with stories of whoopie pies being made in the early 1900s. The most popular origin story—and the one that supposedly gave the whoopie pie its name—involves Amish children discovering the treats in their lunch pails and exclaiming “Whoopie!” in delight.

However, there’s a problem: the Food Timeline, a highly regarded culinary history research project, confirms there is zero documented proof that whoopie pies originated in Amish communities. The earliest documented Pennsylvania whoopie pie recipes don’t appear until the 1960s, and Phyllis Pellman Good’s influential 1988 cookbook “The Best of Amish Cooking” notes that whoopie pies first appeared in the region only 30 to 35 years before publication—putting their Pennsylvania arrival sometime in the 1950s or early 1960s, well after Labadie’s was already selling them commercially in Maine.

Massachusetts in the Mix

Massachusetts enters the debate through the Berwick Cake Company of Roxbury, which was selling “Whoopee Pies” as early as the 1920s and officially branded them in 1928. Food historian William Woys Weaver discovered documentation showing that Berwick Cake Company workers from the 1920s recalled making chocolate cakes with vanilla fondant icing—a high-ratio cake made in industrial machines that probably tasted quite different from the whoopie pies we know today.

Some historians suggest the whoopie pie originated in Massachusetts and spread both north to Maine and south to Pennsylvania, carried by German immigrants or popularized through commercial distribution. The fact that marshmallow fluff—a key ingredient in many whoopie pie recipes—was invented in Massachusetts lends some credence to this theory.

The Marshmallow Fluff Connection

The Durkee-Mower Company, which manufactures Marshmallow Fluff, published a cookbook called “The Yummy Book” in the 1930s that featured a recipe for “Amish Whoopie Pie” using their product. This has led some to theorize that the modern whoopie pie as we know it—with its characteristic fluffy, marshmallow-based filling—may actually be a marketing creation rather than an organic folk recipe. However, this doesn’t explain the earlier documented production by both Labadie’s and Berwick Cake Company.

The Verdict

The truth is likely more complex than any single origin story. Different bakers in different regions were probably making similar treats around the same time, using leftover cake batter and whatever frosting they had on hand. What we do know with certainty is that Maine has the earliest documented commercial production (1925), the longest continuous tradition of whoopie pie making, and has embraced the treat as a defining part of its cultural identity in ways that other states simply haven’t.

As Julia Child reportedly said: “People who love to eat are always the best people.” Perhaps it doesn’t matter who invented the whoopie pie, as long as we’re eating them.

Maine’s Whoopie Pie Festival

If you want to understand just how seriously Maine takes its whoopie pies, visit Dover-Foxcroft on the third Saturday in June for the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival. Started in 2009 by the Center Theatre—just two years before the whoopie pie became Maine’s official state treat—this annual celebration has grown into the largest one-day event in Piscataquis County, drawing visitors from across New England and beyond.

The numbers tell the story. In recent years, the festival has drawn crowds approaching 10,000 people to a town with a population of around 4,200. In 2025, the festival moved to the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds to accommodate the growing crowds, after years of taking over downtown Dover-Foxcroft. Approximately 30 bakers participate each year, bringing roughly 1,500 whoopie pies each—meaning festivalgoers sample from tens of thousands of whoopie pies over the course of a single day.

What Happens at the Festival

The day begins at 8:00 AM with the “Earn Your Whoopie Pie” 3K race and walk, giving participants the perfect excuse to indulge later. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, the fairgrounds transform into whoopie pie heaven.

Festival attendees receive tokens to exchange for whoopie pie samples from the various bakers. In 2025, the festival ran short of the 8,000 tokens they’d prepared and had to send staff to the local hardware store to purchase 2,000 metal washers as replacement tokens—a testament to the unexpectedly large crowd. Each baker brings creative flavor combinations alongside traditional offerings, competing for multiple awards:

Best Traditional Whoopie Pie

Best Flavored Whoopie Pie

Most Creative Name

Best New Baker

Healthy Whoopie Prize

The Yankee Whoopie Prize

People’s Choice Award

Allen’s Coffee Brandy People’s Choice Award (for whoopie pies incorporating Maine’s unofficial state drink)

Recent winners have included creative flavors like “My Golly, Miss Moxie” (incorporating another Maine favorite, Moxie soda), Maine Blueberry Pancake, Apple Pie, and Allen’s Wants S’mores. The variety reflects how far whoopie pie innovation has come while still respecting tradition.

Beyond the whoopie pies themselves, the festival offers live music on multiple stages, over 100 vendors selling crafts and food, bounce houses and pony rides for children, magic shows, whoopie pie eating contests broken down by age group, and even wrestling demonstrations. It’s not just a food festival—it’s a full-scale celebration of community, with proceeds going to support the Center Theatre and other local organizations.

The Growing Pains of Success

The festival’s success has created challenges. In 2025, traffic backed up for more than a mile at times, and organizers are already planning improvements for future years. But these growing pains reflect something important: the whoopie pie has transcended its status as a simple dessert and become a cultural touchstone, a reason for people to gather, celebrate, and connect with Maine’s culinary heritage.

Whoopie Pies and Maine’s Festival Culture

While Dover-Foxcroft hosts the state’s dedicated whoopie pie celebration, these treats appear at festivals throughout Maine. The Yarmouth Clam Festival, one of Maine’s largest free-admission events, has been a summer tradition since 1965. Held every year on the third weekend in July, it draws over 100,000 visitors and features everything from clam shucking contests to carnival rides to fireworks—and yes, whoopie pies make appearances among the food vendors, alongside the festival’s famous strawberry shortcakes (400 homemade pies) and other New England treats.

The Yarmouth Clam Festival exemplifies Maine’s summer festival culture, where food traditions intersect with community fundraising (the festival supports approximately 30 local nonprofits) and regional pride. Whoopie pies fit naturally into this landscape—they’re portable, shareable, distinctly Maine, and carry that combination of nostalgia and celebration that defines summer in New England.

The Whoopie Pie Makers of Maine

Labadie’s Bakery: The Original

No discussion of Maine whoopie pies is complete without Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston. Still occupying the same small storefront it always has, now run by third-generation owner Fabian Labadie, this bakery represents living history. Their whoopie pie recipe hasn’t changed in nearly 100 years. They’re purists about their filling—made with sweet cream, no marshmallow fluff—which the current manager insists is what makes a true Maine whoopie pie.

Every Wednesday is Whoopie Pie Wednesday at Labadie’s: buy half a dozen, get half a dozen free. Locals mark their calendars for this weekly tradition. While Labadie’s offers a few creative variations (vanilla-on-vanilla with raspberry jam and coconut, or peanut butter filling with chocolate cake), they remain cautiously traditional. The classic chocolate cake with vanilla filling is still their gold standard.

Wicked Whoopies: Modern Maine Icon

What started as a home hobby—baking whoopie pies for friends who called them “wicked good”—has become one of Maine’s most successful whoopie pie operations. Wicked Whoopies in Freeport now makes approximately 10,000 whoopie pies per day and has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Food Network, and Good Morning America.

Located conveniently across the street from L.L. Bean’s flagship store in Freeport, Wicked Whoopies benefits from both the town’s tourist traffic and its proximity to one of Maine’s most iconic retail destinations. The L.L. Bean connection has become mutually beneficial—L.L. Bean now sells Wicked Whoopies mini whoopie pies in sets through their catalog and website, bringing Maine’s whoopie pie tradition to customers nationwide. Their assortments include holiday flavors and chocolate lover’s varieties, introducing people far from Maine to this regional specialty.

Wicked Whoopies offers both full-size and mini whoopie pies in an extensive range of flavors: classic, pumpkin, red velvet, chocolate chip, peanut butter, chocolate lovers, strawberry, and seasonal specials. They’ve built a business on the premise that whoopie pies can be both traditional and innovative—honoring the classic while pushing creative boundaries.

Other Notable Maine Producers

Cape Whoopies in South Portland has become known for upscale flavor combinations: salted caramel, Granny Smith apple, and maple whoopie pies that showcase Maine ingredients and contemporary tastes.

Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland offers a seasonally rotating menu that includes creative fillings like Irish coffee, pumpkin with maple, and lemon zucchini with wild Maine blueberry—showing how whoopie pies can adapt to showcase local, seasonal ingredients.

Katherine’s Bakery and Café in Norway won the 2025 Maine Whoopie Pie Festival’s Best Flavored Whoopie Pie award for their Apple Pie Whoopie, and also took home the prize for most creative name with “My Golly, Miss Moxie.”

Smaller operations and farm stands throughout Maine continue the tradition of baking whoopie pies fresh, often using family recipes passed down through generations. This is where you’ll find the most traditional versions—simple chocolate and vanilla, made the way they’ve been made for decades.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Maine Whoopie Pie

The Cakes

A proper Maine whoopie pie cake should be soft, tender, and moist—almost pillowy in texture. The cakes are typically made with vegetable shortening rather than butter, which creates that characteristic tender crumb and helps them maintain their soft texture even after a day or two. The traditional chocolate version uses cocoa powder for a deep, rich flavor without being overly sweet. The cakes should be substantial enough to hold the filling without breaking but soft enough to yield gently when you bite into the assembled pie.

Size matters, too. A true Maine whoopie pie is hearty—roughly the size of a hamburger. Some out-of-state producers make smaller versions, but in Maine, a whoopie pie should be a substantial handful, not a dainty nibble.

The Filling

This is where the debates get interesting. The traditional Maine filling combines marshmallow fluff with vegetable shortening (often called “oleo” in Maine homes), powdered sugar, and vanilla. The shortening provides stability and a smooth texture, while the marshmallow fluff contributes that characteristic light, fluffy consistency. Some bakers, like those at Labadie’s, insist that a true Maine whoopie pie should have a sweet cream-based filling instead—no fluff at all.

The filling should be fluffy but not airy to the point of insubstantial. It needs enough body to hold the two cakes together and provide structural integrity, but it should still feel light on the palate. The ratio of filling to cake is crucial—too little and the whoopie pie feels dry; too much and it becomes messy and overwhelms the cake flavor.

The Flavor Balance

The genius of a classic whoopie pie is in its balance. The chocolate cakes are rich but not overly sweet, with a deep cocoa flavor that verges on almost savory. The vanilla filling provides sweetness and creaminess that complements rather than competes with the chocolate. Together, they create something that’s satisfying without being cloying—you can eat a whole whoopie pie without feeling overwhelmed by sugar.

Whoopie Pie Flavors and Innovations

While the classic chocolate-vanilla combination remains the most popular, Maine’s whoopie pie makers have expanded the repertoire considerably over the past few decades.

Seasonal Classics

Pumpkin whoopie pies appear every fall, featuring spiced pumpkin cakes with vanilla or cream cheese filling. Gingerbread whoopie pies emerge around the holidays. Maple whoopie pies—made with pure Maine maple syrup baked into dense, moist cakes and paired with maple-flavored filling—represent Maine’s connection to its sugaring tradition and appear most commonly in late winter and spring.

Red velvet whoopie pies have become increasingly popular, offering that distinctive mild chocolate flavor and vibrant color with vanilla cream cheese filling.

Modern Innovations

Contemporary bakers have pushed boundaries considerably: mocha whoopie pies combine coffee and chocolate in both the cakes and filling; lemon whoopie pies offer a tart, refreshing alternative to chocolate-based versions; mint chocolate brings together chocolate cakes with mint-flavored filling; salted caramel incorporates the popular flavor pairing into both components; s’mores-inspired versions feature chocolate or graham cracker-flavored cakes with marshmallow filling, sometimes with added chocolate chips.

Some innovative bakers incorporate Maine ingredients specifically: wild blueberry filling or cakes, Allen’s Coffee Brandy (Maine’s unofficial state drink), Moxie soda, and local honey or maple syrup.

Healthier Variations

The “Healthy Whoopie” category at the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival recognizes that even a traditional treat can evolve to meet contemporary dietary preferences. Recent winners have included whoopie pies made with alternative flours, reduced sugar, or ingredient substitutions that maintain the spirit of the original while adapting to modern nutritional awareness.

Whoopie Pies Beyond Maine: The New England Connection

While Maine has claimed the whoopie pie most aggressively, other New England states have their own relationships with this treat.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has a legitimate claim to whoopie pie history through the Berwick Cake Company, though that connection is now historical rather than active. The state’s bigger contribution might be marshmallow fluff itself, which transformed the whoopie pie filling from whatever frosting was left over to a specific, reproducible recipe. Throughout Massachusetts, whoopie pies appear in bakeries and farm stands, though they don’t carry the same cultural weight they do in Maine.

New Hampshire and Vermont

These states have adopted the whoopie pie as part of their broader New England culinary identity, though neither claims to have invented it. You’ll find whoopie pies at country stores, farmers markets, and bakeries throughout both states, often made with local variations—Vermont maple syrup in the filling, for instance, or New Hampshire’s apple cider reducing into the cakes.

The Pennsylvania Exception

Pennsylvania deserves mention not because it’s New England (it’s not) but because the Maine-Pennsylvania whoopie pie rivalry has defined much of the modern discourse around this treat. In western Pennsylvania, “gobs”—essentially identical to whoopie pies—remain popular in Amish country and at roadside farm stands. The Dutch Maid Bakery in Johnstown even trademarked the term “gob” in 1980.

The key difference, according to experts, is that Maine whoopie pies typically use commercial marshmallow fluff in the filling, while Pennsylvania Amish versions use homemade marshmallow filling. In practice, though, the treats are nearly indistinguishable.

Maine’s whoopie pie has transcended regional specialty to become part of broader American food culture in recent years.

The 2011 Legislation

When Maine’s legislature considered naming the whoopie pie the official state dessert, it created national headlines. The bill, L.D. 71—”An Act to Designate the Whoopie Pie as the State Dessert”—sat on the docket between bills designating Vietnam Veterans Day and requiring state agencies to prioritize armories for meeting space. The image of Maine legislators debating whoopie pies captured people’s imagination nationwide.

The original bill described the whoopie pie as “a baked good made of two chocolate cakes with a creamy frosting between them.” Eventually, legislators decided to name the whoopie pie the official state treat and preserve blueberry pie (made with wild Maine blueberries) as the state dessert—a compromise that pleased both whoopie pie advocates and blueberry growers.

Record-Breaking Whoopie Pies

On March 26, 2011—the same year the whoopie pie became Maine’s official treat—bakers in South Portland created the world’s largest whoopie pie, weighing 1,062 pounds. It required a forklift to assemble the chocolate cakes and filling. Sections of the giant whoopie pie were sold to raise money to send Maine-made whoopie pies to soldiers serving overseas. This beat Pennsylvania’s previous record of 225 pounds by a considerable margin, adding another chapter to the friendly rivalry between the two states.

Media Attention

Whoopie pies have been featured on cooking shows including “Top Chef,” “Cake Boss,” and multiple Food Network programs. The Oprah Winfrey Show featured Wicked Whoopies. Ben & Jerry’s even created a whoopie pie ice cream flavor in 2002, though it has since been discontinued.

This media attention has helped spread whoopie pie culture far beyond New England, with artisanal whoopie pie shops opening in cities across the country and even internationally—shops in London and Hong Kong now sell whoopie pies, bringing this Maine treat to a global audience.

Making Whoopie Pies at Home

The beauty of whoopie pies is their accessibility. Unlike elaborate layer cakes or temperamental pastries, whoopie pies are fundamentally forgiving. The cakes come together like a simple chocolate cake, the filling requires no special equipment or technique, and the assembly is straightforward.

Key Success Factors

Use vegetable shortening in both the cakes and filling for authentic Maine texture. Don’t overbake the cakes—they should be soft and tender, not crisp around the edges. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature for proper emulsification. Let the assembled whoopie pies rest for at least 30 minutes before eating, allowing the cakes to absorb slight moisture from the filling and creating that characteristic slightly sticky texture.

Storage

Whoopie pies actually improve after a day. The cakes soften as they absorb moisture from the filling, and the flavors meld together. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to five days. They can also be frozen for up to two months—wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag.

Where to Find Whoopie Pies in Maine

The short answer: everywhere. The longer answer requires some geographic specificity.

Freeport

Freeport has become Maine’s whoopie pie capital, largely thanks to Wicked Whoopies’ location across from L.L. Bean. Visitors come for the outdoor gear and stay for the whoopie pies—or vice versa. The concentration of tourist traffic means you’re guaranteed fresh whoopie pies daily.

Lewiston

For historical authenticity, Labadie’s Bakery remains the pilgrimage site. This is where it all started commercially in 1925, and where tradition is maintained most carefully.

Portland

Maine’s largest city offers multiple options, from Two Fat Cats Bakery’s creative seasonal variations to simpler versions at smaller bakeries and coffee shops throughout the city.

Everywhere Else

Drive through any Maine town and you’ll likely find whoopie pies at the general store, the gas station, the bakery, or the farm stand. They’re ubiquitous precisely because they’re fundamental to Maine’s food culture. The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival website maintains a “Whoopie Zone” that tracks whoopie pie sellers throughout the state—a helpful resource for planning a whoopie pie road trip.

The Future of Maine’s Whoopie Pie

After nearly 100 years of documented history—and likely longer in undocumented home kitchens—the whoopie pie shows no signs of fading from Maine’s culinary landscape. If anything, interest has intensified in recent years.

The Maine Whoopie Pie Festival continues to grow, requiring new venues and infrastructure to accommodate increasing crowds. Small bakeries throughout the state continue to experiment with new flavors while respecting traditional formulas. Larger operations like Wicked Whoopies have successfully scaled production while maintaining quality, bringing Maine whoopie pies to national and international markets.

What makes the whoopie pie endure isn’t complexity or sophistication—it’s simplicity, nostalgia, and genuine deliciousness. It’s a treat that works equally well packed in a lunch box, served at a wedding, or eaten straight from the bakery bag in your car. It’s distinctly Maine without being exclusionary—anyone can appreciate a good whoopie pie, but Mainers know they have a special claim to it.

The debates about origin will likely continue. Pennsylvania will maintain its Amish heritage claims, Massachusetts will point to the Berwick Cake Company, and Maine will keep making whoopie pies the way it has for nearly a century, confident in the knowledge that tradition, cultural embrace, and documented history are on its side.

In the end, perhaps the most Maine thing about the whoopie pie isn’t where it came from, but what it represents: resourcefulness (using up leftover batter), practicality (a portable, stable dessert), community (shared at gatherings and festivals), and the stubborn insistence that Maine does things right—and has been doing so longer than anyone else cares to admit.

So the next time you bite into a whoopie pie—whether at Labadie’s in Lewiston, Wicked Whoopies in Freeport, a booth at the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in Dover-Foxcroft, or even at your kitchen table using a recipe passed down through your family—you’re participating in a tradition that’s uniquely Maine, fiercely defended, and absolutely delicious. And that’s worth saying “Whoopie!” about.

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