Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies
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These sourdough oatmeal cream pies are made with chewy spiced oatmeal cookies, rich browned butter, and sourdough discard for a bakery-style upgrade on the classic treat. Sandwiched with a fluffy vanilla cream filling, they’re soft, nostalgic, and packed with flavor in every bite. Perfect for dessert lovers looking for a creative way to use sourdough starter discard!
Listen, I’m a ’90s kid (80’s baby, which apparently makes me a ma’am now) who *loves* all things nostalgic. And I think everyone born in the 1900s has fond memories of stuffing our adorable faces with heavily processed, manufactured treats. I still do from time to time, but I prefer to make things homemade–like these homemade sourdough pop-tarts.
Less preservatives, no fake ingredients, just real, made-with-love baked goodness. And even better? Less waste if you’ve got some extra sourdough discard in the fridge! You can certainly use active, bubbly sourdough starter as well–it’s just that these cookies still rely on baking soda as the leavener.
These sourdough oatmeal cream pies are like cookie sandwiches. They’re SO delicious and pair great with a glass of ice cold milk. If you’re looking for another cookie sandwich, these carrot cake cookie sandwiches are made without sourdough.
Looking for more delicious desserts? Check these out:
- sourdough discard vanilla bean muffins
- sourdough brownies
- brown butter salted caramel cupcakes
- brown butter brownies
- sourdough snickerdoodle cookies
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the cookies:
- Browned butter (salted) – browning the butter adds a caramel note to the cookies. The flavor is incredible, and I highly recommend browning the butter (I’ll walk you through the easy steps below). However, if you’re low on time and don’t want to brown the butter, softened salted butter works too. If you only have unsalted butter, use that and add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar or dark brown sugar works.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract – you could also use vanilla bean paste!
- Sourdough discard – this is inactive sourdough starter. If you want to use active, bubbly sourdough starter, you certainly can!
- Old-fashioned oats – I use rolled oats. Any old-fashioned oats work.
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Baking soda
- Salt
For the cream filling:
- Salted butter – room temperature, softened butter. Again, if you only have unsalted butter, simply add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the vanilla cream filling.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla bean paste works here too.
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream – If you don’t have heavy cream, milk will also work.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan and melt over medium heat. Stir frequently as it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Once browned (about 5–7 minutes), remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard, mixing until combined.
Add the oats to the wet ingredients.
Fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of the wet ingredients and combine.
For best results, place the cookie dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This helps control spreading.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon portions and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 11–12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are just set. Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract, then slowly add powdered sugar. Beat in heavy cream until the filling is fluffy and spreadable.
Spread or pipe the cream filling onto the flat side of one cooled cookie. Top with another cookie and gently press together. Repeat until all cookies are sandwiched.
Tips for Making These Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies the *BEST*
- Brown the butter carefully: Stir constantly and watch for the nutty aroma and golden specks. This step adds deep, rich flavor to your cookies.
- Chill the dough if needed: Chilling the cookie dough for 20 minutes helps control spreading, especially for smaller cookies. Larger scoops can skip this step.
- Use a cookie scoop: A 3-tablespoon scoop ensures evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly and pair nicely for sandwiching.
- Cool cookies completely before filling: Warm cookies will melt the cream filling, so let them cool on a wire rack before assembling.
- Fluffy filling: Beat the butter thoroughly before adding powdered sugar and cream to create a smooth, fluffy cream filling.
- Even sandwiching: Match cookies of similar size to create uniform cream pies that look and taste professional.
- Store properly: Keep assembled cream pies in an airtight container or freeze individually for later. Proper storage maintains softness and flavor.
Equipment Needed for These Sourdough Discard Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Medium saucepan (for browning butter)
- Heatproof bowl (to cool browned butter)
- Stand mixer or hand mixer (for cookie dough and cream filling)
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Spatula and wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale (optional, for accuracy)
- 3-tablespoon cookie scoop (for evenly sized cookies)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Baking sheets
- Cooling rack
- Offset spatula or piping bag (for spreading or piping the cream filling)
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep chilled in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap each cream pie individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
In the mood for chocolate?! You’ve got to make this chocolate sourdough babka!
Sourdough Oatmeal Cream Pies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup browned butter see instructions below
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sourdough discard
For the Cream Filling
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
How to Brown Butter
- Place butter in a saucepan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.Allow it to melt completely, then begin to stir frequently as it foams.After 5–7 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Brown specks will form at the bottom of the pan—this is flavor!Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly before using in the cookie dough.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together browned butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Stir in the sourdough discard. Add the oats.
Add the dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Chill the dough
- For best results, chill the dough for 20 minutes to reduce spreading.
Bake the cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon portions and place on lined baking sheets, leaving space between cookies. Bake for 11–12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers are just set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the filling
- In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat softened butter until creamy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, then beat in heavy cream until fluffy.
Assemble the cream pies
- Spread or pipe the cream filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie and gently press together to form a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies. This recipe yields about 12 sourdough oatmeal cream pies.
Notes
Yield
- About 12–14 sandwich cookies (depending on size).
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keep chilled in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Wrap each cream pie individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
If you grew up on the classic pre-packaged treats, then you’ve got to try these homemade sourdough discard oatmeal cream pies! They are so delicious and fun to make. My kiddos devoured them. Let me know what you think if you make this recipe!