Oatmeal Pumpkin Creme Pies

Ingredients

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 and 2/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree ¹
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg (or 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice)
• 2 – 2 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup heat-treated all-purpose flour (as needed to thicken) salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, whisk the baking soda, cinnamon, oats, and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix together until just combined. Do not overmix.
2. Chill the dough for at least one hour (and up to 1 day) in the refrigerator. Cookies will be very flat if the dough is not cold, so don’t skip this step.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roll 2 teaspoons of dough into a ball and place onto prepared sheet. Bake for 9 minutes and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack.
4. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the pumpkin frosting. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, pumpkin, and spices on medium speed until creamy. Add 2 – 2 and 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners sugar depending how sweet you’d like it. If frosting is much too thin, add in the heat-treated flour to thicken it. Add salt to cut the sweetness, if you prefer.
5. Spread a generous amount of frosting on the underside of a cooled cookie and sandwich another cookie on top. Cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Footnotes