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These Oatmeal Cream Pies are made with soft, chewy oatmeal cookies and browned butter vanilla buttercream frosting. They are reminiscent of Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies, but made from scratch with sourdough discard and brown butter and taste so much better.

These soft and chewy oatmeal sourdough cookies are packed with rich, warm flavors from molasses, cinnamon, and nutty brown butter. To take them to the next level, you’ll make a creamy buttercream frosting with vanilla, cinnamon, and more brown butter—creating the perfect filling for these irresistible cream pies.
I love recreating childhood favorites with a sourdough twist! Not only are they fun to make, but my kids can’t get enough of them. If you love this copycat recipe you’ve got to try my Chewy Granola Bars, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, and Animal Crackers. They are all snacks I love to keep on hand for my family.

Why you will love this recipe
- A homemade take on Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies, made with simple ingredients you’ll feel good about sharing with your family.
- Quick and easy—no chilling required unless you opt for the optional overnight fermentation.
- A delicious way to use up sourdough discard.
- Made with rich, nutty brown butter for a deeper flavor, but you can easily swap in regular butter if you prefer.
Key Ingredients & Subsitutions

- Browned butter- If you don’t want to brown the butter you can skip that step, but it adds a warm, nutty flavor that is so delicious!
- Sourdough discard– Discard is sourdough starter that is no longer active and bubbly. It gives great flavor and moisture to the cookies. You can use active starter in place of discard in the recipe.
- Molasses- Adds a sweet, rich flavor and gives the cookies a beautiful brown color. You can substitute this for dark corn syrup or maple syrup in the recipe.
- Rolled oats- Old-fashioned oats give the cookies a chewy texture. You can use instant oats but the cookies won’t be as chewy.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and quantities.

Instructions on how to make Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies
Make the Brown Butter
Browned butter is just butter that is cooked until it is golden brown. It takes on a nutty flavor that adds depth and pairs so well in this recipe.
Here’s how you do it:
- Cube the butter for the cookies and icing and place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and frequently stir with a spatula. If you have a light colored pan that is helpful to see the color better but dark pans will do the job.
- Once the butter melts it will begin to foam. The butter should begin turning a golden brown color. Continue to stir. You will want to keep an eye on this as it can quickly burn if not attended to.
- Once the color turns a deep bronze color and the foam begins subsiding, usually within 5-8 minutes of starting, the butter is ready. It should smell nutty.
- Once browned to your liking, Place a bowl on a kitchen scale and zero it out. Pour the butter into the bowl to see how much it weighs. Divide that number by 2 and put half in the refrigerator to solidify for the frosting, and use the other half in the cookie recipe.
You can find more in-depth instructions here.

Make the Oatmeal Cookies
- In a large bowl mix together the browned butter and sugars.
- Then, add in the wet ingredients: sourdough discard, egg, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix until incorporated.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the cinnamon, oats, flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.



- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheets. Each baking sheet should have 12 dough balls evenly dispersed on the pan. With the palm of your hand gently flatten out the dough balls.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then switch the baking sheets between racks. Continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to overbake, as this will result in a crunchier texture.
- After the cookies have cooled slightly, add them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.


Make the Brown Butter Frosting
While the cookies are cooling, make the brown butter frosting.
Take the brown butter from the fridge and add it to the bowl of your stand mixer or in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients for the frosting in the bowl and whip together until light and fluffy.

Place the frosting in a piping bag or a ziplock bag and cut the tip. Take one cooled cookie and pipe the icing on the back of the cookie. Then add one more cookie on top to sandwich them together. This recipe will make 12 Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies.


Pro Tips
- To achieve perfectly round cookies, use a cup or the rim of a canning jar. Right after the cookies come out of the oven, place the cup over each one and gently rotate it in a circular motion. This helps shape the edges while the cookies are still warm and pliable.
- Cookies will continue to bake after coming out of the oven so resist the urge to bake these after the sides start lightly browning. Overbaking will result in crunchy cookies.
- Wait for the cookies to cool before adding the icing or the filling will melt off and make a mess.

Storage & Freezing Cookies
To store, wrap them with plastic wrap or add them to an airtight container. These can be kept on the counter for 2-3 days. After that, store them in the refrigerator.
These cream pies can be frozen with or without the filling. If you are freezing the cookies by themselves, place them in a freezer- safe bag or container for up to 3 months. For assembled cream pies wrap them individually in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can almost always use active starter in place of discard.
No if you prefer to just make these into sourdough oatmeal cookies you can. Feel free to add in some chocolate chips or raisins for extra flavor.
Brown butter adds so much warm, nutty flavor to these cookies so I highly recommend taking the time to use browned butter. However if you prefer not to, use melted butter in the cookies and a stick of softened butter in the icing.
Yes! An overnight ferment will help break down the starches in the oats and the gluten in the flour. This can help the cookies be easier to digest and help your body absorb the nutrients. To do this simply mix up the dough and place it in the fridge covered for up to 3 days.

Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies
Ingredients
Oatmeal cookies:
- 114 grams butter, ½ cup
- 110 grams brown sugar, ½ cup
- 100 grams granulated sugar, ½ cup
- 120 grams sourdough discard, ½ cup
- 1 egg, 50 grams
- 5 grams vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
- 10 grams molasses, ½ Tablespoon
- 1 gram cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
- 135 grams rolled oats, 1 ½ cup
- 210 grams all purpose flour, 1 ½ cup
- 3 grams salt, ½ teaspoon
- 5 grams baking soda, 1 teaspoon
Brown butter frosting:
- 114 grams butter, ½ cup
- 240 grams powdered sugar, 2 cups
- 30 grams milk, 2 Tablespoons
- 2 grams vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon
- 1 gram cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
- 1 gram salt, ¼ teaspoon
Instructions
- First, make the brown butter. Take the butter for both (1 cup total), and cut it into cubes. Add it to a light-colored pan, if you have one, so that you can easily see when the butter has browned. Heat over medium heat, stirring consistently to prevent the butter from burning. Heat for about 5 minutes or until the milk solids have turned a golden brown color and you can smell the nutty aroma. Place a bowl on a scale and zero it out. Pour the brown butter in the bowl and divide the number by 2. Put half the butter in the refrigerator to solidify for the frosting, and use the other half in the cookie recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- In a large bowl mix half of the browned butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. 114 grams butter, 110 grams brown sugar, 100 grams granulated sugar
- Mix in the sourdough discard, egg, vanilla extract, and molasses.120 grams sourdough discard, 1 egg, 5 grams vanilla extract, 10 grams molasses
- In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients and then add it to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. 1 gram cinnamon, 135 grams rolled oats, 210 grams all purpose flour, 3 grams salt, 5 grams baking soda
- Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to portion out the cookie dough, placing 12 evenly spaced dough balls on each baking sheet. Then, gently press them down with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then switch the baking sheets between racks. Continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Be careful not to over bake, as this will result in a crunchier texture.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for a couple minutes and then move them to a cooling rack.
- Make the frosting by whipping all the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Place the frosting in a piping bag or a ziplock bag and cut the tip. 114 grams butter, 240 grams powdered sugar, 30 grams milk, 2 grams vanilla extract, 1 gram cinnamon, 1 gram salt
- Pipe the frosting in between two cookies and sandwich them together.
Notes
- To achieve perfectly round cookies, use a cup or the rim of a canning jar. Right after the cookies come out of the oven, place the cup over each one and gently rotate it in a circular motion. This helps shape the edges while the cookies are still warm and pliable.
- To long ferment the dough, place it in the fridge for 12+ hours and then bake as directed.
- To store, wrap them with plastic wrap or add them to an airtight container or bag. Keep them on the counter for up to 2 days and then place in the refrigerator.
- The cookies can be frozen with the icing by individually wrapping them and then placing them in a freezer-safe bag. Keep in the freezer for up to 2 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I use maple syrup in place of the molasses?
Yes it will change the flavor but it can be substituted.
These are so great! I love the option to long ferment, however, I think next time I’d leave the extra browned butter on the counter instead of the fridge. It didn’t mix well into the frosting 🙁 but we’ll definitely make these again!
Sorry about the frosting but glad you enjoyed the cookies!
OH MY GOSH!!!!! New favorite cookie. Incredible flavor, the cookie itself isn’t too sweet, but with the icing it is just the right amount of sweetness. Was a huge hit with all my boys, husband AND me. My only question is how the pictured cookies have so much icing on them?
I didn’t find this recipe to create enough frosting for such a thick fill? But maybe that’s because I made smaller cookies and technically iced more? Hmm. Not sure. Either way, 10/10 five star recipe, now a regular rotation staple in this house. Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Thanks Katie so happy your family liked the recipe! I think it is because you did them smaller so you end up using more frosting. I would do 1 1/2 of the frosting next time.