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.
I’m happy to report that these gluten-free cookies are even BETTER than a box of oatmeal cream pies you buy at the grocery store. To achieve the iconic taste, the filling is made with a combination of powdered sugar, butter, heavy cream, and marshmallow fluff. I love it so much, it even inspired my gluten-free eggnog oatmeal cream pies for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and chewy texture
- Perfect flavor profile
- Nostalgic and fun treat
- Great for parties
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 gluten-free. While oats are gluten-free, if you buy ones that aren’t labeled that way, there’s a chance of cross-contamination with wheat during the harvesting and manufacturing process. Quick oats help the batter come together nicely and make the texture more chewy. Old fashioned oats won’t create quite the same texture.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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 Nostalgic Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cream Pies (Better than Little Debbie!)
These gluten-free oatmeal cream pies are a taste of childhood! Soft, chewy, nostalgic, and a total crowd-pleaser!
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
RECIPE 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.
- 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 519IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
They spread way too much. Taste is good. I will tweak the recipe next time.
Hi Trish! Thanks for giving these a try! We’re glad you enjoyed the flavor, but we’re sorry the cookies spread more than expected. They are meant to be flat and chewy, but it sounds like yours spread too much. Chilling the dough before baking can help reduce spreading. We hope your next bake goes much better!
I would like to make these ahead of time and wondering if these would freeze well and would still taste fresh after thawing? Would like to enter them in a county fair.
Hi Doreen! ! Yes, they can be frozen for up to 3 months (freezing may slightly impact the cream filling’s texture). Either individually wrap or 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!
Mine did not spread out…what did I do wrong? I just pushed them down with glass but they seemed dry.
Flavor was delish just didn’t bake as expected.
Hi Kara! We’re sorry the cookies didn’t spread for you. That’s not typical with this dough. Did you use the recommended gluten-free flour blend? Other blends can absorb moisture differently and change the structure quite a bit. If the dough also seemed dry, it’s likely a bit too much flour/oats were added or not quite enough liquid was in the mix. We hope this helps for next time. We’re glad you still enjoyed the flavor!
Hi, So I was wondering do I have to use marshmallow fluff for the filling, or can I use a substitute? ☺️ thank you!
Hi Eden, we haven’t tried a sub for the marshmallow fluff. If you’re okay with a different flavor/texture combo you could try frosting as the filling, but for a marshmallow cream center, the fluff works best! If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Mine spread quite a bit even though the dough was refrigerated. Do you spoon or scoop your flour for this recipe? Maybe I went wrong there. Thanks!
Hi Tiersa, we’re sorry you had this issue. We prefer to weigh ingredients for the most exact measurements, but if going by cups, we spoon the flour and level it off rather than scooping. Too little flour could add to spreading, but so could adding the butter too melted, baking on darker pans, etc. We hope these ideas help!
I will be making this for my grandkids.. love “Little Debbie’s”5
We hope you and the grandkids all love the oatmeal cream pies, Pattie! Happy baking!
These were an absolute hit!! Mine spread crazily, even after being refrigerated. So i just used cookie cutter for circles.
We’re so glad the cookies were a hit and you found a simple fix for the spreading. Thank you for sharing this with us, Jessica!
My daughter is gluten free and honestly I use ALOT of your recipes to bake goodies for her and we love them. These oatmeal pies are amazing!! Thank you making her gluten free lifestyle so yummy!!
Aww, we’re so happy to hear you’ve found the recipes helpful and enjoyed the oatmeal cream pie. Thank you for such amazing feedback!
Mine didn’t seem to bake enough, even after 10 minutes ? What could I have done wrong? Too big ? I measured/ weighed all ingredients. I also put yarn in the fridge for some time just incase , didn’t want them spreading too much … oven was at perfect temperatures so I haven’t a clue what i could’ve done wrong ? Lol The taste was great though !
Hi Shari! We’re sorry to hear the cookies didn’t seem to bake enough in the normal time, but we’re so glad you enjoyed the flavor! The cookies will seem soft in the center when they first come out of the oven, then firm up as they cool. If they never firmed up, it definitely could be a matter of making the dough balls too large or the dough being cold enough from the fridge that they needed more time. We hope your next batch goes much better!