Oatmeal-Pumpkin Spiced Maple Cream Pies

These cookies gave me writer’s block. Really.

I had this great idea to make them. I made them. They were delicious. I ate them.

Then, I sat down to write this post. After staring at my keyboard for way too long, without having a single thought, besides how much I just wanna go eat another cookie, I gave up.

I’m throwing in the towel. All I have to say today is:

Oatmeal-Pumpkin Spiced Maple Cream Pies.

They’re fabulous. Make them. Like, now.

To keep these cookies simple, I used my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe that uses basic ingredients, like all-purpose flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, oats, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, then I spiced them up with nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. And, of course, I added fresh pumpkin purée.

The cookies themselves, without any filling, are amazing. They’re like a perfect cross of my favorite pumpkin bread and soft oatmeal cookies.

I made my cookies on the thicker side, because I love big, soft cookies, but you can definitely make these smaller and thinner, especially for little mouths and hands.

The maple filling completely takes them over the top to perfection, though. The combination of all these flavors are like Fall in cookie form. The oatmeal adds a great depth the pumpkin spice taste. They compliment each other perfectly, and the cookie has the best soft bite to go with the creamy maple filling.

These are a great, fast Autumn treat that would be great for a party or get together. They only take about 30 minutes to mix up and bake, and they’re ready to be enjoyed in less than an hour. And they’re so worth the short wait! Enjoy!

Oatmeal-Pumpkin Spiced Maple Cream Pies
Makes 1 dozen Sandwiches

Ingredients

*If you choose to make this vegan, make sure all of your sugars are vegan*

**If you like a spicier cookie, feel free to add extra, up to an extra pinch or so**

FOR THE COOKIES
2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if using margarine)
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan/dairy free cookies)
1 cup (255 grams) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 eggs (1/2 cup apple sauce for vegan/dairy free cookies)
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
1 cup pumpkin purée
3 cups (about grams) oats (quick or slow cooking)

FOR THE FILLING
6 tablespoons (about 85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan/dairy free)
1/2 cup (about 63 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) maple extract or flavoring
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups (about ounces, or about grams) marshmallow spread (vegan brand marshmallow spread, such as Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme for vegan/dairy free)

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with Silpat mats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter for about 30 seconds, then add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well, and scrape the bowl as needed. Stir in the pumpkin purée until combined. Add the flour to the butter mixture in 2 or three increments until just combined. Stir in the oats until evenly distributed.

For large cookies, drop 2 tablespoons of dough onto the pan, at least 2 inches apart (I baked 6 cookies at a time). For smaller cookies, use only 1 tablespoon of dough. Press gently on the cookies to flatten them slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the centers are cooked through and the cookies are golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before filling or serving.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat the butter high for 3 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the maple and vanilla extracts, and pinch of salt. Mix in the marshmallow spread and whisk on high for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. If the filling is too soft or runny, add more sugar as needed (up to an extra 1/2 cup).

Assemble the sandwiches: Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the bottom of a cookie, then place another cookie, bottom side down, on top.

Recipe by Darla

Tagged as: Cookies, Cream Pies, Dairy Free, Maple, Oatmeal, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Oatmeal Pumpkin Spiced Maple Cream Pies, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Spice, Recipes, Vegan