Peanut butter lovers: these cookies are for you! Tony, Abra and I couldn’t get enough. These peanut butter oatmeal cream pies (or peanut butter sandwich cookies) are crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and, of course, filled with an epic uber creamy peanut butter frosting.
Oh and I added mini chocolate chips as an option because I just couldn’t resist. Thank me later. These are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, so share with friends and enjoy!
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Ingredients you’ll need
These amazing peanut butter oatmeal cream pies are a little indulgent and incredibly delicious. We’re using regular all-purpose flour and a few secret ingredients to make them. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Dry ingredients: we’re using all-purpose flour, old fashioned rolled oats (not steel cut), baking soda & salt for the oatmeal cookie base.
- Wet ingredients: you’ll need salted butter, natural, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, honey and sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
- For the filling: you’ll use some more butter and natural peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a bit of milk to make it creamy & fluffy.
- Exciting add-in: I love sneaking in some mini chocolate chips to the cookies themselves. Yum!
Two secret ingredients for the BEST peanut butter cookies
I know it may sound strange, but adding sour cream (or greek yogurt) + a little honey makes these cookies exceptional. Here’s how:
- The acidity from the sour cream helps to activate the baking soda so that you get amazing, crinkly tops.
- The added moisture from sour cream & honey makes the dough perfectly moist and keeps the peanut butter cookies chewy with crispy edges. No dry peanut butter cookies here!
Can I make these gluten free?
I have not tested these peanut butter oatmeal sandwich cookies with a gluten free flour. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend a substitute.
What about other nut butters?
I think these oatmeal cream pies would work with another nut butter like almond, but be sure to use an all natural, creamy almond butter that’s just nuts + salt. I will note that the flavor of the cookies and filling will be much more muted as they’re supposed to have that true peanutty flavor.
The best peanut butter frosting
Yes, the soft & chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies are incredible on their own, but this fluffy peanut butter frosting truly takes them to the next level. I based the frosting off of my Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake, so you know it’s damn good. A couple of quick tips for making it:
- Start your mixer on slow at first and increase to high for about two minutes to make it super fluffy.
- Add the milk just a tablespoon at a time to make it nice and creamy. You should only need about 1-2 tablespoons total.
How to make peanut butter oatmeal cream pies
- Get your oven ready. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add them all to a large bowl and whisk until they’re well-combined.
- Make your dough. First, mix your wet ingredients together with an electric mixer, adding the egg, vanilla, honey & sour cream last. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until your dough forms.
- Get a little wild. Add some mini chocolate chips if you’re feeling fancy like me!
- Scoop & bake. You’ll want to grab just a tablespoon of dough with a cookie scoop, roll it, and place it on your baking sheet. Leave 2 inches apart for the cookies to expand a bit, and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Make your filling. While the cookies are cooling, whip up the peanut butter filling in your electric mixer.
- Assemble the pies. Add just a spoonful of peanut butter frosting to a cookie, and sandwich it with another cookie. Enjoy!
Pro tips
These are a few of my tips and tricks for perfecting these peanut butter oatmeal sandwich cookies:
- Use an all natural creamy peanut butter with only peanuts + salt as the ingredients. My favorites are Wild Friends, Smucker’s, 365 brand, and Trader Joe’s.
- Only bake your cookies until they are just barely golden brown on the edges. They’ll be even more delicious when slightly underbaked (and will continue to cook & set up on the baking sheet!)
- Be sure to let your cookies cool completely before adding the filling so that the peanut butter frosting doesn’t melt.
- Leave a little edge around the cookies when adding the frosting so that it doesn’t leak out.
- The filling will have the best texture after letting the cookies sit at room temperature for 1 hour, so try to resist biting into them until then!
How to store peanut butter sandwich cookies
Store these babies in an airtight container at room temp for 1-2 days before transferring them to the refrigerator for up to 3-4 more days.
Tips for freezing
There are three easy ways to freeze these peanut butter oatmeal cream pies:
- Freeze the dough: after the peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough is done chilling in the fridge for at least an hour, roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the cookie dough balls firm up, you can transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container. Cookie dough will keep well for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply bake cookies as directed in the recipe and make your peanut butter frosting. You’ll likely just need to add a few extra minutes of baking time.
- Freeze baked cookies (without filling): wait for the peanut butter oatmeal cream pies to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature, frost them with the peanut butter filling and enjoy.
- Freeze baked cookies (with filling): Another option is to freeze the cookies after you’ve added the filling and sandwiched them together. Place them in a layer in a container and separate each layer with wax paper. Once ready to enjoy, take out cookies and thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes-1 hour.
More holiday cookies
Incredible Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies
Death by Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Salted Brown Butter Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
Soft Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Lovely Lemon Icing
Lemon Cookies with Lovely Lemon Glaze
Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies (gluten free, grain free, paleo friendly)
I hope you love these amazing peanut butter oatmeal cream pies! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cream Pies with Fluffy Peanut Butter Filling
Ingredients
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients:
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup all natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt as ingredients)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon honey (or sub molasses)
- 1/2 tablespoon sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- Optional:
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips
- For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature (or sub vegan butter)
- ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice), to make the frosting creamy and fluffy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add in softened butter, peanut butter and brown sugar; mix on medium low until well combined. Switch mixer to low speed; add in egg, vanilla extract, honey and sour cream and beat for 1 minute or until well combined, smooth and creamy. Slowly add in dry ingredients, increasing speed to medium low; mix until just combined. If you want to add in chocolate chips, now is the time to do so. I suggest mini chocolate chips!
- Use a small cookie scoop to grab a tablespoonful of dough and roll into a ball with your hands. It’s important that the dough is smaller as the cookies will expand and since we’re making sandwiches, you don’t want them too big.
- Place dough on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches apart between each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just barely golden brown. A slightly underbaked cookie is always best so they stay nice and chewy!
- Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. This allows them to set up a bit and harden slightly around the edges. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, you can make the peanut butter filling: in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter and peanut butter and whip on high until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat slow at first, then increase speed to high and beat for approximately two minutes. Frosting should be nice and creamy, if you want it extra creamy, add another splash of milk and beat again.
- Top one cookie sandwich with a spoonful of filling, leaving a nice edge around the cookies and top with another cookie sandwich, then very gently press down slightly. Repeat with all cookies. You should get about 16 oatmeal cream pies. The filling will have the best texture after letting the cookies sit at room temperature for 1 hour, if you try to bite into them earlier the frosting won’t be as firm as we’d like. Makes 32 cookies, 16 oatmeal cream pies
Recipe Notes
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
82 comments
These are unbelievable! Soooo good! I highly recommend adding the mini chocolate chips. I did have to add a little extra powdered sugar to the center filling because my peanut butter was super runny, but YUM! Caught my 3 year old trying to sneak a second!
So glad they were a hit! And yes depending on the peanut butter you use you might need to adjust a bit 🙂
I know these were just posted today but they look so good I had to make them right away!
They are really yummy! I used bob’s red mill 1to1 baking gf flour blend to make them gf. The texture is a little more crumbly than the ones on the picture but they are so soft and chewy and I suspect none of the flavor has been lost.
I also used light brown sugar because the recipe doesn’t specify which type to use.
These look amazing. I love your cookies. I have mastered the quinoa chocolate chip cookies and. I tried your new ginger cookies and they were divine.
2 questions: no chilling required for these? Second question, is it possible to make these just as cookies without the filling? As an option?
I made these late in the evening after showing my husband, and was so tired I just wanted to go to bed. I’M SO THANKFUL I DIDN’T! Best cookie of my life! I’ve been craving and eating a lot of oatmeal cream pies this last month but this hit the spot! It was a really quick process to make them, which I was pleasantly surprised. The peanut butter flavor is totally perfect, and the frosting is like nothing I have had before. I frosted them while the cookies were still lukewarm though, so the frosting melted a little bit. Trust the notes and wait until they are completely cooled! Thank you for this recipe!
So happy you loved them! Perfect for the season 🙂
Tried making these day and the cookies did not flatten out and expand at all – not sure what happened, they’re just really round and high and I might have to re-make them. Any advice on why this happened ???
So strange! Did you use an all natural, creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt)?
This recipe came at the perfect time – today is National Cookie Day, so I knew I’d be giving these a shot. I was concerned they would be too sweet, because I only had basic supermarket/commercial peanut butter (which has sugar) and not all-natural, so I left out the chocolate chips. These came out GREAT! The cookies are so chewy, the filling wasn’t overly sweet, it all came together so nicely. Aside from not having all-natural peanut butter, the only other adjustment to the recipe I made was replacing the tablespoons of milk with…. sugar-free pumpkin spice creamer! 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️😂 I didn’t realize my milk was past the expiration date until I was midway through the recipe! The creamer was all I had. 😂 But it all worked out and I will definitely make these again!
I’m glad those both worked out well! Perfect for National Cookie Day 🙂
These are so amazinggg!! Great for peanut butter lovers!! Made these tonight! Question… do I store these in the fridge or in a container at room temp?
Absolutely! I put all of the storing & freezing instructions in the post 🙂 feel free to leave at room temp for a couple days and then place in the fridge for 3-4 more.
My husband said these were the best cookies I’ve ever made. They were the perfect size, chewy, didn’t break… wow! I don’t know if they will last to make into cookie pies, but dang we will keep this dough in the freezer on repeat!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
This is the perfect cookie! My husband is GF so I made half a regular batch and half using Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 GF baking flour and you honestly cannot tell the difference. Definitely will be making these again!
I’m glad they both worked out well! So delicious 🙂
So. Good. I used Justin’s peanut butter and oat milk as subs and they turned out great. I would recommend rolling them into balls but then pressing down slightly on them so they flatten a little.. Or if you want them to be a little more domed, leave them as is. I’m going to try GF flour next time and see if it makes a difference! You’re the best Monique!!
Perfect! I’m glad you loved these ones!
So fluffy and delicious! One of my favs
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely amazing! Fluffy, not too sweet and that frosting…mmm only one bite sends you right to candyland. Thanks for these recipes. We stared a new tradition making 12 days of cookies before Christmas. These are day 4 and by far my favorite. Also toddler approved
So delicious! Glad you’re loving them – that tradition sounds like so much fun 🙂
These are so good and the texture is great! I added red and green M & Ms to make them extra festive. I plan to make these again soon, but will omit the frosting as I felt the cookie recipe was sweet enough, especially with my addition of M&Ms.
Love that! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
5 stars for being DELICIOUS. These were a bit time consuming – probably took me close to 1.5 hours with 3 rounds of baking and cooling the cookies. Worth it for sure, but definitely took longer than 45 minutes. 🙂
Thanks for the note! Glad you loved them 🙂
Omg these are so good that I even didnt make a cream cause half of them was eaten, seriously I have to make another bunch now 😁
The best! Glad they were a hit 🙂
THESE ARE SO GOOD! So peanut butter-y delicious. I definitely recommend mini chocolate chips. Regular sized ones are just too big and get in the way 😂 SOOOO GOOD MAKE THEM NOW!!
Absolutely! So glad you loved them!
Spectacular!
Glad you enjoyed!
These are seriously the best cookies I’ve never tasted. Cookie part is soft and chewy and frosting is delicious without being to sweet. I used about 1.5 T milk and it was perfect. I’ve already planned to bring them to family Christmas next weekend!
Amazing! So happy you loved them!
Do you think I can sub maple syrup for the honey? Can’t wait to make them!
Love these!! So easy to make and turned out perfect! That peanut butter frosting is AMAZE
So glad you loved them!
Can you omit the spour cream/greek yogurt?I bought regular nonfat plain yogurt by accident.
The regular yogurt should work just fine!
These cookies were delicious! Just enough peanut butter flavor, but not too much. I was concerned that having peanut butter cookies and peanut butter filling would be too much, but it was perfect. I highly suggest including the chocolate chips because it gave the cookie a break from the peanut butter flavor. I refrigerated the dough for 30 minutes before scooping and baking them. I used a tablespoon scooper and baked my cookies for 8 minutes and they came out perfectly! My husband and I tend to like more underbaked cookies, so 8 minutes were just the right amount of time for them to be crispy on the bottom and gooey in the middle. I made mine dairy-free, so I used dairy free sour cream and earth balance vegan butter sticks.
Amazing! Glad you both enjoyed!
Hi, stop what you are doing and MAKE THESE! They are phenomenal. I love all the cookies our cookie queen comes up with but theseeeeee may be the winner. So easy to make, soft delicious little cookies and that peanut butter cream filling. Are you kidding me?? LOVE.
So happy you love these ones!!
The only sub I made was whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and they turned out amazing! Probably the best cookies I’ve ever made and my family agrees!
I’m glad that worked out well! Best dessert 🙂
These were very good (husband approved), but I also had the problem of the cookies not flattening out (the peanut butter I used was just peanuts & salt). I’ve noticed in other cookie recipes that the dough is supposed to chill for a bit in the fridge first… is the dough for these cookies supposed to be chilled before rolling into balls?
Can you use melted butter?
Make sure the butter is softened at room temp and not melted! Otherwise the texture will change.
Thank you for these! I have made them multiple times since you posted them and they are now a family favorite. They taste perfect and not overly sweet. I have even made them without the frosting. Yum Yum.
Love it! I’m so glad they’re a hit 🙂
Made these twice in 24 hours…..my family just devoured them and was so sad that there were none left, so I whipped up another batch! At first, from the picture, I thought they seemed like they were complicated to make, but I found them quite simple and practically remade them from memory the second time! Great recipe, I am sure it will be on repeat in my home 🙂
Amazing! So glad you loved them!
These are the best cookies I’ve ever had/ made !! I don’t even like peanut butter and I LOVED these. Make them, you won’t regret it.
I’m so glad!!
This cookies are absolutely delicious!!! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make the filling but I decided to try it. IT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! Highly recommend! The cookies by themselves are great too!
Literally the most amazing cookies ever. I’m obsessed!!
These cookies are soooo addictive!
The dough is freezer friendly so i can pop some in the oven at any time and the filling is also very easy to make.
Amazing! My family gobbled them up and we are now believers in peanut butter frosting!!
These were delicious!!!!
These turned out great! I added mini chocolate chips.
These cookies are indulgent and delicious! Not as healthy as other recipes but totally worth the splurge!
Totally agree with you!! Not as healthy but totally worth it. Hey it’s the holiday and treats have to taste good!!
So yummy!!! I was easily able to make vegan 🙂
Perfect! Happy to hear that 🙂
This recipe like most all of moniques recipes is flawless. This is my go to chocolate chip recipe. I made them Easter festive by swapping out the chocolate chips for Cadbury mini eggs. So good!
Amazing! So glad you loved them 🙂
The BEST cookies ever!!! These are literally so good the cookie is perfect and the frosting is just amazing. You have to try these!
So happy you love them!!
This is my all time favorite AK recipe. I have made these countless times & they are always a crowd pleaser. They just simply never get old!
Best cookie recipe ever! Will definitely make these again.
Hi!
Just wondering if natural almond butter would work. Thanks
Yes, absolutely! Enjoy!!
Heavenly good!!! Soft and creamy. Everyone loved them!!! The oatmeal is surprisingly good in the cookies. I omitted the chocolate chips, because everything has chocolate in it during holiday. I will definitely make them again!! Thank you
These were so good. I needed to make them gluten free so I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and they turned out great!
These cookies are amazing! Thank you for sharing your talents and creative recipes with us!
Hi! For the filling, am I supposed to use salted or unsalted butter? I see salted for wet ingredients, so do I do the same for the filling? Also, has anyone tried using jiff peanut butter (not all natural)? I want to make these immediately but curious with ingredients that I have. Thank you!
Hi – I recommend using natural pb for this recipe, and yes, you can use the same pb for the whole recipe. Enjoy!
Just popping in to say these are amazing!!! My husband literally said “wow” about five times after having a bite haha. Definitely worth making!
WOO! This makes me so happy, Taylor. Glad these are a hit for you and your husband, thanks so much for your comment!
These are easily one of the best cookies I have ever eaten. I was thinking that the filling would be unnecessary and possibly detract by being too sweet, but so glad that I tried it…adds so much. I don’t love frosting so I was glad that it more like a filling than a frosting. Made exactly as written, for serving, bc the cookies don’t flatten much, I served the cookies on a plate with the filling on the side and we just slathered the filling on top. Everyone that tried them commented on how good they were. Fantastic recipe!
Amazing! Glad they were a hit!
hay nidia can you cook this withgute-free penut butter outmeal cream pies ok do you have outmeal cream pies nidia from sil ok i will like that for a snack at the movies besides the popcorn ok love mariah rose windsor ok