Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies

I’m a big fan of oatmeal cream pies. Always have been. Growing up, I got the famous Little Debbie snack maybe once every few years. I would always ask for them at the grocery store, but my mom was never one to buy cookies – if my family got baked cookies, they were always homemade.

And now I understand why… I mean, have you ever read the list of ingredients on the back of a Little Debbie box?

But that doesn’t stop my occasional craving for them! So instead of buying a box, I take the time to make my own! And I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like them.

This treat consists of two chewy and buttery oatmeal cookies sandwiched with a creamier version of my favorite buttercream frosting!

And since it’s fall, I decided to make these cookies festive and fill them with a pumpkin buttercream! Mmmm in my opinion, everything is better with pumpkin!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies

Yield: Makes about 10 cream pies

For the Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 and 2/3
  cups rolled oats
• 1 cup
  all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon
  baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon
  ground cinnamon
• 1 and 1/4
  cup packed brown sugar (258.75 grams)
• 1/2 cup
  salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons
  vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin
Buttercream

• 1/2 cup butter,
  softened to room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon
  pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon
  pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon
  vanilla extract
• 2 cups
  powdered sugar

Directions

For the Oatmeal Cookies

1. Combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and
   cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream the brown sugar and
   butter.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract until to the
   bowl and mix until well-combined.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until
   just combined – do not overmix.
5. Chill the
   dough for at least one hour (or up to 1 day) in the refrigerator. Cookies will be
   very flat if the dough is not cold — so don’t skip this step.
6. Preheat oven
   to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll 2 teaspoons of dough into a ball and place onto
   prepared sheet. 
7. Bake for 8 minutes and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or
   two before transferring to a wire rack.

For the
Pumpkin Buttercream

1. While the
   cookies are cooling, prepare the buttercream.
2. Beat the softened
   butter for 2 minutes.
3. Add pumpkin
   puree and beat again.
4. Add pumpkin
   pie spice and vanilla extract and mix again.
5. Slowly add
   powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. You can always add
   more powdered sugar to the buttercream if it is not firm enough.

Assembly

1. Spread a
   generous amount of pumpkin buttercream to the underside of a cooled cookie.
2. Sandwich
   another cookie on top.
3. Store cookie
   in airtight container in refrigerator.