The Cookie Jar

The treats were delicious. The donut holes are huge and very good and so were the cookies. We tried a gingerbread cookie, a whoopie pie and a butter cookie. They were all delicious. It would be really helpful if they labeled the items in their case because the girl helping us didn’t seem to want to answer any questions about the items and didn’t know much about them. We probably would have bought more if we knew what things were because it all looked good. Definitely worth a stop.

My partner and I were driving back to the hotel after watching the sunrise at Portland Head Lighthouse. I was trying to avoid too many sweets on this particular trip, but when we drove by, and I saw the donuts in the window, I screamed "STOP!" I am so glad I did because I was not disappointed. Probably some of the best donuts I have ever had, and I have had a lot of donuts in my lifetime. Definitely worth checking out :)

You want donuts or pastries here is where you need to go !!! Great place! We will be back Awesome job thank you

A must-stop when in South Portland! Apple cider donut was a little dry but tasty. Cinnamon bun was heavenly. We also got a couple items to take home as gifts for family. Workers were very nice. Lovely place for your sweet tooth fix!

Open super early! Adorable little shop with baked goodies and bottled drinks. They pretty much only make the bread portion of the goods, the jam stuffings aren’t made there. The cinnamon roll with old fashioned icing was drool-worthy!

Everything looked good but there's only so much one can eat in a day, right? We grabbed the raspberry cream turnover and some jars of jelly to go. Yum!

Cute little bakery with all sorts of goods! Doughnuts, hand pies, stuffed cookies, cinnamon rolls, turnovers, and more! Not too long of a wait when I went. They also have a discount day old rack that is still very tasty! Coffee and other drinks available. Can't wait to return!

You must go here. Even if you're nowhere near it you should still probably go ;) Amazing house made pastries including fresh Danish, huge and beautiful donuts, cookies galore, cupcakes and pies. Large shop with plenty of room to enjoy your treat. Large assortment of coffee by Coffee by Design. Helpful, friendly staff, and good prices! Just an unbelievably fantastic place.

Neighborhood joint that's serving up freshly made donuts and other baked goods. The Boston creme, is hefty to the point if I try to hold it in one hand with your fingers in the middle, it will droop on the sides. What an achievement. An array of donut flavors that makes it difficult to choose what you'd like (in a positive way). Pro tip for parents with little ones: the frosted sprinkled donuts on are the top of the glass counter. Whether you choose to notify your child of the location of said donut is your prerogative. Of note: would be great if one day they could put a flavor sign next to the correlating donut. Service is friendly and quick. Coffee is pour your own with rotating flavors, usually local selections. Don't miss the day-old pastry items (can vouch that the cinnamon rolls hold up) at half price and the display of local provisions on the center table. Cute, local spot. Parking can be tough.

We went here as tourist so maybe we just have a different perspective? The younger kid who served us acted very annoyed we were ordering from him- we were excited it was the last day of our honeymoon and we both questioned why their moods were so off in that place. The donuts were very dry. I wouldn't personally recommend

I tried the molasses doughnut today. It was insanely delicious, but also insanely sweet. I wish they would make them without the glaze. Update: I found out today that they do make them without glaze. Yay!

What a find! Nice old-school style bakery. Reasonable prices. Lots of good stuff to choose from - cookies (duh!); brownies; fruit squares; cinnamon buns; eclairs.....but the star of the show? Their DONUTS! OMG! So tasty and waaaay superior to the overly-hyped holy donuts IMO. The glazed donut, my fav, is large, supple and totally covered in a yummy glaze. Donut holes are huge and equally delicious! Definitely worth the trip!

This is always a favorite stop of ours on the way to Fort Williams. A quaint bakers with a large selection. We love the berry cream turnovers.

Whenever we are in Maine, this bakery is a must. Delicious donuts, cinnamon rolls (iced or glazed) and this trip mini eclairs. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but call ahead to place an order for pick up. The staff is friendly and responsive. A few blocks from the Portland Headlight.

The cookie jar bakery goes out of their way to be helpful and friendly. Several times I went later in the afternoon on busy summer days, and when I found what I like to pick up there was sold out, they've run out back and brought out a fresh batch. I love the blueberry bear claws, and really any puff pastry they make is excellent. It's consistently excellent. Love this place.

We were in town visiting from Orange County, California, and we had the best donuts that we had ever had in our lives! We went to the lighthouse to catch sunrise and stopped by on our way to New Hampshire. We also enjoyed some of the fresh dairy from Oakhurst Farms that is just not as accessibly fresh in California!

On a day trip to Portland, one of our main goals was donut acquisition. We've heard tell that Portland has many good donut shops, but we could only try one. We settled on The Cookie Jar, as sadly there are only so many donuts one can eat in a single road trip. We were not disappointed. The people were super friendly in helping us navigate the massive piles of donuts on the shelves. We settled on chocolate glazed and chocolate coconut. I couldn't quite bring myself to try the molasses donut, as it was not a sure thing. The lady behind the counter recommended a donut hole version so we could try it. Sold. The chocolate and coco-choco were excellent donuts. - Dense, with the exact right amount of glaze. - Sweet, but not too sweet. - The size and weight of your friggin head Check, check, and check. They were far better than the average donut, and really reminded us of donuts from when we were kids. The molasses donut hole on the other hand was above and beyond. I absolutely loved it. If I had not just consumed my body weight in donut, I would have gone back in just to get another. Not to be missed. If you're in the market for donuts or other baked sweets, this is a great place just outside of town. It's easy to get in and out of, with on site parking which is a huge bonus compared to some of the others. I don't know if it's the best donut in the Portland area, but I'm not sure I need to try another place to find out.

I come too Maine once a year for a week and the one time I want to go it's closed but the food is great please change your schedule

Rolling through on my way down the coast and saw this little place. Some of the best baked goods I've ever had. Tender, moist, not overly sweet. Apple cider donut holes 10/10. I also had a flakey pastry stuffed with apple crumble. That was equally delish!!

Omg. Wandered upon this place while out for a drive. I got their last blueberry donut and fell in love. We went back a month later and they had sold out of the blueberry. No matter. We bought a mix of 6 others and they were equally phenomenal!

Been coming here off and on for a few years. Had to say probably my last time. Donuts were dry and the woman who waited on me was less than pleasant. Not the first time she's been rude. Gotta say I'm disappointed in how things have gone down hill.

So many wonderful pastries...the smells and tastes of the pies take me back to my Nana's kitchen. Was surprised there were things like chicken stew... it was excellent! Service was wonderful!

Stopped in on the way back from the Portland head light and loved everything I tried here! I tried a few donut hole flavors: blueberry glazed, chocolate glazed and regular glazed. Also tried the cheese danish and blueberry danish. Loved them all - delicious. Everyone was super friendly. Great stop!

3/5 for donuts (mix of pretty good and off-putting) Pros: -Nice staff -Large variety of baked goods -Inexpensive Cons: -Off-putting flavor on the yeast donut with chocolate frosting -Online order form might not actually work -- Short line around 9:00AM on a Saturday Staff recommendation: Boston Cream Overall, the yeast dough was fairly light and fluffy and the cake donuts were moist. $7.74 for 4 donuts: Chocolate Glazed Cake Glazed chocolate cake donut. At 8 ounces(!!), this donut was 3 times the weight of other chocolate cake donuts we purchased that day. The glaze was thick and a bit sweet but it was very moist inside. I'd consider getting this donut again. Honey Dip Plain glazed yeast donut. Not totally glazed, but a decent donut. Boston Cream Yeast donut with standard vanilla pudding filling (not overly sweet) and chocolate icing. This was fine, but I wouldn't order again. Chocolate Frosted Glazed yeast donut topped again with chocolate icing. The chocolate icing on this one tasted really off--different than the frosting on the Boston Cream. We couldn't get past it--avoid!

Awesome bakery! Great variety of doughnuts, cookies, pies, breads, and drink selection. They use real meringue on their pies. Ricotta in the cannoli. Doughnuts are the fluffy doughy type and are delicious. It's refreshing to find a bakery that still makes goodies the "old fashioned " way. They also have a great selection of "Natalie's" brand juices.

What a hidden gem. I read on Reddit about this place that compared donuts from Holy Donut, Tony's, and somewhere else I can't remember. There was a comment that was "you're all wrong, it's Cookie Jar" and a bunch of locals comically replied "shut up! don't let the tourists find out and make the place slammed and impossible to order from!" As a tourist who did try Holy Donut, then stumbled upon Cookie Jar during my drive to Cape Elizabeth, oh my god. Cookie Jar has THE BEST donuts I've ever had in my entire life. The boston creme donut was amazing, but the donut that was lifechanging is the blueberry! Also fun that this place also shares a name with a place in my favorite Hallmark Christmas movie. Such wonderful service and remarkably delicious treats!

Best donut holes I've ever had. Great variety of baked pastries and other dessert items. Staff is so friendly. A must try!

2 words: Cream Horns. They are HUGE and the absolute best I have ever had. They also have great doughnuts, scones, turnovers and cookies. The people are kind and helpful. This is not a trendy hot spot, it's been been around for decades. They are bakery that makes amazingly good classic style pastries.

I've heard so much about this place ever since I moved to Maine; and finally I got to see what all the fuss was about. Oh my! My taste buds were not prepared for such goodness. The glaze donuts were so thick with the perfect amount of melt in your mouth sweetness. The sugar cookies held the perfect softness, the chocolate chip cookies were absolutely perfect. And the cupcakes were sheer delight. And lastly the crowd favorite Raspberry cookie speaks for itself. I know in my heart that The Cookie Jar is going to be one of my favorite places...and I don't even mind taking the 15 minute walk to get there! I love you Cookie Jar....my new best friend!

Every time we are in the area, my kids and I just HAVE to stop here. We start out with a sample from the tray they so kindly leave out. It doesn't matter what you pick, you won't be disappointed. We've tried just about everything: the cookies, cream horns, whoopie pies, cannolis, Cinnamon buns, muffins, donuts and more. Everything is fresh and generous in size, as well as affordable. If you are hosting a brunch or even need a wedding cake, hit them up!

Prices were reasonable. Staff was kind. We passed this place on our way to the lighthouse. Since we stopped in around 3:15, inventory was selective but the chocolate chip cookies & Very Berry muffin were exceptional. I am sad though that they didn't have biscuits available, as that was my main reason for stopping in. Overall a good place to sit and enjoy some treats

Reddit told me that this place is most loved by Portland locals! I got their famous red velvet donuts. It was a cake donut that was dense but moist in the best way, has subtle flavor, not sweet at all, and the outside was slightly crunchy. This would be by everyday donut! (Not just because red velvet is one of my favorite dessert flavors hehe)

One of the best donuts I've EVER had. Way better than the other Maine favorite (Holy Donut). This place has charm and seems to be Cape Elizabeth's little secret. 10+ kinds of Coffee By Design coffee for a super cheap price. Multiple flavors of donuts. And they don't mess around with the donut sizes, I munched on mine all afternoon!

I've lived in Portland for a long, long time and always skipped over The Cookie Jar, thinking (in my snobbish Portland way) that it was "good for SoPo" but not really "good." OMG I was so wrong, and am now apparently doomed forever to crave their pastries. I shared an eclair and a cinnamon roll and almost challenged my dining companion to arm wrestle for his half. Gave him the scone, which was good enough, and we compromised. Next time, I'm heading straight for the Bismarcks and turnovers. Yum!

After leaving. Lobster dinner and sunset at the beach, I was feeling extra Vacationy and wanted a fun dessert. Went for a lobster shaped cookie. Now, usually sugar cookies with sugar sprinkles are not my thing, but even at 6pm this cookie was so fresh and delicious! I was very glad I came here. I also had the giant cinnamon roll donut. I can't remember the price but something that large for under $2 was awesome. The other food choices looked amazing but I had my heart set on a lobster shaped cookie. Donuts, pastries, 3-4 FULL coolers of different drink choices, coffee to the right, bottled maple syrup. The parking was extremely complicated especially being in the front of the bakery, and literally fading into the road. It's next to a car service and another store. Not their fault. I only say this because I want others to be careful.

Absolutely love this place! Was in town for the weekend a few months back and came across The Cookie Jar. It's absolutely adorable & has so many yummy looking treats! I'm gluten free so unfortunately I was unable to try all of the goodies but thankfully they had gluten free cupcakes! Finding a good gluten free dessert is almost impossible for me but let me tell ya, this was the BEST gluten free cupcake I have EVER had! It was so so sooo yummy! Next time I'm in Maine I will definitely be stopping by The Cookie Jar! Keep up the good work!

Look no further for the best donuts, cakes, pies, and sweets around! and did you know they also sell soup??? you won't be disappointed, you will be back for more!!! The owner made my wedding cake and did an absolutely beautiful job. It was so beautiful ... and so good that guests were eating it for breakfast the morning after the wedding 10/10 recommended!!!!!!!

The Cookie Jar bakery has been recommended to me by so many people. When I needed to order a birthday cake recently I once again asked around who is best and The Cookie Jar was it. Ordered on a Wed or Thurs, picked up for Saturday. We got a 7" round almond cake with almond buttercream frosting (obviously LOVE almond!) for a group of 5. It was well decorated and neatly written. They showed it to me and asked "does it look good?" to be sure I was happy which I appreciated prior to being rung up by a nice and polite staff person. The entire family loved the cake- excellent flavor and consistency, a tad less moist cake than ideal, but SO good! The 7" size we had was plenty for 5 of us with seconds the next day. Other offerings were hot Coffee By Design local coffee and large cases of MANY amazingly good looking treats and also a few breads. I will be back to try the many flavors of donuts in the near future for sure! Highly recommended!

We got 6 donuts, a couple of cookies, 4 cinnamon buns and a juice for $21. What a steal! The donuts are the big traditional style, mostly cake donuts but a few raised. My favorite was the strawberry bar or twist thing. The traditional honey dip was huge and fluffy. I had read about the raspberry cookies and I'm so glad I grabbed a couple of them because the filling was delicious! My only complaint is that I wish they had little signs in front of everything so you know what they are. All in all, I am excited to try them again

Absolutely lovely! We ordered blueberry turnovers...and oh how delicious they were. They were flaky on the outside with the most delicious blueberry filling on the inside. The Cookie Jar has many tasty options with exceptional prices. Wonderful experience!

So many choices, a mix of classics and more unique options. No frills, because they don't need them. Quality fresh baked goods. The apple cider donut bites are the best!

3.5 Cute bakery with loads of baked goods on display. We only got to try the raspberry bismark and it was a solid treat! Wish we got to try their donuts but were way too full on sweets to purchase.. maybe next time!

Raspberry filled cookies is UNbelievable, I'm not a huge raspberry guy either. Really nice people and super affordable prices, highly recommend this place if your coming or going to lighthouse!

I will admit that sometimes I wake up and take the 30 minute just for donuts. They are worth it. Not many things in life are worth a drive that far in the morning since I really don't like the morning but the variety of donut choices and the fresh bakery smell will leave you wanting more. Yum! They are priced quite reasonably as well and I never ever leave with just one. I have attended a few parties where they serve cakes and cupcakes from the cookie jar and I always throughly enjoyed them, they were the right out of sweet and moist. This year for my birthday however my husband got me a chocolate chocolate cake from here and I must say I was disappointed, it was incredible dry and dense. I would not return for another as I know another local bakery much closer that does a far better job but the donuts are divine and I will return!

Excellent coffee - no frills family bakery. I love the fact that they open at 6am. Fresh croissants and delicious donuts - classics (frosted jelly, glazed...) - reminds me of my local bakery shop back in England.

If you want the best donuts in all of Maine you found the place, they are baked through the night and put out fresh every morning at 6, the owner is always there and takes pride in his baking. They also have a wide variety of other pastries that are equally delicious as well as cakes and a selection of home made sandwiches.

These donuts are incredible!! We haven't even tried anything else because the donuts are where it's at. We have gotten the Boston cream, raised chocolate glazed with sprinkles, maple cream filled, and the raspberry bismark. The filled ones have a great amount of filling (always the potential downfall of filled donuts), the glazes on top or powdered sugar is plentiful. The donuts are moist and very big. It's a small store but there are a few tables to dine at. They usually have some samples of various items to try, and they have a nice coffee selection available. I always look forward to coming here!

This place is about as old school as it gets. Awesome donuts and ridiculously good cakes,.

I'm going to expose my bias: I came here on a specific mission today and this was not my first choice, but will be next time. Today is the one year anniversary of my father's passing and his favorite thing to do with me was go get lemon Bismarck's and listen to Metallica and go for weekend drives. Raddest dad around, right? Well, since moving to Gorham in January I have not for the life of me been able to find a bakery that makes lemon bismarcks and is open with regular hours. I'm going to be honest here, TCJ doesn't have lemon bismarcks on their menu, but I called ahead to see if there was any chance in hell this could happen for me, not disclosing the very sentimental reason. Not only did they say they would make them special for me, they did it right that second. HOLY SERVICE, BATMAN! When we walked in the door the place was packed, with a line curving around the bakery counter and three very busy but pleasant employees. When one said hi to me I told her I had called earlier. She smiled and said "we already made them!" and the bismarcks in question were waiting for me neatly packed at a register. This tiny little act of good service probably meant nothing to these people by it meant everything to me today---everything--as I got to have that little piece of home and my dad. Stop crying. It gets better. Let's talk about a real review, here: Product: A+! The thing was HUGE and delicious. Two was too much food, haha. Lumberjack dad would have loved it. Homemade, flaky, rustic, amazing. Price: I paid five bucks for the experience. Win. Win. Win. Convenience: not too far out of the way and with decent parking. And it's in the cape so drives afterward are stunning. Can't complain there. Overall: I'm going back a thousand more times. The feel is very retro. Like when my nana used to force me to church under the premise that donuts were happening after, and that makes me really happy. Between the product and the service and the feels I can't say enough good things about this place. In comparison I have to note: Westbrook and Gorham were both let downs all around. One bakery wasn't even open today. It's Sunday people. Have some respect for confections.

Oh heavens help me - now that I've discovered the magic and wonder of the Cookie Jar, I might have to switch to wearing elastic waist-banded pants. I can only speak to the donuts - because that's what I ordered, but if the other fare is as good as the donuts (I hope to find out VERY soon) you will be quite pleased. I'm sure it is, this place does amazing food. OMG, those donuts. Like Dunkin Donuts USED to make all those years ago, before they changed the recipe and started making them in some factory located in "tasteless town." The chocolate glazed donuts were HUGE, they TASTED LIKE CHOCOLATE, and were crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. In a word: perfect. I still think of those donuts and it has been weeks since I visited. The butternut crunch donuts were to die for as well. As were the chocolate/vanilla glazed crullers. I could go on but why? This place is amazing. GO. HERE. NOW!

Highly recommend. Long standing neighborhood bakery. The best donuts, delicious muffins, cookies and cupcakes. Cant go wrong here. Enjoy

Okay people, the donuts here are fantastic! I didn't make it to Holy Donut on my trip. My friend who lives in Portland said The Cookie Jar has better donuts (I never eat donuts, so after Cookie Har and Hifi, I couldn't eat anymore!). I got a few donut holes and the red velvet donut. The strawberry hole was sooooo gooood! The red velvet donut melted in my mouth. I've never seen and tasted such a big, fluffy and moist donut! The Cookie Jar is a couple miles outside of downtown, not touristy, no lines and many flavors to choose from. Def worth to go! Do you ship?!

All you need is the raspberry Bismarck. Done and done. This goes on the top donuts list of all time. Perfect cream to raspberry to donut ratio. It's sweet, but the right sweetness. Hubby and I split and that was perfect. You could share with more people, but you might end up sad. Get a knife and fork, pack it up and take it to Fort Williams Park and enjoy on the water. For less than $3, you can enjoy the goodness. Major points for making us one fresh late in the evening. Employees were really nice and helpful, offering suggestions.

Wow! Delicious donuts, so glad we stopped here while visiting the Portland area. Do yourself a favor and stop in here! Also, the service was outstanding. This was definitely the best way to kick off our day!

This place was mobbed. Seemed like a place for locals and tourists alike. Fresh baked goodies, with a couple gluten free and vegan options. I believe there was also warm cider as well. It seems like the gathering hole in this small town. Just adorable. **Update: I went back last weekend Nov 2016 with my BF and we ordered an assortment of items to go. The donuts holes were delicious, and I quote my boyfriend on this one "THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE". I've already messaged the chef to see if I can place an order that could be mailed to us in Florida!

Just visit- you'll be so happy you did! Wonderful baked goods- donuts to die for!!!!

I don't normally buy from a store that doesn't display their prices but I'm definitely coming back here! Donuts were amazing and bismark was better!