These pumpkin oatmeal cream pies are made with warmly spiced chewy oatmeal cookies, and filled with a thick vanilla buttercream. If you’re ready for a fall version of a classic oatmeal cream pie, this one is worth adding to your pumpkin season baking list.
If you love cozy fall baking, try my Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies, Jumbo Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, or Apple Cider Donut Bread next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft and chewy, not cakey. Blotted pumpkin and one egg yolk keep these cookies soft and moist without giving them the texture of pumpkin cake.
Quick oats make the difference. They bake into the dough more evenly than rolled oats and give these oatmeal cream pies their soft, uniform texture.
They still taste like a classic oatmeal cream pie. The pumpkin and warm spices bring the fall flavor, but still have that familiar cream pie filling everyone loves.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the complete measurements in the recipe card below, but these are the ingredients that matter most.
Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Blotting the pumpkin is the key to getting plenty of pumpkin flavor without making the cookies cakey.
Quick oats: I’ve tested my oatmeal cream pies with rolled oats, and I much prefer quick oats here.
Butter and sugars: The brown sugar adds chew and flavor while the granulated sugar helps the cookies spread enough to work well as sandwich cookies.
Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice: These warm spices are what give the pumpkin its real fall flavor.
Egg yolk: My original oatmeal cream pie recipe uses whole eggs, but pumpkin adds plenty of moisture on its own. One yolk gives the dough structure without adding more liquid than we need.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla goes into both the cookie dough and the buttercream and helps keep that classic cream pie flavor.
Powdered sugar and cream: These make the vanilla filling. I keep the buttercream on the firmer side so it holds its shape when piped and doesn’t squeeze out when you bite into the cookie.
How to Blot Pumpkin for Cookies
Pumpkin puree holds a surprising amount of water, and that moisture can make a pumpkin too cakey, if not blotted.
Start with about ¾ cup of pumpkin puree, and spread it over two layers of paper towels. Place another layer of paper towels over the top and gently press down.
You’re just removing enough excess moisture to give the cookies a chewier texture.
How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
Combine the flour and spices
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Set this aside while you mix the wet ingredients.
Cream the butter and sugars
I prefer using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for this recipe because the dough gets fairly thick once the oats are added.
A hand mixer will work, but you may want to stir in the oats by hand at the end.
Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
You’re looking for a mixture that looks creamy and smooth, but you don’t need to whip a lot of extra air into it.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl before moving on.
Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin
Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the blotted pumpkin puree and mix again just until the pumpkin is evenly incorporated.
At this point, the mixture should look smooth and creamy, although it may not look quite as fluffy as traditional cookie dough because of the pumpkin.
Add the flour mixture before the oats
Add the flour and spice mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low just until most of the flour disappears.Then add the quick oats.
I like adding the flour and spices first because it gives everything a chance to combine evenly before the oats start thickening the dough.
Mix just until the oats are evenly distributed.
Scoop the cookies
For oatmeal cream pies, I like to use a 2 ounce cookie scoop.
It makes a cream pie that is large enough to feel generous but not too big to eat!
Scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between the cookies.
Flatten the dough by pressing down with your fingertips to help the cookies spread in the oven.
Bake until the centers are still soft
Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
The edges should look set, but the centers should still look soft when you pull the cookies from the oven.
Don’t wait until the centers look completely baked.
The cookies will continue to set while they sit on the hot baking sheet, and that slightly soft center is what gives you the chewy texture you want once they cool.
Round the cookies while they’re warm
These cookies usually bake up pretty round on their own, but if you want perfectly round cookies here's what to do:
I like to keep a set of round cookie cutters beside the oven.
- About halfway through the baking, take the tray out of the oven.
- Place a cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie around it and gently move it in a circular motion.
- This nudges the edges into a more even shape without flattening the cookie.
It only takes a few seconds, but it makes a big difference when you’re matching cookies into sandwich pairs later.
Return to the oven to finish baking. Then let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Make the Vanilla Buttercream Filling
Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla, salt, and enough cream or milk to bring the buttercream together.
I like to keep this filling a little firmer than regular cake buttercream.
It should pipe easily but hold a defined shape once it’s on the cookie.
If the buttercream feels too soft, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff to pipe comfortably, add cream or milk about a teaspoon at a time.
Once the consistency is right, beat it briefly on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.
My Best Tips for Assembling Oatmeal Cream Pies
Before filling the cookies, pair them up by size.
This is another reason rounding them while they’re warm is helpful. You end up with sandwiches that look much more even.
I like to use a piping bag fitted with a round tip because it makes the filling look smooth without much effort.
You can also cut the end off a disposable piping bag or even use a zip-top bag.
Use whatever works for you, they’re going to taste good either way.
Pipe the buttercream onto the flat side of one cookie, leaving a little space around the outside edge.
Place the second cookie on top and press gently until the filling moves toward the edges.
Can I Use Cream Cheese Frosting?
Pumpkin and cream cheese are a classic combination, and these cookies would be delicious with my dairy free favorite cream cheese frosting.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The easiest way to make these ahead is to freeze the scooped cookie dough.
- Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze until firm.
- Transfer the frozen dough portions to a freezer bag or airtight container.
- When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough onto your baking sheet and let it defrost for about 30 minutes, adding a little extra baking time as needed.
- You can also freeze the baked cookies. Let them cool completely, layer them between sheets of parchment paper, and store them in an airtight freezer container.
For the best-looking oatmeal cream pies, I prefer freezing the cookies unfilled and adding fresh buttercream after they thaw.
How to Package Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies
For selling or gifting, I like using these bakery bags. Bonus points because they are heat sealable!
They keep the oatmeal cream pies fresh while still letting customers see the cookie inside, which is especially nice when you have that pretty piped filling showing around the edges.
Storage
Store finished pumpkin oatmeal cream pies in an airtight container.
They stay soft as they sit, so they’re a good cookie to make the day before you plan to serve or sell them.
If you’re stacking them, place parchment paper between the layers so the tops stay neat.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 225 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 226 g
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar 165 g
- ¾ cup 180 g granulated sugar 180 g
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree blotted
- 1 ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups 245 g quick oats
For the Vanilla Buttercream Filling
- ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the pumpkin puree between several layers of paper towels and gently press to remove excess moisture
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until creamy.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add the blotted pumpkin puree and mix just until evenly incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low until most of the flour has disappeared.
- Add the quick oats and mix just until evenly distributed.
- Use a #20 cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Press the tops down very slightly only if needed.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- While the cookies are still warm, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to gently shape them into even circles.
- Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 4 tablespoons of cream or milk.
- Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding a little more powdered sugar if you want a firmer filling or a small amount of additional cream if needed.
- Pair cooled cookies by size. Pipe buttercream onto the flat side of one cookie and top with a second cookie. Press gently until the filling reaches toward the edges.
Notes
More Fall Recipes to Try
If you’re filling your baking list for pumpkin season, try my Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies, Jumbo Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Apple Cider Donut Bread, and Brown Butter Zucchini Bread.
These pumpkin oatmeal cream pies are soft, chewy, and just different enough from the classic version to feel special for fall. If you make a batch, leave a comment and let me know how they turned out.
Leave a Reply