Oatmeal Cream Pies

A homemade copycat recipe for classic Little Debbie 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:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, molasses and vanilla; beat well.
2. 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.
3. Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
4. 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:

1. 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.
2. Store in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Recipe 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.