Last updated: October 16, 2026
These oatmeal cream pies are soft, chewy, and filled with a fluffy marshmallow buttercream that stays put. Everything you need to bake a batch of 12 is in the recipe card below, and the full walkthrough is right here.
What You Need to Make Oatmeal Cream Pies
Oatmeal cream pies need just two simple mixtures, a spiced oat cookie dough and a whipped marshmallow filling. Both come together with a hand mixer and ingredients most kitchens already stock.
The two parts are baked and assembled separately, so you can work at your own pace. Plan on about 1 hour and 45 minutes from start to finish, including chilling and cooling.
The cookie ingredients
The cookie base starts with 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. One large egg, 1 tablespoon of molasses, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract join them for richness and that classic caramel flavor.
The dry ingredients are 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt. Finish with 1 1/2 cups of quick-cooking oats, which keep the cookies tender instead of dense.
The filling ingredients
The filling uses 1/2 cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 cup of marshmallow creme such as Marshmallow Fluff. A teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon of salt round out the flavor.
Marshmallow creme is what makes these taste like the lunchbox classic. It gives the filling a light, almost whipped texture that plain buttercream cannot match.
How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pies Step by Step
Start with the cookies, since the dough needs time in the refrigerator and the baked cookies need to cool completely before you fill them. Once those two waiting periods are handled, the rest moves quickly.
Mix the cookie dough
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla until everything is smooth, scraping down the bowl as you go. Add the flour mixture on low speed until just combined, then stir in the oats by hand.
Chill and scoop the dough
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes. This short rest firms up the butter so the cookies spread into neat rounds instead of thin, greasy discs.
While the dough chills, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough with a number 40 cookie scoop, which holds about 1 1/2 tablespoons, and place 12 mounds on each sheet about 2 inches apart.
Flatten each mound lightly with your palm so the cookies bake evenly. You should end up with 24 cookies, which make 12 sandwiches.
Bake the cookies
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 11 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers still look slightly soft, because they firm up as they cool.
Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Cool the second sheet before baking the next batch, and let all of the cookies cool completely, about 30 minutes, before filling.
Whip the marshmallow filling
Beat the softened butter in a clean bowl for 2 minutes until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes, then add the marshmallow creme, vanilla, and salt.
Beat for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the filling turns fluffy and light. It should hold a soft peak and spread easily without running.
Assemble the oatmeal cream pies
Match the cooled cookies into pairs of similar size, which keeps the sandwiches neat. Spread or pipe about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of one cookie.
Top it with a second cookie and press down gently until the filling reaches the edges. Repeat with the rest and you have 12 finished oatmeal cream pies.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Cream Pies
The biggest secret to soft oatmeal cream pies is pulling the cookies from the oven while the centers still look a little underdone. Cookies baked until fully set turn crisp once cool, and a crisp cookie cracks when you bite into the sandwich.
Measuring the flour correctly matters just as much. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, or weigh out 160 grams, because packing it down makes the dough dry and the cookies cakey.
Room temperature butter is the next detail worth checking. Butter that is still cold will not cream properly, and butter that is melted will make the cookies spread too far.
Fully cooled cookies are the final rule. Warm cookies melt the filling and slide apart, so wait until they feel completely cool to the touch.
Oatmeal Cream Pie Variations and Substitutions
Old-fashioned rolled oats work in place of quick oats, though the cookies come out chewier and more rustic. For a texture closer to the original, pulse the rolled oats a few times in a food processor before measuring.
Light brown sugar can replace dark brown sugar if that is what you have on hand. The cookies will taste a little milder, and stirring in an extra teaspoon of molasses keeps the signature flavor close.
Raisins are a nostalgic add-in, and about 1/2 cup stirred in with the oats gives a classic oatmeal raisin version. The card below leaves them out, so treat them as an optional extra.
A pinch of nutmeg or a splash of maple extract in the filling gives a cozy fall twist. Dipping half of each finished pie in melted chocolate is another easy way to dress them up for a party.
How to Store, Freeze, and Make Ahead Oatmeal Cream Pies
Store the finished oatmeal cream pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Because the filling is buttery, move them to the refrigerator if your kitchen runs warm, where they keep for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the pies for up to 2 months. Place parchment paper between the layers, and thaw them at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
You can also freeze the baked, unfilled cookies for up to 2 months and fill them on the day you plan to serve. That makes oatmeal cream pies a great make-ahead dessert for school lunches, bake sales, and holiday cookie trays.
Where Oatmeal Cream Pies Come From
Oatmeal cream pies became a household name through the Little Debbie snack line from McKee Foods, a family bakery based in Tennessee. The packaged version with two soft oatmeal cookies and a sweet white filling turned into a lunchbox staple for generations of kids.
Home bakers have been recreating that snack for years, usually with a molasses-rich oat cookie and a marshmallow filling. The homemade version tastes fresher and softer, and you control the size, the spice, and the sweetness.
That is why a batch of oatmeal cream pies feels so nostalgic and so special at the same time. One bite brings back the snack aisle, but with real butter and a better chew.
Ready to bake? Use the recipe card below for the full ingredient list, steps, and nutrition information.
Oatmeal Cream Pies
Soft, chewy molasses oatmeal cookies sandwiched around a fluffy marshmallow buttercream, just like the lunchbox favorite but homemade.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (135 g) quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened, for the filling
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup marshmallow creme (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the filling
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, for the filling
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat 1/2 cup butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, molasses, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth, scraping down the bowl.
- Add the flour mixture on low speed until just combined, then stir in the oats by hand.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough with a number 40 cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons), placing 12 mounds on each sheet about 2 inches apart, and flatten each lightly with your palm.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cool the second sheet before baking the second batch.
- Beat the remaining 1/2 cup butter in a clean bowl for 2 minutes until creamy, then add the powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the marshmallow creme, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Match the cooled cookies in pairs of similar size and spread or pipe about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of one cookie.
- Top with a second cookie, pressing gently until the filling reaches the edges, and repeat with the remaining cookies.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze the filled pies for up to 2 months with parchment paper between the layers and thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Baked, unfilled cookies also freeze for up to 2 months. Old-fashioned oats make chewier cookies; pulse them a few times first for a softer texture. Raisins (about 1/2 cup) are an optional add-in with the oats.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sandwich cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 370Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 190mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 4g
Oatmeal Cream Pie Questions
Can we use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats?
Yes, but the cookies will be chewier and heartier. For the softest texture, pulse the old-fashioned oats a few times in a food processor before measuring.
Why did my cookies spread too thin?
Thin cookies usually come from butter that was too soft or from skipping the 30-minute chill. Make sure the butter is soft but still cool, and let the dough rest before scooping.
Can we make the filling without marshmallow creme?
You can use a basic buttercream, but the filling will be denser and less fluffy. The marshmallow creme is what gives these oatmeal cream pies their signature light texture, so it is worth keeping.
How long do oatmeal cream pies last?
They keep for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to 5 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 months with parchment between the layers.
Why do the cookies need to cool completely before filling?
Warm cookies melt the butter in the filling, which makes the pies slippery and messy. Waiting about 30 minutes gives you clean sandwiches with filling that holds its shape.
Why This Recipe Works
Creaming the butter with both sugars for a full 2 minutes builds a light structure, and the dark brown sugar and molasses give the cookies their deep caramel flavor. Only 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda is used, so the cookies stay thick and chewy instead of puffing up and turning cakey.
Quick-cooking oats absorb moisture evenly, which keeps the cookies soft for days. The 30-minute chill firms the butter so the dough spreads into cookies that are the same size and sandwich together neatly.
The filling gets its body from beating the butter and powdered sugar before the marshmallow creme goes in. That order gives you a stable, fluffy filling that pipes cleanly and does not squish out the sides.
Final Thoughts on Making Oatmeal Cream Pies
Homemade oatmeal cream pies are soft, spiced, and filled with a cloud of marshmallow buttercream, and they beat the store-bought version every time. The dough is simple, the filling takes minutes, and the whole batch makes 12 sandwiches.
Bake a batch this weekend and keep a few in the freezer for later. Then come back and tell us how your oatmeal cream pies turned out.
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