A homemade copycat recipe for classic Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies! Soft and chewy spiced molasses oatmeal cookies are sandwiched with fluffy vanilla frosting for an easy dessert that will make everyone feel like a child again.
If you’re a child of the 80’s (like me!), then there’s no doubt that you enjoyed an Oatmeal Creme Pie at some point in your youth. In fact, the little packaged treats continue to be a hit with the latest generation! My 8-year-old came home with a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie in a goodie bag a few months ago and became an instant convert. Can’t say I blame him!
Now that we’ve got this amazingly delicious copycat recipe to make our own Oatmeal Cream Pies at home, we can indulge in an even better version of the sweet treats whenever we want.
What is an Oatmeal Cream Pie?
Okay, in case you’re one of those rare unicorns who didn’t grow up on Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Creme Pies, let me fill you in. Oatmeal Creme Pies were the first snack produced by the Little Debbie brand way back in 1960. Each “pie” consists of two spiced molasses oatmeal cookies sandwiched with a creme filling. While they’re a delicious concept, as an adult they taste a bit too sweet, they’re always a bit smushed in the wrapper, and they’re loaded with ingredients that you might prefer to avoid. Instead, let’s make our own!
How to make Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies:
If you can bake a batch of oatmeal cookies, then you can prepare these easy oatmeal cream pies! We’re keeping it really simple…
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Eggs
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour and quick-cooking oats
- Baking soda and salt
- Cinnamon, cloves and ginger
- Prepared vanilla frosting!
First, let’s bake the cookies! You’ll prepare a pretty basic oatmeal cookie dough that is flavored with molasses and seasoned with warm spices.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for 9-10 minutes.
The cookies will spread quite a bit as they bake, yielding the perfect giant, soft, chewy oatmeal cookies that you expect in Oatmeal Cream Pies!
Of course, the cookies are absolutely delicious on their own. In fact, two of my boys prepare to eat them this way!
However, if you’re going all the way and assembling authentic creme pies, then you’ll want to grab a couple of cans of prepared vanilla frosting.
With a knife or a piping bag, spread the frosting in between two cooled cookies. Ta-da! Super easy!
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- The cookies will spread quite a bit in the oven, so be sure to leave plenty of room between each one on the baking sheets.
- Pull the cookies out of the oven when they’re lightly browned, but still a bit soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool, but they will remain soft and chewy this way.
- I used Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting, which has a nice fluffy texture that’s similar to the original creme pie filling. Any similar frosting will work — or you can prepare a batch of your favorite homemade frosting!
- When adding the frosting to the cookies, make sure that you leave a little bit of a border around the edge of the cookies so that when you press down on the top cookie, the frosting doesn’t ooze out the sides.
- How to store Oatmeal Cream Pies: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh on the counter for about 3 days. To keep them fresh a bit longer, you can store the sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Can you freeze Oatmeal Cream Pies? Yes! Wrapped tightly, these sandwich cookies will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Are Oatmeal Cream Pies healthy? No, not particularly! While the homemade version may be a bit better than the original store-bought creme pies, these cookies still have about 300 calories and 31 grams of sugar — making them a treat to be enjoyed in moderation.
More oatmeal cookie recipes that you might enjoy:
- Great Grandma’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Easy Oatmeal Cookies with Ginger and Molasses
- Blueberry Muffin Easy Oatmeal Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Oatmeal Cream Pies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES:
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 cans prepared vanilla frosting (I used Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White frosting, but any similar version or even homemade frosting will work)
Instructions
BAKE THE COOKIES:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, molasses and vanilla; beat well.
- Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough for at least 30-60 minutes.
- Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
- Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
PREPARE THE CREAM PIES:
- Once the cookies are cool, spread (or pipe in a bag) about 2 tablespoons of frosting onto the back side of one cookie, leaving a small border around the edge to allow the frosting to squish a little. Top with another cookie to form a sandwich and press down gently. Repeat until you’ve used all of the cookies.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
- The cookies will spread quite a bit in the oven, so be sure to leave plenty of room between each one on the baking sheets.
- Pull the cookies out of the oven when they’re lightly browned, but still a bit soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool, but they will remain soft and chewy this way.
- I used Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting, which has a nice fluffy texture that’s similar to the original creme pie filling. Any similar frosting will work — or you can prepare a batch of your favorite homemade frosting!
- When adding the frosting to the cookies, make sure that you leave a little bit of a border around the edge of the cookies so that when you press down on the top cookie, the frosting doesn’t ooze out the sides.
- How to store Oatmeal Cream Pies: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh on the counter for about 3 days. To keep them fresh a bit longer, you can store the sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Can you freeze Oatmeal Cream Pies? Yes! Wrapped tightly, these sandwich cookies will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Are Oatmeal Cream Pies healthy? No, not particularly! While the homemade version may be a bit better than the original store-bought creme pies, these cookies still have about 300 calories and 31 grams of sugar — making them a treat to be enjoyed in moderation.
The recipe looks delicious. I cant wait to make these.
Awesome, Akshaya! I hope that you love them!
These cookies are amazing. They have become a MUST at every family gathering!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that, Hannah. Thanks for letting me know!
These cookies are by far the most delicious cookies I have ever tried! So easy to make. We made some into the sandwiches with frosting and left the rest as is and they were amazing both ways! Definitely my new go to cookie!
Thanks, Katie! I’m so glad that you love them. 🙂
Delicious and easy! So much better than store-bought “little Debbies”. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks, Sharon! 🙂
We used to make these when I was a kid,but we would mix a jar of marshmallow fluff with a jar of vanilla frosting for the filling. Yum!
Oh, that sounds delicious too, Becky! 🙂
Do you have to flatten out the dough a little before baking?
Hi, Lisa! No, the dough should flatten and spread to the right thickness naturally in the heat of the oven. Hope you enjoy them!
Outstanding!! For the icing I made a butter cream and added about 1/2 cup marshmallow cream. Excellent!!
Thank you, Jeanne! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.