Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

These oatmeal cream pies are incredibly chewy with a hint of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla. The filling is deliciously creamy and not too sweet either. They’re the homemade version of the classic Lil’ Debbie cookies, but so much better!

The Best Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

Oatmeal cream pies are a homemade version of the favorite America snack cake. To all my non-American readers or those unfamiliar with the classic American treat, these cookies have two soft and chewy oatmeal cookies with creamy frosting in the middle. This homemade version is slightly elevated (in my humble opinion) because the cookies are more flavorful and the frosting isn’t as sweet. The oatmeal cookies have a slightly chewier texture and I added a touch of cream cheese to the filling which complements the cinnamon and brown sugar in the cookies perfectly.

I wouldn’t call this a side-by-site copycat recipe, but instead we’re taking oatmeal cream pies to the next level of deliciousness.

For the Oatmeal Cookies

The oatmeal cookies are incredibly chewy and perfect for sandwiching. They have a touch of molasses (like the store bought version) for flavor and chewiness. Then brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon all add to the flavor. They have a little more texture than the original version too thanks to more oats, but they’re extremely still soft and chewy.

Oats: For the oats, in this recipe you want to use quick oats. Because quick oats are smaller than regular rolled oats, I found they’re much better for making uniformly sized cookies (which is better for sandwiching) and are more reminiscent of the original but still have lots of texture.

Plate of oatmeal sandwich cookies with vanilla frosting

For the Cream Filling

The original version has a marshmallow frosting in the middle. However, I didn’t want the filling to be too sweet. Instead, this vanilla frosting recipe has just a touch of cream cheese to balance it out. It’s not enough to be considered a cream cheese frosting, but just enough so that it’s not overly sugary and tastes extra creamy. I find the cream filling is the perfect pairing with the molasses, brown sugar and cinnamon in the oatmeal cookies.

Whenever making sandwich cookies, I highly recommend using a cookie scoop so that your cookies are all the same size. This makes it much easier for sandwiching.
Make sure you’re using quick oats and not instant oats. Instant oats are too fine and behave like flour.
If you’re in a pinch, you can substitute the molasses with honey. Both work in this recipe.
Make sure the cookies are 100% cooled before frosting and sandwiching. Warm cookies will melt the frosting.