Oreo Cookies Are the Real Pickle Pairing Your Taste Buds Deserve

By:Maxine Wally

Esquire

(Submitted Photo)

Sour, sweet, creamy, and crunchy

Ever try an Oreo cookie with a pickle slice on top? It might sound like the stuff of pregnancy cravings, but it’s a sour, sweet, creamy, and crunchy treat that satisfies all regions of your tastebuds. Consider The New York Times’ pickle and peanut butter sandwich on white bread, which divided the Internet last week, dead in the ground.

The tart snap of the pickle balances the sweetness of an Oreo, providing an incredible amount of juiciness to an oft-dry cookie crying out for companionship. There’s also a range of flavor possibilities: Don’t like dill? Top the cookie with a bread and butter chip. Perhaps you’re looking for more creaminess—pair that slice with a Double Stuffed.
The combo was born out of desperation. I couldn’t sleep one night and found myself scrolling mindlessly into an Instagram cooking video hole: disembodied hands under birds’ eye lenses, mise en place in perfectly portioned glass bowls. Somewhere in that hole, I came across a post boasting the benefits of the odd and tasty delight.
Both revolted and intrigued at once, I knew I had to try it.

At a dinner party the following evening, I gathered the courage to bring up the pairing to the remaining guests still hanging out and drinking wine. It just so happened that our hosts had a pack of Oreo Thins and a half-empty jar of spicy pickles on deck. Standing at a butcher block in the center of the kitchen, my friend sliced and crowned each cookie with a dripping sliver. We tossed them into our mouths and, almost in unison, emitted the sounds of our approval.
The hot, vinegar-laced pickle both cut through the sugar and added a succulent dimension to the Oreo. We chewed and nodded, nodded and chewed, until finally I said: “That’s good. OK, that’s really good.”

So meet your new favorite snack, and relish the reactions of friends who think you’ve finally lost it. And if you decide the combo’s not for you—well, now you’ve got pickles and Oreos in the cupboard. You’re welcome.