Do you remember those Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies? Ironically, I loved those when I was little; I say “ironically” because I can’t remember being an oatmeal-eating kind of kid. I really don’t think I consumed oatmeal in any other form until college. But disguise it as a cookie, and I’ll eat anything. Because the cream pies contained the word “oatmeal,” I am sure my mom thought she was offering me something on the healthier side. There’s the 90s in a nutshell.
The other day as I was returning home after dropping my son off at preschool, my husband asked if I wanted to go on a coffee walk. We live in Richmond’s fan district, a neighborhood peppered with bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. Walking to grab coffee at a local cafe is one of our favorite things to do, and since I had no where to run off to (two days past my due date), I took him up on his offer.
We went to Shyndigz, which is a relatively new establishment a few blocks from our house (I wrote about it recently). Shyndigz started as a bakery, and they are known around town for their delectable desserts. I don’t get tempted by traditional sweets very often – I much prefer my homemade Healthified treats – but it is so hard not to crave what they have behind the counter (pregnant or otherwise). When I see what they have to offer, I like to window shop and get inspiration for recipe ideas I want to recreate at home. This time around I spotted their oatmeal cream pies.
That same morning, I was on a mission to make a healthier version. They turned out so well, and I’m excited to share. An added bonus is that you get a two for one deal with this recipe – the best type of recipe in my opinion. You can bake the oatmeal cookies and stop there, as they are so delicious on their own, and my toddler loves them too; or, you can take them a step further, make the frosting, and create your cream pies. Know that with the oatmeal cookies on their own, you get twelve servings, and with the cream pies, six servings (and a heartier helping). Either way is a win!
What makes these oatmeal cream pies healthier?
There are three main components of this oatmeal cream pie recipe that I Healthified: the flour, sweetener, and frosting. If you look at the list of ingredients of a traditional Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie, this is what you would find:
DEGERMINATED YELLOW CORN MEAL, WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR, SUGAR, CREME COATING (SUGAR, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL, NONFAT MILK, WHEY, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), FRUCTOSE, MOLASSES, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SALT, CARAMEL COLOR, CINNAMON, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BAKING SODA, NUTMEG, YELLOW 5, RED 40, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1, ANNATTO EXTRACT COLOR, WHEAT FLOUR, BHT FOR FRESHNESS. VITAMINS AND MINERALS: REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE), FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN D3, VITAMIN B12.
Interestingly, I also found the EWG website, which ranked the Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst score for a food). As you can see, there are not only additives and preservatives (artificial flavors, BHT, soy lecithin), but also refined sugar, inflammatory seed oils, and dyes. Looking at some competitor brands, they are not any better.
The ingredients found in my recipe includes:
- Egg
- Almond butter
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Gluten-free oats
- Oat flour
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Grass-fed or vegan butter
- Powdered monk fruit
A good rule of thumb: if you can read and recognize an ingredient, and better yet, would keep it in your own kitchen, it should get the green light!
This healthier, homemade version contains gluten-free whole grains, high-quality fats from almond butter, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter, and blood sugar balancing sweeteners.
Planning and prep
There is not much you need to do before baking these healthier oatmeal cream pies. If you are going to make the frosting, I suggest setting out your butter while you bake the cookies so it has time to come to room temperature. Then by the time the cookies cool, you will be ready to sandwich them with the delicious center filling!
Healthier Oatmeal Cream Pies
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Cookie sheets
- Hand beater or large whisk
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 egg beaten
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten-free if needed
- ⅓ cup oat flour or sub with almond flour or brown rice flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the frosting
- ½ cup grass-fed or vegan butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered monk fruit or regular powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, almond butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until creamy.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir to blend.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and stir or beat until a cookie dough is formed.
- Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, gather two tablespoons and drop the dough into balls on the cookie sheet, spacing at least 3 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium or large bowl, combine the softened butter and powdered monk fruit. Use a hand beater to blend until fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, intermittently scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating again until needed. Add the vanilla extract and beat again until just incorporated.
- To make the cream pies, spoon frosting on top of one cookie near the edge and place a second cookie on top, pressing gently. Continue to do this until all of the cookies have been sandwiched together.
- Store cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, or int he refrigerator for up to 1 week. Frosting will harden when chilled, but will still be delicious!
