Oatmeal Creme Pies
Makes 7-8 sandwich cookies
90 minutes —
Intermediate —
I grew up on Little Debbie — nothing beats a Zebra Cake (not that I’d really know, I haven’t had one in probably ten years). But out of the entire catalogue of gas station impulse-buys, (yes even honey buns) there’s one that reigns supreme. The Oatmeal Creme Pie. Something about those chewy, melt-in-your-mouth molasses-ey sandwich cookies just stuck with me. And for those wondering, no, they’re not vegan. So this one’s for you, 90’s babies.
The reason these cookies stand apart from the rest is because we utilize all of the seasonal flavor all-stars — things you’d find in a pumpkin pie, or an apple crisp. Molasses, maple, nutmeg, cinnamon, & ginger. These are the ticket to the perfect oatmeal cookie.
Oatmeal Creme Pies
7-8
cookies1
hour10
minutes1
hour10
minutesIngredients
- Cookie
120g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
120g (1 + 1/2 cup) quick oats
142g (10 tbsp) plant-based butter, softened!
100g (1/2 cup packed) dark brown sugar
50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp maple syrup
- Filling
175g (3/4 cup) plant-based butter, softened!
360g (3 cups) confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp plant-based milk
1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375F (191°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Set aside.
- To a small bowl or cup, add the ground flax seed and 2.5 tbsp of water. Mix together with a fork and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and oats.
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, a handheld mixer with beaters, or just a handheld whisk, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until creamy & fluffy — about a minute. Add flax seed mixture, vanilla, molasses, & maple, and mix until just fully combined. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine using a wooden spoon. It will be quite thick & sticky. That’s okay!
- Divvy up your dough into 14 or 15 balls (more like wads, with this type of dough). Bake cookies for 10 minutes, and set on a wire rack to cool all the way. I recommend letting the cookies cool for a full hour.
- To make your filling, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and salt with a mixer or a fork. Gauge the consistency of the icing — it should be a thick icing, you don’t want any to droop out of the sides. If it’s too thick to stir, you can add some milk one tsp at a time. to finish cooling.
- All that’s left from here is to assemble the cookie sandwiches. Spread the icing on a cookie with a butter knife or mini spatula, then top with another cookie. Do not — I repeat — do not ice these cookies warm. You can even chill them for 20 minutes before you ice them if you’re in a rush.
Notes
- Do not ice the cookies warm. It’s not worth it. The icing is made of butter — butter melts fast. As soon as the icing touches a warm cookie you’ll get drippage. We hate drippage.
- The spices and molasses in this cookie are really kind of crucial in terms of flavor. You can of course skip any of them — just know, you’re not getting the full monty.
