Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Chewy oatmeal cookies infused with molasses and warm gingerbread spices, sandwiching a luscious vanilla cream filling. These festive sandwich cookies combine nostalgic comfort with holiday flair for an irresistible seasonal treat that’s perfect for gifting or enjoying with family.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup molasses not blackstrap
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats not quick oats
For the Cream Filling
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare your oven and equipment. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. This incorporates air for a better texture.
- Add the molasses, eggs, and vanilla to the butter mixture, beating until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a separate bowl and whisk together to evenly distribute the spices.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until combined. Overmixing will develop too much gluten, making tough cookies.
- Fold in the oats by hand using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough. The dough will be thick but still slightly tacky.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons per cookie) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. These will spread while baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies will continue cooking on the hot baking sheet.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents breaking while they’re still soft.
- Make the cream filling by beating the softened butter until creamy, then gradually adding the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Assemble the sandwich cookies by spreading or piping about 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto the flat side of one cookie, then pressing another cookie on top. Apply gentle, even pressure to spread the filling to the edges.
- Let cookies set for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the filling to firm up slightly. This creates the perfect texture contrast between cookie and filling.
Notes
- For the best flavor, make these cookies a day ahead—the spices develop and deepen overnight, just like traditional gingerbread.
- The cookies will seem slightly underbaked when you remove them from the oven, but they’ll firm up as they cool. This ensures they stay chewy rather than crunchy.
- For perfectly uniform sandwich cookies, use a cookie scoop to measure your dough consistently.
- Store assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
- The unfilled cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months—just thaw and fill when ready to serve.