These gluten-free oatmeal cream pies are a taste of childhood! Soft, chewy, nostalgic, and a total crowd-pleaser!
Want to make delicious oatmeal cream pies that are gluten-free-friendly? This recipe is it! Read on for my expert tips!
If your childhood was anything like mine, you lived for the days when your mom added a Little Debbie treat to your lunchbox! And while everyone has their favorites, the oatmeal cream pies were the absolute BEST, in my opinion.
Oatmeal cream pies are a humble, old-fashioned treat, but they always hit the spot. They’re soft but chewy. They’re a bit crispy on the edges, and filled with the perfect about of cream filling. They just hit all the right textures and flavors!
I’m happy to report that these homemade sandwich cookies are even BETTER than a box of oatmeal cream pies you buy at the grocery store. Yes, and they’re gluten-free! These truly are the perfect party treat that can accommodate many different food allergies.
To achieve the iconic taste of Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies, the filling is made with a combination of powdered sugar, butter, heavy cream, and…wait for it…marshmallow fluff! It’s the best way to get that unique flavor and perfect fluffy texture.
But honestly, the chewy oatmeal cookies are just as delicious on their own. Eat your oatmeal sandwich cookie any way you please…it’s going to be tasty either way!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and chewy texture
- Perfect flavor profile
- Nostalgic and fun treat
- Great for parties
For more gluten-free cookies with oatmeal, try these gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, gluten-free oatmeal scotchies, gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies, almond butter cookies and gluten-free monster cookies.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Cream Pies
Here’s what you’ll need to make the gluten free oatmeal cookies:
- Gluten-free quick oats: Be sure to buy quick oats that are labeled as gluten-free oats if you want to keep these gluten-free. (I like this brand of gluten-free quick oats!) If you buy oats that are not gluten-free, there’s a chance of cross-contamination with wheat during the manufacturing process. If you buy old fashioned oats, you won’t get quite the same texture. Quick oats help the batter come together nicely and make the texture more chewy. Check out this article on are oats gluten-free?
- Vanilla: I highly suggest using real vanilla extract for this gluten free oatmeal creme pies recipe.
- Egg: A large egg is perfect for helping the batter hold together.
- Gluten free flour blend: Make sure you use a high-quality 1:1: gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum for this recipe. This is my favorite brand.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is essential for getting a chewy cookie with a hint of deep molasses flavor.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter for a better depth of flavor than unsalted butter. Let it soften a bit so it’s easier to cream with the sugar.
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps these cookies rise just enough and get a perfect chewy texture.
- Cinnamon: A hint of cinnamon is a key ingredient to get that Little Debbie flavor!
- Salt: I like to use fine sea salt for this recipe.
For more information on gluten-free oats, check out is oatmeal gluten-free, is oat milk gluten-free, how to make oat flour and substitute for oat flour.
Ingredients for Marshmallow Fluff Filling
Here’s what you’ll need to make the crème filling:
- Powdered sugar: Any brand of powdered sugar (also known as confectioners sugar) will work for this recipe!
- Marshmallow fluff: Marshmallow fluff has a unique flavor and texture that makes this creamy filling so irresistible!
- Butter: Use softened, salted butter again for the filling!
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream gives the filling a more rich flavor, but you could use regular milk if needed.
- Vanilla: I always prefer the taste of real vanilla extract over imitation.
For more sandwich cookies, you also might like these homemade gluten-free oreos or gluten-free pumpkin whoopie pies!
How to Make This Recipe
MAKE THE COOKIES
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour in the dry ingredients (gluten-free flour and gluten-free quick oats) into the wet ingredients and mix until evenly combined.
- Scoop the oatmeal cookie dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, roll the dough balls until smooth and rough. Place cookie dough balls 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set around the edges but still soft in the center. Do not overbake! You want the cookies to be soft and chewy. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
MAKE THE FILLING
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together the butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff and vanilla on medium speed. Mix until very thick and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, as needed, until you get a fluffy, spreadable consistency.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies. (Or use a piping bag for more control.) Top with remaining cookies, right side up. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover creme pies in a large Zip lock back or airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to five days.
FAQs
No, Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies contain wheat flour and non-gluten-free oats, so they are not gluten-free.
Even though oats are healthy on their own, oatmeal creme pies are not considered a healthy treat. They’re full of butter, sugar, and more—that’s what makes them taste so delicious!
My homemade oatmeal cream pie filling is made from marshmallow fluff, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a bit of heavy cream.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- These are meant to be flat, soft, and chewy cookies. So it’s normal for them to spread! If you notice the cookies spread too much, try refrigerating the dough before baking.
- Use a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour that contains xanthan gum for this recipe. This is my favorite brand.
- Be sure to use certified gluten-free quick oats to keep these oatmeal cream pies gluten-free. I prefer the texture of quick oats for these cookies—they make the cookies nice and chewy!
MORE GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free oatmeal cream pies, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cream Pies (Better than Little Debbie!)
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 1 cup salted butter softened, 227 grams
- 1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar 320 grams
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 180 grams
- 3 cups gluten-free quick oats 270 grams
FOR THE FILLING
- 1/2 cup salted butter 113 grams, softened
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar 195 grams
- 1 7-ounce jar marshmallow fluff/creme
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
MAKE THE COOKIES
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour in the gluten-free flour and gluten-free quick oats and mix until evenly combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, roll the dough balls until smooth and rough and place 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set around the edges but still soft in the center. Do not overbake! You want the cookies to be soft and chewy. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
MAKE THE FILLING
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), mix together the butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff and vanilla until very thick and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, as needed, until you reach a fluffy, spreadable consistency.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons of cream filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies, right side up. Enjoy!
Notes
- These are meant to be flat, soft, and chewy cookies. So it’s normal for them to spread! If you notice the cookies spread too much, try refrigerating the dough before baking.
- Use a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking flour that contains xanthan gum for this recipe. This is my favorite brand.
- Be sure to use certified gluten-free quick oats to keep these oatmeal cream pies gluten-free. I prefer the texture of quick oats for these cookies—they make the cookies nice and chewy!
AMAZING since going Gluten-Free
We’re so pleased you loved the recipe, Lucy! Thank you for your kind feedback.
My daughter & I made these yesterday & they turned out perfect! We will definitely make these again. Every recipe that we make of yours (& we’ve made quite a few in the past couple months since discovering she has celiac) have always been delicious & spot on. Thank you!
Aww, thank you for such amazing feedback, Sue! We’re so happy to hear both you and your daughter are enjoying the recipes so much!
I didn’t realize the recipe called for quick oats. I only had rolled oat so I pulsed them a couple of times in the blender to break them up a bit. I also used Toonie Moonie Organic marshmallow crème. They came out perfect. They are a little too sweet for me but that’s just my personal taste. I think next time I will use less sugar in the filling. This is a really good recipe that I plan to use often.
Hi Angelisa, we’re so pleased to hear how much you loved the recipe! It’s good to know those substitutions worked well too. Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us. Happy baking!
Can these be made dairy free?
Hi Stephanie, good question! We actually haven’t tested these out with dairy-free substitutes before. It’s definitely worth a try with vegan butter instead of regular butter and coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. If you decide to try it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I don’t have to be dairy free, but a lot of my friends need to be because they’re celiac. I tried them dairy free today and they are fantastic!! After I made the cookie dough, I shaped them and popped them in the freezer for 15 minutes. I baked them for 10 minutes and they came out perfect! The filling was super easy, too. I used dairy free butter for everything, and a little soy milk for the filling instead of heavy cream. They’re seriously amazing! Can’t even tell they’re dairy free! Thanks for the great recipe!!
I just made them and they are amazing! They turned out perfectly.
Do they freeze well? I’m hoping to save some for my next gathering, and just pop them out of the freezer and and have them ready to go.
Hi Sarah, we’re so glad you loved them! Yes, they can be frozen for up to 3 months (freezing may slightly impact the cream filling’s texture). Lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze until they’re firm, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. We hope this helps!
Outstanding! Made this gluten free recipe for a large gathering and everyone loved them.
Hi there, we’re so glad the recipe was such a hit! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback with us!
These are absolutely PHENOMENAL, I can’t speak highly enough of them. The first time I made them, I brought them to work, and one of my coworkers said they might be the best thing he’s ever tasted. The second time I brought them to work, a different coworker came up to give me a hug for bringing them because they’re so good. I’ve spoken so highly of them that my mom requested I overnight her some (which I did, she was thrilled)! These are officially my favorite baked treat, I will treasure this recipe for forever!
Wow! Thank you for such a positive 5-star review, Jordan! We’re so happy to hear this recipe has been such a hit with so many people in your life! Thanks for sharing!
these cookies turn out the absolute perfect texture, as long as you weigh the flour lol. i didn’t weigh the flour the first time, just scooped into my bag and they turned out dense little nuggets that didn’t spread at all (though they were extremely tasty little nuggets). second time, i did everything the same except i weighed the flour exactly using a digital scale and they turned out heavenly. i would 10/10 recommend these cookies as they’re surprisingly beginner friendly and very very good
Thank you for your kind feedback, Ezra! We’re so glad the flavor was a win both times and that the second batch was a total hit. Happy baking!
These are out of this world and that says a lot coming from someone that doesn’t like oatmeal cookies. I originally made these for the GF gal in the house but we all devoured them. So much that I made them for a family outing and they couldn’t get enough of them and all asked for the recipe. These are really the bomb!! Try them!!! They’re a must!
(Noting I used Cup4Cup flour)
Hi Sami, we’re so glad the recipe was such a hit! We appreciate you taking the time to share such a positive review with us! Happy baking!
Could I use almond flour for this?
Hi there, almond flour has different properties than the gf flour blend and doesn’t do well as a 1:1 replacement. We would recommend using a 1:1 gf flour like King Arther’s Measure-for-Measure Flour. Thank you for your question!
2 tbsp = colosal sized cookies LOL! 1 tbsp sized scoops yielded the perfect size to make a perfect oatmeal cream pie. The filling would be a wonderful cake frosting! Loved this recipe!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Cathey! We’re so glad you loved the recipe!
I made these exactly as described in the recipe but I must have done something wrong because they mostly stayed in a ball shape and did not flatten. Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Hi Kayla, we’re sorry to hear that the cookies didn’t spread correctly. Several factors could play into this issue like the material type of the cookie sheet, if you are using parchment paper or a different type of liner, the accuracy of the oven temp, etc. It can also signal that there is a bit too much flour or not enough sugar/butter in your dough, but if you followed the recipe exactly, that shouldn’t be the case. We hope these ideas help!
I can never get the consistency of the filling just right. It’s always too “runny”. How do I make it thicker?
Hi JD! We would recommend mixing the butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff and vanilla for about 2-3 minutes with a mixer (hand mixer or stand) to get it really thick, then only add the heavy cream as needed. The recipe calls for 1-2 Tbsp of heavy cream, but you can gradually add it in to make sure you really only add enough to make it spreadable. We hope this helps!
Same when I mixed in the butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff and vanilla it was like slightly thicker than cinnamon roll icing but not much. Thinking it would fluff up after adding in some cream. Nothing happened after the cream it stayed the. Could you add a photo of how thick it should look after adding the 1st step of ingredients? Thank you so much. The cookies are fantastic!
Hi Gina, thank you for sharing your experience. We’ve noted your idea about adding a picture of the filling prior to the heavy cream. Thank you for your suggestion! The filling should be very thick prior to adding the heavy cream, but then it should become fluffy and spreadable after the cream is added. The first set of filling ingredients may have benefitted from a longer mixing time before adding in the heavy cream. A touch more powdered sugar may help too if it’s still too thin. We’re happy you enjoyed the cookies!
Hey what’s a healthier option to use in place of the marshmallow cream?
Hi Dee, we haven’t tried a substitution for the marshmallow cream. This recipe leans more decadent and sweet rather than healthy. If you decide to sub out the marshmallow cream, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I used Toonie Moonies Organic marshmallow crème. You can try that. Check Whole Foods, Sprouts, your local supermarket or Azure Standard
The cookies taste good, but next time I will refrigerate dough before baking. They did spread a bit too much. Thanks!
It is so tasty !!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!