Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: They taste like your childhood -but better! Not quite as sweet and with the perfect hint of cinnamon.
Texture: My favorite part! The cookies are the perfect chewy complement to the rich and creamy filling.
Ease: Easier to make than you might think!
Pros: A better tasting and less artificial version of your favorite nostalgic treat.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely.
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Move over, Little Debbie. These Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies are about to become your new best friend.
I like to call these the “adult-version” of Oatmeal Creme Pies. No, they don’t contain alcohol; however, these cookies are decadent and so flavorful. With no artificial flavorings, these copycat cookie sandwiches are made with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
Remember how thin and squishy the store-bought cookies were? These babies are thick and chewy with a hint of spice from the cinnamon and chock full of the creamiest, smoothest buttercream frosting.
Free Cookie Customization Guide!
The science-based guide so you can bake perfect cookies every time!
What is it about fall that’s so nostalgic? Is it the cooler weather, the sound of leaves crunching under your shoes, the building anticipation for the upcoming holidays?
Whatever it is, I’ve been itching to recreate desserts that I loved growing up, and what better way to bring back the best memories of childhood than by recreating a dessert BETTER than what I had as a kid?
The best part about these cookie sandwiches? I guarantee the first bite will evoke all those childhood memories of sitting in the lunchroom and skipping over your sandwich to go straight to your Little Debbie snack while playing with your Tamagotchi, or, let’s be real… listening to Britney Spears on your Walkman.
I think you’re going to love these Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies. Or Oatmeal Creme Pies. However you spell it 😉
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pies
What are Oatmeal Cream Pies?
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies are soft and chewy oatmeal cookies filled with vanilla buttercream. I always found the original version left me desiring more buttercream in the middle. My Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies are thicker, more flavorful, and have the perfect cookie-to-frosting ratio.
How to Make Soft, Chewy Cookies for Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Measure Your Flour Correctly: I always recommend using a digital kitchen scale to measure your flour. It’s so easy to accidentally compact the flour into measuring cups, which can result in dry, hard cookies that don’t spread. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method instead.
- Don’t Reduce the Sugar: Sugar does SO much more than just sweeten baked goods. Learn all about sugar’s role in baking here.
- Eggs: This recipe uses two large eggs plus one egg yolk, lending moisture and richness to the dough. This makes these cookies softer and chewier.
What Kind of Oats For Oatmeal Cream Pies?
This recipe calls for old-fashioned rolled oats, which give the cookies that characteristic craggly look, chewiness, and flavor.
Can I Add Raisins or Chocolate Chips to my Oatmeal Cookies?
You can, though that’ll change the texture and add a little more height to your cookies.
The Sugar in Oatmeal Cream Pies
- The cookie recipe calls for both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar.
- I recommend sticking with the dark brown sugar if possible. The rich butterscotch flavor it lends complements the nutty oats beautifully.
- Dark brown sugar is made with more molasses, bringing more moisture to the cookies, and helping keep them softer for longer.
- You can use the same amount of light brown sugar if needed, but the cookies will be slightly lighter in color and may not be quite as moist or flavorful.
- Tip: Do you have granulated white sugar and molasses on hand? Learn how to make brown sugar!
How to Avoid FLAT Oatmeal Cookies
If your cookies end up flat, butter that was too warm is likely the culprit. When creaming butter and sugar, your butter should be at a COOL room temperature. 67°F is perfect – or even a couple degrees cooler if your kitchen is very warm. If your butter is too warm, your cookies will spread into flat puddles.
Just take a look at the cookie comparison below:
Does This Oatmeal Cookie Dough Need to be Chilled?
No dough chilling required! I don’t like to refrigerate dough made with oats for too long because oats are such a drying ingredient and really suck up moisture, and you don’t want the dough to dry up too quickly. If you wish to refrigerate this dough, you absolutely can – just avoid refrigerating longer than 48 hours – otherwise, you risk drying out your dough.
How to Store Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
Store Oatmeal Cream Pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving. The sugar in the frosting acts as a preservative, so these cookies can be stored at room temperature, but no longer than a couple of days.
Can I Freeze Oatmeal Cream Pies Whole?
Yes! Wrap Oatmeal Cream Pies individually in plastic wrap and store inside an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then let come to room temperature before serving. You can also scoop the cookie dough into balls and freeze those. Learn how to freeze cookie dough and bake from frozen here.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Cosmic Brownies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Bourbon Rye Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 3/4 cups (222 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at cool room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at cool room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (270 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats with a rubber spatula.
- Using a spoon or large spring-loaded scoop, drop 3-tablespoon sized balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Make the filling:
- Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer on low until combined, then beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Spread or pipe the filling on half of your cookies and use the remaining cookies to sandwich. Serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I made these and followed the recipe exactly, with one exception: I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar, as that’s all I had on hand. These were the perfect cookie, hands down. In fact, my brother-in-law said that these cookies may have been the best thing I’ve ever baked (and, I bake a lot). Here’s my tip: Bake until the edges start to brown, and remove from the oven. While the cookies are still hot, place the open end of a glass over each cookie and swirl the cookie inside the glass on the baking sheet. This will form the cookies into perfectly round circles. I can’t wait to make these again–thank you, Tessa, for sharing this recipe!
Hi! Can I freeze the dough to make ahead?
Hi Sarah! Yes, that will work just fine – or check out Tessa’s other tips for making these ahead in the Tip Box, just above the recipe!