Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies take the classic Little Debbie snack cake to a whole new level! Two chewy, brown sugar-oat cookies surround a cream filling that’s sweet and irresistibly fluffy.
Who doesn’t love an oatmeal cream pie? My dad sure does. It’s his absolute favorite snack cake. For his 80th birthday last year, we gave out little boxes of his favorite treats as party favors: popcorn, candy bars, and of course, Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.
I’ve been meaning to try a scratch made version for ages. And let me tell you, I’ve been missing out! This homemade version is irresistibly chewy and soft, with a fluffy cream filling that’s just the right amount of sweet. Better late than never, right? I can’t wait to surprise my dad with these.
Did you know that Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies were the very first snack cake sold under the Little Debbie brand? The recipe was created in 1960, and with its soft, chewy oatmeal cookies and sweet, creamy filling, it quickly became a nationwide favorite.
My version is much like the original, but with a little more oat texture and a touch of cinnamon flavor. These are so perfect for fall – and they’re lunchbox friendly! Or, save them for an after-school snack. You can’t beat a chewy oatmeal cream pie with a glass of cold milk.
Make the Oat Cookies
First, get those dry ingredients together. You’ll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and – get this – cocoa powder (really!). Whisk together well.
When I researched and tested recipes to make my own version, the cookies made with cocoa powder had no detectable chocolate flavor. But rather, an earthier deep flavor and golden caramel color. The cookies without cocoa powder were not as flavorful and the color was too pale. Trust me – that little touch of cocoa makes a big difference!
Wet Ingredients
Start with melted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, 1 large egg and 1 egg white; combine them with an electric hand mixer in a big mixing bowl.
Mix the Batter
Once the mixture is smooth, add in the dry ingredients all at once.
Mix until a consistently smooth batter forms.
Stir in the Oats
Add in the oats and stir in by hand. You can use quick cooking oats or rolled oats. Regular rolled oats will have more texture, which I like best. But you can use whatever you have on hand.
At this stage, let the batter rest for 5-7 minutes. You’ll notice that it will thicken quite a bit. This makes the batter more scoop-able.
Scoop the Dough
I recommend using a cookie scoop for this. Or, portion the dough by the 2.5 tablespoons (approx.). Place the dough balls – well spaced (this is important) – onto large parchment-lined cookie sheet. The cookies will spread quite a bit so give ’em room to grow.
Bake for 9-11 minutes. Mine were done at 10 minutes, but the best way to gauge doneness is to keep a sharp eye on them. The cookies should look golden at the edges, craggy on top, and just slightly under baked in their centers. They’ll be super soft just out of the oven, so let them firm up on the baking sheet as they cool, about 5-7 minutes.
Make the Cream Filling
It seems to be the overall consensus that, when attempting a duplicate Little Debbie cream pie filling, that vegetable shortening provides the most accurate end result. But I didn’t do that. Yes, shortening is more shelf-stable. But these homemade pies are not making long treks on delivery trucks. So you’ll be safe to use real butter. And it just tastes better!
In the bowl of an electric mixer, place softened butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until lightened in color and fluffy. Then, add in 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. This lightens the filling even further.
Spread or pipe the filling onto the flat size of one cookie at top with another. This is where the virtues of the cookie scoop come into play – it’s easy to find matching tops and bottoms because they are all pretty much the same size.
You can adjust the filling to your taste – spread on a little or a lot. I prefer a modest serving, just like the filling-to-cookie ratio in classic Little Debbie pies.
I really just want to take a stack of these with a thermos of coffee on a fall picnic. Seems the best activity to do while watching leaves sail on the wind. Enjoy!
Related recipe: Pumpkin Oatmeal Creme Pie Trifle
Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
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large cookie sheets
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parchment paper
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Electric mixer
Oatmeal cookies
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons unsweet cocoa powder
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats
Cream filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Oatmeal cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one or more large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Whisk well to combine.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and consistently caramel colored throughout. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until well combined.
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Add the oats to the bowl; fold in by hand with a rubber spatula. When the oats are well dispersed throughout the batter, let it rest for 5-7 minutes at room temperature. As the batter rests it will firm enough to scoop into balls.
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Use a cookie scoop to portion out the batter, or use a tablespoon to scoop about 2.5 tablespoons of batter into mounds, widely spaced, onto the prepared cookie sheets. Be sure to give these cookies plenty of room, because they will spread.
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Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden around the edges and just slightly underdone in their centers. Cookies will be very soft when first taken out of the oven. Cool on the pan(s) for 5-7 minutes, or until the cookies are firm enough to move. You can also let the cool on the pans completely, or cool on wire racks.
Cream filling
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until lightened in color and well combined. Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until light fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
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Transfer the cream filling to a piping bag, and pipe onto half of the cookies. Or, spoon and spread cream filling onto half the cookies. Top each filled cookie with another cookie.
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Store assembled snack cakes between waxed paper in airtight containers, or package individually in small zip-top bags for lunchbox or after school snacks.
Keep an eye out during baking: The best way to gauge doneness is to keep a sharp eye on them. The cookies should look golden at the edges, craggy on top, and just slightly under baked in their centers. Since portioning dough and baking temps can vary from baker to baker – keep under close watch.
