Soft-baked and delicious Oatmeal Creme Pies are easy to make at home!
I’m feeling sort of nostalgic today. I remember eating Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies when I was younger. Unwrapping and crumpling the wrapper between my fingers, trying desperately (and failing) to stuff the whole squishy soft cookie sandwich into my mouth all at once. I LOVED oatmeal creme pies! And still have a giant oatmeal creme pie size spot in my heart for them. As giant as my one giant oatmeal creme pie cookie.
I haven’t had them in a long time – homemade cookies and cupcakes have taken precedence over my favorite mass-produced packaged snack, but that doesn’t mean I don’t remember how incredible they are. So… I set out to bake my own from scratch.
I made oatmeal pumpkin creme pies last fall and adored them. The oatmeal cookies are tiny, puffy, and very chewy. They have texture. I filled them with a pumpkin cream cheese frosting, one of the frostings I developed in my pumpkin rampage last September. This pumpkin version isn’t particularly a copycat recipe to Little Debbie, as the cookies had some texture and chew and they were very small in size. I also have a holiday variation, spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies, which is closer in texture to this recipe but full of festive flavors.
Today’s oatmeal cookies are made with super soft, large, and delicate oatmeal cookies – full of brown sugar, molasses, and butter. The cookies melt in your mouth. I sandwiched them between a bright white vanilla creme center. They are much oat-ier than Little Debbie’s version. Sometimes I wonder where the oats are in hers!
Are you ready for these?
Let me begin by telling you how much butter you’ll need for this entire recipe. 2 and 1/2 sticks just for the cookies and 1 and 1/2 sticks for the creme filling. New Years resolutions can take the back seat! These are not a healthy cookie and I do not suggest making them into a healthy cookie. They are oatmeal creme pies, not diet food.
And are worth every single bite!
The source for this copycat recipe does not call for ground cloves, but I wanted to pack some flavor into the buttery oatmeal cookie. Another thing? For the cookie’s proper texture and spreadability, it is imperative to use quick oats in these cookies. Old-fashioned whole rolled oats will not work. You want very fine, small pieces of oats in the dough. Since I prefer whole rolled oats in my granola recipes, my pantry is never stocked with the quick kind. I make my own quick oats if I need them for a recipe. For today, I measured 3 cups of whole rolled oats and pulsed them in the food processor 4-5 times. Now you have quick oats! Easy, right?
The cookie dough is quite thick; I had to stop the mixer after about 10 seconds to mix the rest by hand. Unlike most of my cookie recipes, this dough does not require chilling prior to baking. More often that not, I chill my cookie dough before baking since cold dough assures a thicker cookie. Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies are not thick cookies, so not dough chilling is necessary. You want the cookies to spread and stretch out in the oven.
I used my favorite OXO large cookie scoop to scoop the cookies into uniform sized balls. Typically, I do not use a cookie scoop for my cookies. But I knew I needed one today since the cookies have to all be equal in size to sandwich together. If you do not have a cookie scoop, be sure to roll 2 Tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before filling. The creme center is unlike many copycat creme center recipes I’ve found before. There is no shortening, marshmallow creme, corn syrup, or gelatin. I do not use shortening in my frosting recipes,; just not a fan of the texture!
My creme filling isn’t a dead ringer of Little Debbie’s, but it’s just perfect for us.
I am infatuated with these oatmeal creme pies! I can honestly say that they are one of the best cookies I’ve ever made. The taste comparison to Little Debbie’s version is uncanny!
They are soft, ultra-moist, and squishy like Miss Debbie’s. I made them large, reminiscent of the originals (2 Tablespoons of dough in each cookie – 4 in the whole cookie sandwich). When you eat one, the filling will squeeze out the sides – perfect for licking the creme around the edges. Get ready to have some sticky fingers.
ENJOY!
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Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 14-15 cookie sandwiches
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft-baked and delicious oatmeal creme pies are easy to make at home. They’re better than the original!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (2.5 sticks; 290g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon dark molasses
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 cups (255g) quick oats (not whole oats)
Creme Filling
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks; 175g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and molasses, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and oats.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. The dough will be quite thick and you may have to mix it all by hand after a few seconds in the mixer. Drop dough with a large cookie scoop, or make sure each ball of dough is 2 Tablespoons. Cookies will spread in the oven, so drop each ball of dough 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, as needed. If filling is way too thick, add a couple more teaspoons of heavy cream. Spread 1.5 Tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies, right side up.
- Cookies stay fresh and soft (with creme filling) at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container. After that, store in the refrigerator to keep the creamy filling fresh.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
- Cookies are adapted from myrecipes.com.
Keywords: oatmeal creme pies
More oatmeal cookies:
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Magic 5 Cookies (butterscotch and coconut!)
Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookies
Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Can I substitute Light brown Sugar for Dark Brown Sugar?
Thank you.
Absolutely! Same amount.
Hello. Wondering about what other fillings could make for cookies.
Hi Minji, instead of the creme filling in this recipe, you could use any of your favorite frostings.
hi! i’ve made these before, but i was wondering if i could make these in a whoopie pie pan? thank you so much! these always turn out delicious!
We haven’t tested that but let us know if you do!
ok! i will!
Hi there, I am beyond frustrated. I have made these cookies 3 times. The first, they spread a fair amount but were fine. The second and third times they spread like wildfire to the unusable point. What on earth can I be doing wrong? I consider myself a pretty good baker and know all the tips and tricks when baking. I have checked my oven temperature. My ingredients are all fresh. My gut is telling me too much butter but this is the same as the Magnolia bakery cookies and its the same amount of butter. I’m so frustrated. Anyone else have this problem? I use SOOOOO many of your recipes so thank you!
Hi Katherine, thanks so much for your note and for giving this recipe a try. It sounds like your butter may be just a bit too warm which is causing the extra spread. We share more on what room temperature butter really means here. These cookies do spread a bit, but hopefully this (and our tips on improving your next batch of cookies) will help reduce the excess spread next time!
I made your oatmeal cookies and in the notes it said they were adapted from this recipe. My husband loves Oatmeal Cream Pies so I gave it a shot. I changed nothing about the recipe except that I made them half the size (1 tablespoon per cookie instead of 2) based on some comments saying they were too large and lowered the baking time to 7 min because of this. I ended up with 30 cream pies. THIRTY! Is this a problem? Absolutely not! I gave some to my coworkers and they said “oh my god these are delicious” and asked about the recipe. I let my friend have some and, even though she’s on a diet, she ate three of them. My husband took at least six to work with him. I’m down to 1/3 of the pies and they’ve only existed for 9 hours (and I was at work for 5 of those)! I thought I’d overbaked them based on their color, but they are incredibly soft and the cream is just the right sweetness. I didn’t overload the cookies, but I kept the excess cream in case anyone wanted extra. Fantastic recipe. Wouldn’t change any of the ingredients. Loved it!
★★★★★
Quite possibly the best oatmeal cookie I’ve ever made. This recipe is fantastic!
★★★★★
What a fantastic recipe!!! The oatmeal cookies on their own are easily the tastiest and best oatmeal cookies I have EVER MADE! I made my Creme pies slightly smaller than the recipe called for so I had about 30 pies total. I’ll definitely make these again! Highly recommend!
★★★★★
OMG these are so so good!! I liked the texture better after the cookies have cooled in the fridge for awhile. So yummy!!
★★★★★
These were amazing! I’m having my third in a few weeks and I was wondering if you had any oatmeal cookie recipes that could be frozen? I love oatmeal, it helps keep me full and I’d love to have some that I can make and freeze to eat after getting home. Do you have any recommendations?
★★★★★
Hi Kayla, We have so many! Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies, and Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are just a few. For more options simply type “oatmeal cookies” into the search bar at the top of this page. Each recipe has make ahead and freezing directions in the recipe notes.
Can I freeze the cookies without the creme? Or can I freeze them at the dough level if not?
Hi Amy, I have froze these cookies with luck! I let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. I wouldn’t suggest keeping them in the freezer for more than a month though.
Seriously delicious. My husband loved them. Made no changes except to add a little ground cloves cause we like a little spice. But omg, so stinking good.
★★★★★
Do you think this recipe wiping work with a flax egg instead?? I’m plant based and really want to make these!
I haven’t tested it, but let me know if you do! Here are all of my egg free baking recipes if you’re interested.
LOVE these. Just made them + they turned out perfect. Will make again and even wrote about them on my blog (www.refinedpeddler.com). Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Wow! These were SO GOOD! Saving this recipe for the regular rotation. They really do spread a lot into the perfect thinness for a sandwich so listen to Sally and don’t crowd the baking sheet!
★★★★★
These are going to be my new go to holiday cookie. They are delicious!
★★★★★
Hello! I was wondering how I can incorporate coffee espresso grinds into this recipe to get an oatmeal coffee cookie out of it? Thank you!
Hi Hilary! You can certainly try adding espresso powder (not coffee grinds) in the cookie dough and / or the filling — we’d start at about 1/2 teaspoon and then you can adjust for future batches. Or, you can use the coffee buttercream from this cake as the filling. Let us know what you try!
These are delicious but my cookies turned out kind of crispy. I’m not complaining, but when I make them again (AND I WILL MAKE THEM AGAIN!) I’d like them to be softer like Little Debbie’s. Did I overcook? Make them too small?
★★★★★
Hi Kristen! If the cookies are crispy, they are likely over-baked. Remove from the oven once those edges set. The centers will still look soft, but will set as the cookies cool.
Awesome awesome awesome recipe- I always make these for gatherings because I know they will be a huge hit!!! People LOVE them!!!
★★★★★
Just wanna say thank you because this has been my go to recipe since 2014. I’ve made and shared this recipe countless times, because these are a huge hit with everyone. And because I’m a 22 year old man, this has been a pleasant surprise for others.
I personally just keep them as cookies and frost the tops completely because there is always enough frosting. Nevertheless, seriously, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Can these be baked in a 13×9 pan to make bars and then ice the top, or in two smaller round pans to make a giant one? I only have a toaster oven and my sheet trays don’t fit in it
Hi Jenny! You can prepare this cookie dough in a 9×13 inch baking pan, yes. I’m unsure of the bake time though.
Could you use regular oats instead of quick oats?
Hi Kelly! I recommend quick oats. You want very fine, small pieces of oats in the dough. You make my own quick oats by pulsing whole oats in a food processor/blender 4-5 times.
Thanks so much! I made these today, and they are just as good, if not better than the store bought version. My family loved them! Thanks for your great recipes, they never dissapoint.
Really looking forward to making this recipe. However, I’d love to add some raisins; how much would you suggest I add?
Thanks in advance,
Chris
I’d add 1 cup to the cookie dough.
Hi Sally, I’ve been following your blog for over a year now and have made so many of your recipes… They are always a hit! I made this recipe today for the first time, and I was feeling a little lazy so I spread all of the cookie dough into a parchment lined 9 X 13 pan and baked it for 25 minutes at 350 in my convection oven. I just spread the frosting over the whole thing when they cooled, and voila, oatmeal cream pie bars! They turned out excellent, thicker than baking them into cookies. I figured I’d share this for other readers who want to make these, but are crunched for time. Thanks for another great recipe!!
I know it’s mentioned in the recipe not to but do you think half and half would work instead on the heavy cream? I’ve made them before and know how delicious they are. I’d love to make them but I’m missing the heavy cream.
half and half works in a pinch!
Do you have a suggestion for making mini cookies for multiple holiday cookie tray? Should I just use 1 tablespoon drops of the cookie dough? Thanks so much! I’m excited to try these!
Yep, that measurement sounds good. The bake time will be slightly less.
Made these for a cookout this past weekend. AMAZING!!! There is not one thing I would change.
WOW. These are amazing. My son requested Oatmeal “Whoopie Pies” for his back to school cookie. I can’t wait until he gets home to taste them. Super easy to make and taste out of this world! The oatmeal cookie part alone is great if you don’t want to mess with the cream filling. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi there!
I was wondering what will happen if I use the old fashioned rolled oats instead of quick cooking oats? We are gluten-free, and we only buy old fashioned rolled oats. 🙂
Thank you!
Simply pulse your GF whole oats in the blender or food processor about 5-6 times to create quick oats. You need powdered quick oats for this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I was wondering if I could substitute the filling you use in your oreo recipe for the creme filling in this one. Do you think it would work?
Thanks, Ella 🙂
That would be just fine. In fact, I think they taste pretty similar!