Copycat Snacks: Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies

Back at the start of July, I went to visit a friend and do a bunch of touristy stuff in Oklahoma City. I wrote about the trip here if you’re interested in photos, but that’s not really what I’m here to talk about today. I bring it up because of something on the road trip there and back.

Someone on Twitter once posted “It doesn’t matter how old you are, buying snacks for a road trip should always look like an unsupervised 9-year-old was given $100.” I agree with that statement and, unsurprisingly, so does my partner. Among other snacks, one thing we bought was a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. We figured, hey, a bit of sugar would be a good pick-me-up for the drive, and a cookie, even one as moist and crumbly as those, would be a good way to get it. Plus there’s a bit of nostalgia there.

My partner in particular isn’t fond of a lot of the cheap snack cakes. They’re wildly unhealthy, for one thing. So I was surprised when he agreed to get some.

It wasn’t until we were well on the road and broke into them that we discovered that, well. They aren’t really that good! They were great when we were kids, but we’re not kids, so something that cloyingly sweet, oily, and vaguely artificial just isn’t all that tasty anymore.

I decided then that I wanted to try to make my own. I was sure I could do better, and probably healthier to boot. At the very least mine wouldn’t be full of preservatives. It took a while, but I finally got around to doing it. Actually, I did it because our neighbor (hi Wayne!) invited us to a bonfire hangout, and I wanted to bring a treat. These are simple to whip up and can be ready to eat in short order.

I’d say I did a pretty good job.

These cookies turned out perfect. They’re still wildly unhealthy, since they’re basically butter and sugar with some flour and marshmallow holding it all together, but what’s not to love?

The cookies are soft and chewy, but with a slightly crisp outer edge that helps hold them all together. The cream filling is fluffy and sweet, but not too sticky or messy. There’s also a hint of cocoa powder in the cookies, enough to cut the sweetness back a bit but not so much it makes a pure chocolate cookie.

I checked a lot of recipes online to put this one together and I found that a lot of them use way more cream filling than I do. I thought there was plenty enough in here, but if you want to over-pack your sandwich cookies, that’s your call.

Side note, marshmallow fluff? I’m putting that as number 2 on my least favorite things to work with, after corn starch. It just gets everywhere, and it’s sticky and tricky to clean with just a casual wipe down. I’ll still use it when the occasion calls for it, but I’m not going to go out of my way to keep it in stock here at home.

These cookies are delicious, so you might have trouble saving any of them. If you have any leftover, though, you can wrap them in plastic individually, then freeze them. I honestly couldn’t tell you how long they’ll last, because they never last long around here.

Have a request? Let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.

5 from 1 vote

Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies

A homemade rendition of the Little Debbie classic, marginally healthier and way tastier.

Servings 20 Cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl
• Stand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• Cookie Scoop
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Piping Bag

Ingredients

Cream Filling

• 1 Cup Shortening
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 7½ Oz Marshmallow Fluff

Oatmeal Cookies

• 2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Melted Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Tsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 2 Cups Rolled Oats

Instructions

Making the Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your cookie sheets with silpats (silicone baking mats) or parchment paper.
• Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
• Using a mixer, cream together the brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing bit by bit until combined well.
• Stir in the oats. This can be done by hand or with the mixer.
• Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, spoon cookie dough onto baking sheets, spaced evenly apart so the cookies don't merge when they spread.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will still be soft, so allow them to cool completely before moving them so they don't break.

Making the Cream Filling

• Mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and shortening until combined and smooth.
• Mix in the marshmallow fluff to combine.
• Scoop the cream mixture into a piping bag. Pipe a thin layer of cream onto one cookie, and press another lightly on top to form a sandwich.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cookies, Marshmallow, Oatmeal