I’m sitting here watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy while Milly is cuddling on my lap. I just ate a slice of toast with peanut butter, banana and cinnamon…. and yesterday I officially became 36 weeks pregnant. Whew!
Surprisingly, I haven’t really craved anything sweet on a regular basis during my pregnancy. However, these gingerbread oatmeal cookie sandwiches changed EVERYTHING. I couldn’t stop eating them, or thinking about them and neither could Tony. They just scream all things Christmas!
As I was dreaming up what cookie recipes to make this year, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic and think about all the dreamy cookies I used to eat when I was a kid.
Remember those sweet packaged oatmeal cream pies? They were incredibly soft, chewy, ridiculously sweet. I remember ripping a package of them open after school and the sweet oatmeal and cream scent hitting me right in the face. YUM.
I decided to create a holiday-inspired version of those Little Debbies infused with tender, sweet ginger molasses flavor, then stuffed with a vanilla cream filling that’s thick and luxurious.
You’ll definitely be thanking me after you try these fantastic debbie upgrades.
Ingredients in Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Imagine if a ginger molasses cookie and an oatmeal cookie had a baby — because that’s exactly what these cookies are and THEY’RE SIMPLY INCREDIBLE. The cookies require simple ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry — especially if you love to bake!
Here’s what you need:
- butter
- brown sugar (I prefer dark brown sugar)
- blackstrap molasses
- egg
- vanilla
- all-purpose flour
- old-fashioned rolled oats
- baking soda
- ginger
- cinnamon
- allspice
- salt
Oatmeal cream pie filling
The oatmeal cream pie filling has got to be one of the most delicious parts about these cookies. It’s a vanilla buttercream frosting, with a little extra milk to keep it extra smooth and creamy. Sandwich it between two cookies and prepare to fall in love.
These gingerbread oatmeal cream pie cookies are the most perfect treats to bake for the holiday season or to bring to cookie exchanges. They’re freezer-friendly and are the ultimate treat for those who used to love Little Debbies (like me!) or have a serious obsession with all things gingerbread flavor.
Time to get your bake on!
How to freeze cookie dough for later
I LOVE freezing extra cookie dough because that way I can pop them in the oven whenever I want and it’s great when you want to bring something to a party or to a loved one’s house, but don’t feel like having a baking extravaganza. To freeze cookie dough for baking later:
- After dough is done chilling in the fridge for at least an hour, roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. This is known as a flash freeze.
- Once the cookie dough balls firm up, you can transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container. Cookie dough will keep well for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, simply bake cookies as directed in the recipe. You’ll likely just need to add a few extra minutes of baking time! Enjoy.
How to freeze baked cookies for later
If you want to freeze the already baked gingerbread oatmeal cookies for later, simply wait for them to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature, frost them with the cream pie filling and enjoy.
Another option is to freeze the cookies after you’ve added the filling and sandwiched them together. Place them in a layer in a container and separate each layer with wax paper. Once ready to enjoy, take out cookies and thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes-1 hour.
#AKCookieWeek Giveaway Details:
We’ll be selecting one lucky person to win a 5-Quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer (in color of choice) at the end of #AKCookieWeek. To enter:
- Share any of your Ambitious Kitchen cookie recipe creations by posting a photo to Instagram or in our private AK Facebook group with the hashtag #AKCookieWeek. On Instagram your profile must be public and you must post a photo in your feed (not on stories) in order for the entry to count.
- The more you share, the great your chance of winning!
- 18+ USA only.
Winner will be randomly selected on 12/12 and contacted via Instagram or Facebook.
See how to make the gingerbread oatmeal cream pies
I can’t wait to see you make these! Don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. I appreciate hearing from you. xo!
Incredible Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Amazing oatmeal cream pies with a gingerbread twist! These perfectly spiced gingerbread oatmeal cookies are sandwiched together with a delicious thick cream filling for the ultimate holiday cookie sandwich.
- Wet ingredients:
-
½
cup
butter, at room temperature -
1
cup
packed brown sugar (dark is great, but light also works!) -
1/4
cup
blackstrap molasses -
1
egg -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract - Dry ingredients:
-
1 1/2
cups
all-purpose flour -
3/4
cup
old fashioned rolled oats -
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda -
1 ½
teaspoons
ground ginger -
1
teaspoon
cinnamon -
1
teaspoon
allspice -
1/4
teaspoon
salt - For cream pie middle:
-
¾
cup
butter, at room temperature -
1 ½
cups
powdered sugar -
3/4
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
1-2
teaspoons
milk to make the filling creamy
Add room temperature butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat the butter and sugar together for 1 minute. Next, add in the molasses, egg and vanilla and beat again until well combined, smooth and creamy, about 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed just until combined. Chill dough in fridge for 45 minutes-1 hour, this is so the cookies have the perfect texture, so please don’t skip the chilling of the dough.
Once ready to bake cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands or a tablespoon to grab a large tablespoonful of dough and roll into a ball. Place dough balls 2-inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9-12 minutes. If you like cookies with a crispy edges, bake for about 12 minutes. If you like softer cookies, bake for 9-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool the cookies on sheets about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. They will still remain soft on the inside. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 30 cookies total (or what will be 15 cookie sandwiches).
Once cookies have completely cooled, you can make the filling: Add the room temperature butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low, then gradually increase speed to high for about 1 minute, or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Top one cookie sandwich with a spoonful of filling, leaving a nice edge around the cookies and top with another cookie sandwich, then very gently press down slightly. Repeat with all cookies. You should get about 15 oatmeal cream pies. The filling will have the best texture after letting the cookies sit at room temperature for 1 hour, if you try to bite into them earlier the frosting won’t be as firm as we’d like.
Instructions for freezing the cookies can be found within the post.
Nutrition
Servings: 15 cookie sandwiches
Serving size: 1 sandwich cookie with filling
Calories: 312kcal
Fat: 16g
Saturated fat: 9.6g
Carbohydrates: 46.8g
Fiber: 0.9g
Sugar: 26.2g
Protein: 2.3g
