This Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies recipe is just unbelievably good. Flavored subtly with cinnamon and cloves, these chewy oatmeal cookies make the perfect bookends for the luscious vanilla cream sandwiched in between. A true favorite in the MKL house, the nostalgia alone is worth the price of admission here. Read on for a few tips and tricks, or just jump ahead to the recipe itself.

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Oatmeal Cream Pie Tips and Tricks

I’ll answer a few frequently asked questions here, regarding basic oatmeal cookie need-to-know info. This recipe is very straightforward – there are no real curveballs here. That said, baking often comes with a good dash of intimidation and head scratching moments of confusion (for me, too). So, I think the more clarity we can give to our recipes (by “we” I really mean “me” here) the better we’ll all be.

How long does this homemade oatmeal cream pie recipe last?

Oatmeal cream pies will last up to 3 – 4 days in a covered or sealed container when stored in a dry, cool place. Or, they’ll keep for about a week in the fridge. That said, they’ve never lasted more than 24 hours in my house. Because they’re SO DELICIOUS. But technically speaking, sure, they’ll hang out perfectly content for a few days for you, if need be.

Can you make the cookie dough in advance and freeze it?

Yes! You can absolutely make this cookie dough in advance and freeze it for a later use. This is pretty key when planning for a holiday gathering. To do so, you’ll just need to prepare the dough as directed, and then transfer your dough balls into an airtight, freezer-safe container lined with wax or parchment paper. These frozen oatmeal cookie dough balls with keep in the freezer for up to six months.

To bake your cookies, you’ll need to remove them from the freezer and allow them to de front either in the refrigerator or on the counter. Alternatively, you can bake your cookies from frozen if you prefer. You’ll just need to lower the temperature a small amount, to give the cookies time to spread and thaw before the cookies burn or over-brown. Erin from A Cloudy Kitchen has a nice post all about this.

Can you freeze oatmeal cream pies after baking?

Also yes. If you say, bake a double batch of these cookies and hope to freeze half for a later time, you can successfully freeze them (for example). You’ll need to ensure that they’re fully cooled before transferring to an air-tight container. The homemade oatmeal cream pies will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

What to do with the leftover cream filling?

This filling is also perfect for homemade Oreos, which I shared a recipe for years ago on my former blog, Harvest and Honey. But, it no longer exists (that recipe at least). So, I’d suggest checking this Oreo recipe out if you want another fun way to use up that leftover cream filling.

What you’ll need

These oatmeal cookies are mostly classic, but as is my way – I’ve changed a few key things. This is all in the name of deliciousness, mind you. Trust that I wouldn’t go messing with a classic thing were it not for good and important reasons.

The most conspicuous thing you may notice on the ingredients list here is the salted butter. Yes, you read that correctly. I’ve found that by swapping in salted butter for the oft recommended “sweet cream,” or “unsalted” options, you can seriously deepen the flavor of pretty much any cookie. Take these snickerdoodles, for example. The usage of salty butter takes a (very sweet, sort of one-note) classic cookie, and really makes it shine. They’re the best snickerdoodles for that reason. Cooking successes so often boil down (quite literally) to the salt.

Secondly, you’ll see that I also add molasses to the dough here. Like salted butter, molasses is one of my go-to tricks for creating the greatest tasting cookies possible. I don’t add enough molasses to qualify these oatmeal cookies as molasses cookies. No, I just add enough to lend a subtle caramel note to the dough. We’re deepening the flavor, and lifting up the entire cookie experience.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature (yes, salted)
1 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 yolk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats (not whole rolled oats)
8-oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted according to package directions

Crunchy Topping Suggestions: Chocolate sprinkles, chopped toasted nuts (I used walnuts), toffee bits, mini chocolate chips, chopped chocolate candies, mini white chocolate chips

For the cream filling:

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream (or half and half or milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt, to taste

How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pies

This recipe is really tertiary in its unfolding, and you’ll see what I mean when you work your way through it. You can stop after you’ve made the oatmeal cookies if you want – if you don’t feel like making cream pies out of them. But I LOVE these oatmeal cookies. They’re chewy, thanks to the extra egg yolk we’ll add, and they have such wonderful, warm flavors running through them (thanks to the cinnamon and cloves). So, yes. You could stop right there and have some truly wonderful homemade oatmeal cookies on your hands.

But. You could take this recipe to the next level, since the directions are right here waiting for you, and build those cookies into the best oatmeal cream pies you will eat from now until forever. They’re just really really delicious.

BUT again! You could be all extra with things, like I’m being here, and give in to the Mae West outlook on life and embrace a “more is more” mantra with these oatmeal cream pies. I’ve found that by dunking them into a pool of shiny, glossy melted chocolate and then rolling them around in something crunchy (toasted hazelnuts, sprinkles, toffee bits etc.) you really wind up with something very special, that will inevitably elicit, “WOW’s” from anyone who crosses their path.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with natural cooking spray). Set this aside.
With a stand or hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugars together at medium speed until creamy. Add the vanilla, egg, yolk, and molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Set this mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk to combine evenly. Add the oats, and stir to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix just until combined. Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure, drop the dough in rounded balls on the prepared baking sheets; about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, placed two-inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 – 11 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown around the edges. Cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring elsewhere.
Spread about 1.5 tablespoons of the filling (see instructions below) onto the bottom sides of half of the cookies, top with the remaining cookies, right side up. If you want them to be chocolate-dipped, dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with any decorations you like. Place the cookies back onto baking sheets to dry/harden before devouring.

For the cream filling:

With a stand or handheld mixer, beat the butter for one minute, until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for one to two minutes. Pour in the heavy cream/milk and the vanilla. Mix on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy. Taste and add a dash of salt if needed. If the filling is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of cream to thin it a little bit, to a nice spreading consistency. This should be thicker than a buttercream, for reference, and you will probably end up with more than you need, depending on how thick you like your filling.