Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
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A delicious twist on classic Lil’ Debbie cream pies – these gingerbread oatmeal cream pies feature two soft gingerbread oatmeal cookies and tangy cream cheese frosting in the middle.
If you love oatmeal cream pie cookies – then I highly recommend making these gingerbread oatmeal cream pies over the holidays. They have everything you love about the classic – but with a delicious gingerbread flavor.
The cookie sandwiches start with two soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies that are infused with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves for the perfect flavor. The oatmeal adds texture and a delicious chewiness to the cookies. Then they’re sandwiched with tangy cream cheese frosting that pairs perfectly with the warm spices.
After making a pumpkin variation of oatmeal cream pies for fall – I need to try a variation for Christmas. This gingerbread version just might be my favorite.
Making the Cookies
This recipe isn’t difficult – but I’ve included step by step photos to help ensure success.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C) and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Note that there’s no need to chill the dough in this recipe.
- Having the cookie sheets lined is necessary to prevent spreading and ensure that the cookies don’t stick to the pans.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. This preparation step is important so that the spices are evenly distributed in the dough.
- In a separate large bowl you’ll beat together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamed together.
- I like to use dark brown sugar in this recipe to give the cookies a darker color and deeper caramel flavor.
- Then mix in the molasses, egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture.
- When measuring the molasses, I always lightly grease the spoon so that the molasses doesn’t stick to it.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Start with the mixer on a low speed and gradually increase to medium speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Stir in the oats.
- I use quick oats (not instant oats that come in individual packages) for this recipe. I like to use quick oats for oatmeal cream pie cookies because the smaller oats lead to more uniformly shaped cookies – which is better for sandwiching. Large old-fashioned rolled oats will work too.
- Scoop the dough into balls with about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough each – I use a cookie scoop. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart (5 cm) on your lined cookie sheets.
- As mentioned – the dough will be sticky. Therefore, I recommend using a cookie scoop for this.
- The cookies will bake in the middle of the oven for about 8-10 minutes.
- The cookies will spread as they bake. If you find they aren’t flattening as much as you’d like, simply press the cookie dough balls down slightly before baking.
- I always bake 1 sheet at a time because the cookies will bake more evenly.
The cookies are very soft, so I recommend cooling them completely while they’re still on the cookie sheet.
Then it’s time to make the cream cheese frosting. You’ll simply beat together the butter and cream cheese, then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. You can adjust the amount of powdered sugar depending on how sweet you like your frosting. If you feel the frosting is a little too thick, then mixing in a little cream (half and half or whipping cream) will thin it out.
You’ll frost the bottom of one cooled cookie with about 1-2 tablespoons of frosting, then sandwich a second cookie over top.
Recipe Tip
This recipe will make about 12 sandwich cookies (24 individual cookies before sandwiching). The recipe (cookies and frosting) can easily be doubled to make a large batch.
Soft and chewy with a delicious gingerbread flavor and tangy cream cheese frosting – these gingerbread sandwich cookies make for a delicious Christmas cookie. For more gingerbread cookie ideas, then be sure to try:
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies – a delicious recipe for gingerbread cut out cookies that stay soft
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (166 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (158 grams), I used dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2½ tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1⅓ cup rolled oats (about 133 grams), I used quick oats, large old-fashioned oats work too
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese (112 grams) , brick style, full fat
- 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (165 – 275 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream, if needed, half and half works too
Instructions
Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamed.
- Mix the molasses, vanilla, and egg into the butter mixture until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Gradually mix together, starting with the mixer on a low speed.
- Stir in the oats.
- Scoop the dough into balls with about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough each. I use a cookie scoop for this. Place the dough balls about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets. You should get around 24 cookie dough balls.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven. The cookies will need to bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the tops look just set.
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the cream cheese.
- Add in 1 cup powdered sugar along with the vanilla and salt. Gently mix to combine.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches the sweetness and thickness you like. If you want your frosting to be a little thinner, then mix in 1 tablespoon of cream.
Assemble
- Frost the bottom of one fully cooled cookie with 1-2 tablespoons of frosting, then place a second cookie on top.
Notes
- Molasses: I prefer to bake with cooking molasses or fancy molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses as it is too bitter in flavor.
- Storage: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cookie dough balls can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, as directed in the recipe. Then make the frosting and assemble.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 sandwich cookie (2 cookies with frosting), assuming all the frosting is used.
Can you refrigerate the dough for a couple of days before rolling into dough balls?
Yes, that would be fine. Typically up to 48 hours. You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. The dough balls will bake from frozen (do not thaw first) as directed in the recipe – they’ll just likely need 1-2 extra minutes
Could I replace the cream cheese with marshmallow fluff? I’d like to use it for a bake sale but there’s no access to a fridge.
You could definitely use a marshmallow fluff frosting for the middle. I’d use the marshmallow fluff frosting recipe from these cookies here: here