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Oatmeal cream pie cookies bring together two soft, brown-sugar oatmeal cookies with a thick layer of fluffy marshmallow cream filling tucked between them. The cookies get their warm flavor from cinnamon, vanilla, dark brown sugar, and a small amount of molasses, while finely broken-down oats give them a pleasantly chewy texture without making the sandwiches overly chunky.
These homemade oatmeal cream pies are especially good when you want the nostalgic feel of a packaged oatmeal sandwich cookie with a softer, more substantial homemade texture. Baking the cookies only until their edges have set is important: the centers finish firming as they cool, leaving them tender enough to bite through without pushing out all that creamy filling.
What Makes These Oatmeal Cream Pies So Soft?
The texture comes from a combination of oats, brown sugar, butter, molasses, and careful baking. Rather than leaving the oats completely whole, pulsing them briefly in a food processor breaks them into smaller pieces. They still provide chew and oatmeal flavor but blend more evenly into the dough.
Brown sugar contributes both moisture and caramel notes. Dark brown sugar is particularly good here because its deeper molasses flavor complements the added unsulphured molasses, although light brown sugar works well too.
The baking time matters just as much as the ingredients. Pull the cookies from the oven when the outside edges are beginning to set but the centers still look a little underdone. Residual heat continues cooking them on the baking sheet. Waiting until every cookie looks completely baked in the oven can result in firmer oatmeal cookie sandwiches.
For another soft cookie to add to a holiday tray, try these easy eggnog sugar cookies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the oatmeal cookies, you’ll need oats, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, unsulphured molasses, and pure vanilla extract.
Either quick oats or old-fashioned oats will work because they are pulsed before being mixed into the dough. The goal isn’t to turn them into oat flour. A few quick pulses that leave small, recognizable pieces produce the texture these soft oatmeal cookies need.
Use softened butter that is still slightly cool rather than butter that is warm, greasy, or partially melted. Butter that’s too warm can encourage the cookies to spread excessively before their structure sets.
The filling is a simple combination of unsalted butter, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Marshmallow creme provides the recognizable soft, fluffy character that distinguishes these homemade oatmeal cream pies from oatmeal cookies filled with standard buttercream.
Can I Use Light Brown Sugar Instead?
Yes. Dark brown sugar creates a slightly deeper molasses flavor, but light brown sugar can be substituted in the same amount. There is already molasses in the cookie dough, so you won’t lose the defining flavor of the cookies.
Quick Oats vs. Old-Fashioned Oats
Both work with this method. Because the oats are processed into smaller pieces first, there’s less difference between the two than there would be in a traditional oatmeal cookie.
Don’t process either type into a fine powder. The tiny oat pieces are part of what makes the cookies chewy and gives the finished sandwiches their characteristic oatmeal texture.
How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies
Start by heating the oven to 350°F and positioning racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pulse the oats in a food processor several times. Stop once they’re broken into small pieces, then add the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Pulse briefly to distribute the dry ingredients.
In a separate mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with both sugars until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl when necessary. Add the oat mixture and mix just until everything is incorporated.
Give the finished dough about five minutes at cool room temperature before portioning. Scoop approximately 1½ tablespoons of dough for each cookie and arrange the portions a couple of inches apart.
Bake for 9–11 minutes. You’re looking for set edges paired with centers that still appear slightly underbaked. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets set over wire racks. They become firmer during cooling.
Because flour is a raw agricultural product, avoid tasting unbaked cookie dough; the FDA’s guidance on safely handling flour explains why flour-containing dough should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
Getting Evenly Sized Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
Consistent portions make assembly much easier because every cookie needs a similarly sized partner. A cookie scoop is particularly useful for portioning the dough quickly and evenly.
There is one quirk to watch for as the dough sits. Oats gradually absorb moisture, so later batches can spread less than the first. If the final dough portions look noticeably firmer, gently flatten their tops before baking. Don’t press them into thin discs; a light flattening is enough to encourage a shape similar to the earlier batches.
Also allow hot baking sheets to cool before adding fresh dough. Putting cookie dough on a hot pan can melt the butter prematurely and change how the cookies spread.
Make the Marshmallow Cream Filling
Beat the softened butter until smooth before adding the marshmallow creme. Once those ingredients are blended, gradually add the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time.
Finish with vanilla extract and a couple of pinches of salt. The small amount of salt balances the considerable sweetness of the powdered sugar and marshmallow creme.
Scrape the bowl thoroughly while mixing so there are no pockets of unmixed butter. If your powdered sugar is visibly lumpy, sift it before adding it.
The finished filling should be smooth enough to pipe but sturdy enough to stay between two cookies.
How to Assemble Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
Do not fill the cookies until they’re completely cool. Even slight residual warmth can soften the butter-based filling and cause it to slide.
Turn half of the oatmeal cookies upside down. Pipe the marshmallow filling into the center of each one using a large round piping tip, then gently place a second cookie on top. Apply only enough pressure to bring the filling toward the edge.
A piping bag isn’t necessary. You can spread the filling over the flat side of one cookie with a small offset spatula, butter knife, or spoon before adding its partner.
If you enjoy making sandwich cookies and bakery-style treats at home, these mint chocolate chip cookies are another cookie option with a completely different flavor profile.
Tips for the Best Soft Oatmeal Cookies
Several small details make a noticeable difference in this easy oatmeal cookie recipe:
- Keep the butter soft but cool. Overly warm butter can produce thin, greasy cookies.
- Pulse rather than pulverize the oats. You want small oat pieces, not oat flour.
- Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour makes the dough stiffer and can reduce spreading.
- Don’t overbake. Slightly underdone-looking centers are intentional when the cookies leave the oven.
- Cool each baking sheet before reusing it, and lightly flatten later batches if the dough has become noticeably firmer.
- Match cookies of similar diameter before adding the filling for neater sandwiches.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can make the individual oatmeal cookies ahead and wait to fill them until you’re ready to serve. Make sure they’re completely cool before transferring them to an airtight container.
Once assembled, keep the oatmeal cream pie cookies covered so the cookies don’t dry out. Because the filling contains butter, avoid leaving the sandwiches somewhere hot or in direct sunlight, where it can become overly soft.
For longer storage, freezing the unfilled cookies is a convenient option. Separate layers with parchment or wax paper in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them before adding the marshmallow filling. This also makes it easy to prepare the cookies ahead for parties or holiday cookie trays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my oatmeal cookies spread too much?
Butter that is overly warm is a common reason. Use softened but still cool butter and place dough only on cooled baking sheets. Accurate flour measurement also matters because too little flour can create excessive spread.
Why did my second batch spread less?
As oatmeal cookie dough sits, the oats continue absorbing moisture. This makes later portions somewhat stiffer. Lightly flattening the final dough balls before baking can help produce cookies closer in size to the first batch.
Can I make oatmeal cream pie cookies without a food processor?
Yes. A food processor makes it easy to create uniformly smaller oat pieces, but you can chop the oats by hand. Aim for a coarse texture rather than a fine flour.
How do I know when the cookies are done?
Look at the edges rather than waiting for the centers to appear fully baked. After approximately 9–11 minutes, the edges should begin to set while the middles remain soft and slightly underdone. The cookies continue to firm as they cool.
Can I make the filling without a piping bag?
Absolutely. Spread the filling across the underside of one cooled cookie with a spoon or small knife, leaving a little space around the edge. Place the second cookie on top and press gently until the filling spreads outward.
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cream Pie Cookies
Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies flavored with cinnamon and molasses and sandwiched around a fluffy marshmallow cream filling.
- Cook Time: 9-11 minutes per batch
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookies:
3 cups oats, quick or old-fashioned
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Filling:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 pinches salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Pulse oats until coarsely broken down; pulse with flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream butter and both sugars. Beat in eggs, molasses, and vanilla.
4. Mix in dry ingredients and rest dough 5 minutes.
5. Scoop into 1 1/2-tablespoon portions, spacing them a couple inches apart.
6. Bake 9–11 minutes until edges set but centers remain soft. Cool completely.
7. Beat filling butter until smooth, then mix in marshmallow creme.
8. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.
9. Pipe or spread filling onto half the cooled cookies and top with remaining cookies.
Notes
Keep the butter softened but still cool to control spreading.
Do not grind the oats into flour.
Later batches may spread less as the oats absorb moisture; lightly flatten those dough portions if needed.
Cool cookies completely before adding the filling.
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