Everything we love about classic store-bought desserts—think familiar packaged favorites—but with a homemade twist! These 12 copycat desserts to make at home recreate well-known treats with from-scratch flavor and bakery-style upgrades. From homemade Oreos to frosted brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts, I’m confident you’ll find at least one favorite worth baking again.
You know how one bite of a certain dessert can instantly bring back memories?
Over the years, I’ve created many recipes inspired by popular treats we all know and love—the snacks and sweets you’d normally grab off the shelf, but made right in your own kitchen. When a craving hits for something familiar, recreating it at home with real ingredients and fresh flavor is a fun and satisfying option. That’s exactly what this list is about!
When I think of the treats that defined my childhood snack drawer, cookies always come to mind. Recipes for oatmeal cream pies, thin mint cookies, homemade Oreos, and peanut butter cookie sandwiches channel the originals—just with richer flavor, better texture, and that unmistakable homemade touch.
If a treat with the unbeatable combination of chocolate cake + cream filling was your go-to, meet my chocolate cake roll and cream-filled chocolate cupcakes. The latter is one of my all-time favorite recipes. So much so that I included it in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101. You just can’t beat a classic!
I’d be remiss not to include one of the ultimate copycat classics: Pop Tarts—specifically frosted brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts. Making your own from scratch at home is easier than you think with my step-by-step photos and video tutorial. They’re usually considered a breakfast treat, but these absolutely count as dessert in my book.
Q: What’s your favorite copycat dessert recipe? Are there any others that you’d like to see on my site? Let my team and I know in the comments section below!
12 Copycat Desserts to Make at Home
Homemade Thin Mint Cookies
A homemade version of the popular Girl Scout favorite! These are wonderful when you can’t get your hands on the real thing!
Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
These completely from scratch pop tarts are made with my popular all-butter pie crust and a dreamy brown sugar and cinnamon filling.
Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
These are moist and deeply chocolatey cupcakes filled with fluffy whipped vanilla buttercream, and topped with a rich 2-ingredient chocolate ganache.
Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
Made with buttery cinnamon-kissed oatmeal cookies and a fluffy, sweet cream filling, I’m confident you’ll find that these homemade oatmeal cream pies are even better than the original.
Chocolate Cake Roll (Swiss Roll)
A nod to the classic childhood favorite, this chocolate cake roll combines light chocolate sponge cake with sweet vanilla whipped cream and chocolate ganache. The supreme dessert choice for chocolate lovers both young and young at heart!
Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches (Just like Nutter Butters)
While these crispy yet chewy cookies are undeniably delicious, the thick, creamy peanut butter filling is the true star that will have you coming back for more.
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
These iced oatmeal cookies are old-fashioned style with buttery soft centers, crisp chewy edges, plenty of cozy spice flavor, and a light coating of vanilla icing to seal the deal.
Homemade Oreos
With only 10 minutes of dough-chilling time and no rolling pin required, making a batch of these iconic sandwich cookies is quicker and easier than you think.
Mini Animal Cracker Cookies
Turn a simple 8-ingredient sugar cookie recipe into cinnamon-kissed homemade mini animal cracker cookies. Top with icing and rainbow sprinkles.
Family-Favorite Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
The addition of a little extra butter and marshmallow, plus a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, sets my rice krispie recipe apart from all the rest.
Ice Cream Cake (Choose Your Flavor)
This crowd-pleasing treat combines two of your favorite ice cream flavors, plus layers of Oreo cookies, homemade hot fudge, and whipped cream. Reminiscent of the frosty cakes you buy from your favorite ice cream store.
Striped Fudge Cookie Sandwiches
These delicious striped fudge cookie sandwiches are a play on the Keebler version!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts & they were absolutely delicious
Sally you need a cosmic brownie recipe. My family and I have loved everything we have made from you.
Hi Jamie, you might enjoy these frosted brownies!
Would love a copy cat recipe for a christmas tree cake!!!
This is such a great suggestion. I need to try a homemade version of those!
One of my favourite copycat recipe is the Oat Fudge Bar! From Taste of Madness – these are luxurious and better than Starbucks version ever was – it’s a lunch box fave in my house ! https://www.atasteofmadness.com/starbucks-oat-and-fudge-bars/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark
Hi Teresa! Those sound and look fantastic. What a great suggestion!
Thank you Sally for all the wonderful recipes you create. It is a treat to open my emails from you. Please don’t stop.
Thank you for your kind feedback, Angie!
I’ve been following you for years and love your recipies, both savory and sweet… like who can resist Seriously Fudgy Brownies?? I would love to be able to make Black Tie Mousse Cake (Olive Garden) at home. It is by far my fave restaurant dessert. If you can’t tell, I’m a chocoholic. I’m my younger days it was milk chocolate… now in my 70s nothing except dark chocolate will do! Thank you.
Love that cake – thanks for the idea, JP!
I am new to your site and love your recipes!!
As a child my Grandma Nanny would buy Nickles banana flip cakes. I have been looking for those for years. I tried a few recipes, but they fell short and it left me disappointed. If you could recreate that recipe, it would make an older lady very happy.
Thank you and keep up the good work!
I totally have been trying to find a recipe for Heyday cookies, do you have one?
Magnolia Bakery Banana pudding is a house favorite. When we moved abroad I had tried to make a copy cat version and I was wondering if this is something you might have worked on as well??
This banana pudding recipe isn’t an exact copycat of Magnolia Bakery, but it’s how I love to make banana pudding if you ever want to check it out or try it!
Sally, I just want to thank you for all the wonderful delicious recipes you post. Everything is just delightful!
How about fig newton cookie hack?
Hi Larry, these fig bars are a bit different from fig newtons, but the filling tastes quite similar.
I’d like to see a good chick fil a chocolate chip cookie copy cat recipe! I have yet to find one of your recipes I haven’t loved!! Thanks!
Hi Sally,
When I was in graduate school at Stanford I used to regularly go to the store at Tressider Union and buy an “It’s It” ice cream sandwich. The ice cream was sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies as I recall. I loved them so much I pronounced that when I graduated and made millions I was going to buy the company. Didn’t happen, either the millions or buying the company. I live in the Pacific Northwest now and can’t find It’s Its anywhere outside of the Bay Area. Any chance you can create a copy cat recipe for these gems. Grateful forever, Chris R.
My best friend of over 60 years really missed the Dolly Madison coconut snack cake. I would love to be able to make it for her. I adore your website. Everything I have tried has been great!
Hi Carol, we’re unfamiliar with that particular snack cake, but here’s our beloved coconut cake recipe!
I love these copycat recipes.
I’m wondering if you have a copycat recipe for Ozery Family Bakery Morning Rounds.
My husbands loves then but they are hard to find in our area. I think they would be fun to make at home.
Hope this inspires you!