I hate whoopie pies. I think they are the lame cousin of the moonpie and have no place in this world. But, I think I accidentally made some recently.
It never even occurred to me that the Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies that I love so much were whoopie pies until I started making this knockoff. With their soft cakes and sweet frosting inside, they fit all both of the whoopie pie requirements even if Wikipedia wants to say that whoopie pies can only be chocolate or pumpkin.
These guys rocked my world last week. The cake part is so close to the Little Debbie kind! The only difference I can taste is the cinnamon which just makes them better. The frosting is spot on. There’s nothing you could add or take away that would get it any closer to the original. It’s perfect.
A few things to note: the batter is finicky. I had to throw away the first 2 pans that came out of the oven because they spread so much. Refrigerating the batter for about an hour solved the problem but it was just a pain that I hadn’t expected. Also, the cakes are very soft and need to be stored with parchment paper between them so they won’t stick. And finally, you should probably double the batch. They’ll go fast.
Oatmeal Cream Pies
from Buns in my Oven
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
For the filling:
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 ½ cups marshmallow cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
To make the cookies:
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and oats. Beat into the cream mixture. Refrigerate cookie dough for 15 minutes.
- Drop about 1 tablespoon of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. The centers should still be slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of cream filling (recipe below) on the bottom of one cookie and then top with another cookie.
To make the filling:
- Cream the shortening with the marshmallow cream, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat on low for about a minute. If it’s too thick, add a little water. You want it to be spreadable but not runny.
Sonya says
I made these over the weekend and they definitely taste as good as they look! I was able to make 15 cream pies (30 cookies total) using this recipe but I had a lot of filling leftover. It’s helpful to note that you pretty much use a whole 7oz jar of marshmallow creme for the filling. I froze the batter because I was scared of it spreading too much in the oven so my cookies came out rather thick and rounded but oh so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe! They were a hit!
ashley says
i’ve been wanting to make oatmeal cream pies for quite some time but haven’t seen a recipe for filling without shortening… i think i just need to bite the bullet or be prepared for a lot of experimenting to make a different filling :-) looks great!!
.-= ashley´s last blog ..Peach Jam Scones Project Pastry Queen =-.
Christina says
These look amazing! :)
Connie says
whoopie pies are awesome. If you don’t like them, then I can only assume you have only ever had fake ones. Find a nice original recipe, and you’ll have a new favorite..
bridget says
I LOVE oatmeal cream pies. I never thought of making them. I will have to try this.
Nikki says
WOW! I’m amazed by these. Thanks for sharing. Please join me this Thursday for my Tasty Traditions meme.
Sonya says
I can’t wait to try these! Curious, how much does each batch yield?
amanda says
Really, I’m not too sure. I had to throw away the first couple pans but I think in total it was around 24. Just a guess though! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Jennifer H says
I love moon pies and I think I’ll probably like these too!
Becki Sue says
Oatmeal Cream Pies are the ultimate convenience food treat, IMHO. I cannot wait to give this recipe a try. I’m just wrapping up a little diet though. I’ll have to wait a few weeks before I let myself indulge this much.
branny says
I don’t like moonpies, either. ANd I’m not sure I’ve ever had a legit whoopie pie, but I used to love to eat oatmeal cream pies at my friends’ houses as a kid. My parents never purchased them for me! This recipe looks great.
.-= branny´s last blog ..Buttermilk Avocado Soup =-.
roxan says
Those do look a lot like whoopie pies! Not that there’s anything wrong with them :) I think they look delicious.
Maria says
These look sooooo good!! It’s probably a bad idea for me to whip up a batch at 10 AM, right?
.-= Maria´s last blog ..Chocolate Covered Potato Chips =-.