These soft-baked oatmeal cream pies are a homemade take on the classic Little Debbie brand lunchbox treat we all loved growing up. Two chewy, soft-baked molasses- and cinnamon-kissed oatmeal cookies sandwich a fluffy, sweet cream filling. One bite and you’ll wonder why you ever settled for store-bought. And the best part: You don’t even need to chill the cookie dough.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and additional success tips.
If you’ve ever found joy unwrapping and chowing down on store-bought oatmeal creme pies, you’re in luck. Little Debbie’s cookie sandwiches were a favorite growing up, and I’ve carried that packaged sweet treat nostalgia over to my kitchen. (I even have a giant oatmeal creme pie cookie recipe!) These are my homemade version, and I’m delighted to say they’re even better than the original.
One reader, Adrienne, commented: “I have made these cookies twice now. They are without a doubt the BEST cookies my husband and I have ever had… not just best I have made, but best we have ever eaten… Absolutely wonderful! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Kate, commented: “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. Highly recommend! ★★★★★”
How Do These Compare to Store-Bought Oatmeal Cream Pies?
These cookies are incredibly soft and on the thinner side, made with butter, dark brown sugar, and just the right touch of molasses, cinnamon, and cloves for a cozy, melt-in-your-mouth bite. The filling is sweet, smooth, and creamy without any shortening or artificial ingredients.
They’re not an exact copycat, though. My homemade version is softer and oat-ier than the original. And I know that packaged oatmeal creme pies use raisin paste (among other additional ingredients) in the cookie dough; these do not.
What Makes These So Special?
- Real oats for that classic chewy texture
- No shortcuts in the filling—just real butter and vanilla
- BIG, satisfying cookies—2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (and you’re eating 2!)
- No chilling required… aka immediate gratification 🙂
If you’re feeling adventurous, I also have a pumpkin version for the fall season. These pumpkin oatmeal cream pies were a Sally’s Baking Challenge and readers RAVED about the flavor. I also have these spiced eggnog oatmeal cream pies that are perfect for the holiday season.
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Butter: These cookies use plenty of it both in the cookie dough and in the filling. You need a lot of butter in the cookie dough to ensure spread. The cookies should be soft and flat, and using proper room-temperature butter will help achieve that. If the butter is too soft, they’ll over-spread and become hard and crispy. Read more: room-temperature butter in baking.
- Dark Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: I recommend reaching for dark brown sugar, which has a slightly higher molasses content than light brown sugar. This means more flavor. You’ll use some granulated sugar, too, to ensure the cookies spread.
- Egg: An egg helps bind the ingredients and provides structure.
- Vanilla, Cinnamon, & Cloves: Deliciously cozy flavor.
- Molasses: Just a Tablespoon, for even more flavor.
- Flour: Flour gives the cookies structure and helps soak up the moisture in the cookie dough. Note that I slightly increased the flour from the original recipe. I now use 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) instead of 1 and 1/2 cups.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies puff up, then fall a bit as they cool.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer, and to balance the sweet.
- Quick Oats: For the ideal texture, use quick oats. They incorporate smoothly into the dough, unlike whole oats, which can make the cookies overly coarse.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: To sweeten and thicken the filling.
- Heavy Cream: Smooths out the filling.
Let’s address the butter in the room one more time: yes, these cookies use plenty. You need 1 and 1/4 cups (20 Tablespoons) in the cookie dough. This is 2 and 1/2 sticks. You also need 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) in the filling, which is 1 and 1/2 sticks. These aren’t lightened-up or healthified in any way—and that’s the whole point. They’re a true treat, one worth savoring… every single soft and sticky bite.
Oats Success Tip
Again, use quick oats for the best texture.
If you only have old-fashioned whole oats, which is what I usually use in most oatmeal cookie recipes, give them a few pulses in your food processor to break them down. That’s the secret to helping these cookies spread just right and still hold their soft, chewy center.
How to Make Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
The cookie dough is pretty straightforward. Start by creaming the butter and sugars. If you need a refresher, I have a helpful video tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar. Then add the egg, plus the molasses and vanilla. These are your wet ingredients. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together and then combine them with the wet ingredients.
An electric mixer is really helpful, because this is a thick and sticky cookie dough:
Portioning the dough to bake is also very easy. I recommend 2 generous Tablespoons of dough per cookie, which is around 45g each. Roll the portions into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
These cookies spread a decent amount, so I only put 6 cookie dough balls on the sheet at a time:
Bake the cookies for only about 10 minutes at 375°F (191°C). Most cookies bake at 350°F, but for today’s recipe, we want the exterior to set shape quicker, which helps keep the centers soft. These cookies should be extra soft-looking in the centers when they are done. Do not over-bake.
Homemade Cream Filling
As the cookies finish cooling, you can make the cream filling. This is just like making an American-style buttercream frosting. Beat butter until smooth, and then add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla, and then add salt to taste. It’s smooth, fluffy, and thick—perfect consistency to stuff inside two cookies!
Use around 1.5 Tablespoons of filling per sandwich. Spread it on the underside of one cookie and then sandwich with another cookie. I usually use a small offset spatula to spread the filling.
Whether they bring back memories or become a new favorite cookie, these oatmeal cream pies are pure, sweet comfort in every bite. 😉
P.S. If you’re in the mood for even more from-scratch versions of store-bought treats, don’t miss my homemade Oreos, iced oatmeal cookies, and cream-filled chocolate cupcakes. Or check out these copycat desserts to make at home for more ideas!
Print
Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 15 cookie sandwiches
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft-baked oatmeal cream pies are a homemade take on the classic lunchbox treat we all loved growing up. Made with buttery, cinnamon-kissed oatmeal cookies and a fluffy, sweet cream filling, they’re even better than the original. And the best part: You don’t even need to chill the cookie dough.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (20 Tbsp; 282g) 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 (15ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & 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)
Cream Filling
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and oats.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. The dough will be quite thick and very sticky, and you may have to mix it all by hand after a few seconds in the mixer.
- Scoop the dough, about 2 heaping Tablespoons of dough per cookie (if using a scale, make them 45g each), and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets (about 6 cookies per baking sheet). Cookies will spread a bit in the oven.
- Bake for 10–13 minutes or until the cookies are very lightly golden around the edges. The centers will look very, very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the filling: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the 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 speed for 2–3 minutes. Taste and add a pinch or two of salt, if needed. If filling is way too thick, beat in another Tablespoon of room-temperature heavy cream.
- Spread about 1.5 Tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies, right side up.
- Cover and store leftover sandwich cookies at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before continuing with step 5. (Note that the cookies won’t spread as much since the oats have likely absorbed a lot of moisture.) Baked cookies, cooled but not filled/sandwiched, freeze well for up to 3 months. (For best taste and texture, filling should be fresh.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before continuing with step 8. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Large Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Small Offset Spatula
- Brown Sugar: I use dark brown sugar for extra flavor. If you only have light brown sugar, you can use that with no other changes to the dough.
- Oats: Do not use old-fashioned whole oats in this recipe; for the correct texture and to ensure enough moisture is soaked up in the cookie dough, use quick oats. If you only have whole oats, pulse them about 10 times in a food processor before using.
- 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Great recipe, so quick and easy to put together
I loved this recipe! The cookies were easy to make and taste delicious! A perfect and unique fall recipe.
Do you know what I can substitute for heavy cream?
Hi Jess, half and half will work in a pinch!
I LOVED making this recipe. Soft cookies are our Fave. My husband immediately said “this is getting added to the baking rotation list” as soon as he saw them come out of the oven. We had to hurry up and give some away or else they would be gone in one night. Perfect size, perfect bite, Sally has done it again with the easy, delicious and visually stunning desserts.
Laura, I’m so glad to read this! Glad you all loved them. Thank you so much.
Omg. This is so delicious. My kitchen smelled so good, I just had to try one. I ate it when I completed the bake. I had to pack the rest away, or they would all be gone! Delicious. They are moist and “pumpkiny”. The creamy inside makes it really Amazing. It’s hard to eat just one! Yum
This is an amazing cream pie
Every time I make it, I love it. I’ve made a few changes over the course of making it three or four times I add cardamom these days and then I put Earl Grey infused cream in the cream and that makes it a little less sweeter and add a nice dimension of flavor And I always use whole oats. I don’t use quick oats. I don’t like the way they are with the quick oats. They’re too crispy.
What a great fall recipe!
While these are delicious, 200g of brown sugar and 100g of white sugar made for cloyingly sweet cookies. My family could not finish even half a cookie at a time. The second time, I cut the sugar by half and chilled the dough, and they were divine!
Out of this world!
Such a good recipe!! Can I use Whole Milk instead of Heavy Whipping Cream in a pinch?
Hi Ashley! Yes, that will work in a pinch. The frosting will be a little thinner.
I so love cookies and have made them many time, I also love the cookies they are mimicking. Some commenters said they aren’t really like the original because they do not contain raisin paste. So, this time I put 3/4 c raisins and 2 Tbsp water in my VitaMix then i forced the mixture thru a strainer using a wooden spoon. Leaving seeds and seeds behind, I got about 2 Tbsp “paste.” Did it make a “significant” difference, no. But, they were still delicious (and maybe a tiny bit sweeter). Thanks to Sally and her staff.
I used this recipe as a base and substituted the sugars with both granulated and brown sugar substitute. In place of a.p. flour, I used 3/4c superfine almond flour & 3/4c Red Mills Whole grain wheat flour. Because of this, I tweaked how I baked them: 375 for 8 min, then flipped them for another 8 min. They didn’t spread much so I mashed them down some after I flipped them. Taste great. If you try this, expect it to be a different texture but great flavor. This recipe was used as guide for ingredients and measurements and it was perfect for me! I had some leftover amazing white chocolate buttercream frosting from some macaron cookies we baked yesterday. I needed to use it up so I just spread it on top of each cookie instead of sandwiching them. Yummy!!
These were editable but I felt like I was eating a gingerbread oatmeal man cookie.
I followed this recipe to a T and the cookies were hard and the icing tasted like icing – if you are looking for a chewy cookie or even a soft one save your butter flour and oats for a different recipe.
If you want a great tasting cookie with a fall or winter flavor this is it!
Btw I never comment or rate recipes but I felt very betrayed after making these because of the near 5 star reviews
So good! Made them twice, the first time they turned out crunchy but tasted great. The second time I let the dough sit for 2 hours to let the oats soften. Perfection! Also put a little marshmallow fluff in the frosting recipe. Everyone loved them.
I’m an avid baker and weighed all my ingredients, but these cookies spread out a ton. The recipe doesn’t say to chill the dough, but I’m thinking that’s an imperative step. They taste great, but the texture (of mine, at least) was more like a lace cookie.
Hi Becky! Thank you for giving these oatmeal creme pies a try. Did you use proper room temperature butter? Using warmer butter can cause cookies to spread in the oven.
So good. Sometimes, I’ll make only the cookie batter and store it in the fridge to bake as I go. I prefer them fresh out of the oven.
These are truly the best!!! A few years ago, I compared several recipes and fillings, and these were the winner – I do like them best with vanilla buttercream. Then I found that one of my favorite cooking magazines had come out with a recipe for them, so I had to compare them to Sally’s – well, hers were still the CLEAR winners for my husband and I! Just the best flavor and texture!! Thank-you Sally!
Very good and easy to make.
Could you make the cookie dough and could you make the cookie dough shape into balls and freeze it and bake the cookies at a later time?
Hi Angie, absolutely! Dough should freeze well for up to three months.
Wow! This oatmeal cookie dough is the best I’ve ever tasted. These were a big hit. I will say, they are a big dessert. I’d probably make them half the size next time.
These cookies were such a big hit with everyone at work.
These are absolutely delicious! Soft with a little bit of crunchy, good flavor, and creamy filling. However, my cookies spread out way too much. I had to cut them apart with a spatula, and they were really thin. The edges got a little too browned as well. I even baked them at 350 instead of 375. Any tips for a little more cakey/thick, less crispy? The only thing I can think of is to chill the dough.
Hi Casey, we’re so glad you enjoyed these oatmeal creme pies! A quick chill of the dough will help with spreading. Also, be sure that your butter is room temperature (even just a little warmer than proper room temperature can cause spread) and that you’re spooning and leveling your flour to measure. You want to ensure just the right amount of flour to help soak up the wet ingredients. This post on how to prevent cookies from spreading may also be helpful to review. Thanks again for giving these a try!
These are a fine oatmeal cream pie cookie, but if you are wanting something reminiscent of Little Debbie’s these are not it. Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies get their distinctive taste from the raisin paste in the cookie, and that distinctive flavor is lacking in this recipe.
Dude, did you even make these? My wife just made them and my mind collapsed in on itself. Nobody’s coming here to make something that taste like little Debbie doodoo.
That’s helpful to know. I tried the Cook’s Country recipe today, which uses ground raisins to emulate the raisin paste in Little Debbies, and so maybe those are more accurate. My husband and I both preferred Sally’s version quite a bit more, though, for flavor and texture. I read in the CC article about why they added the ground raisins, so your comment was interesting! I guess as long as we each end up with a recipe we’re happy with, that’s all that matters – but perhaps this one isn’t as true to the original? I guess I kinda want a “better” version than the original.
OTOH, there are a lot of great raves online about the CC recipe, too. You might give that one a try. As to Sally’s recipe, IDK, but I LOVE it!!!!!!!
Can I make this dough ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Christina, absolutely! Dough should freeze well for up to three months.
I make this sugar free except for the molasses so mine don’t spread as well . So I squish them down a little before baking . I also make my own powdered sugar out of Splenda. Ty for posting this recipe myself and my diabetic husband and friends love these
Made these today, actually to me better than Little Debbie. I made mine a little too large so 1 is too much, but they are the bomb!!!
Made these a little smaller than recommended (about 1 heaping tbsp of dough per cookie). At about 9 minutes in the oven (I got distracted, oops) they were just on the edge of being overdone, so I’d say 7-8 minutes would be a good time to start checking if you decide to go smaller like I did.
They were excellent, though! I wouldn’t really call them “copycats” of the Little Debbie version, but they ARE better!
Make sure to go easy on the filling- it’s VERY sweet. I overstuffed one to take a picture and it was almost too much to eat (that one’s on me, though).
Can I add raisins to the cookie?
Sure can! Add 1 cup to the cookie dough.
How long in the refrigerator will the stay fresh?
Hi Deb, They can be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage you can store them in the freezer for up to a month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
10 stars the cookie it’s self
Can I freeze these whole…like after I assemble them with the creme filling and everything?
We have froze these cookies with luck! Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. We wouldn’t suggest keeping them in the freezer for more than a month, though.