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Keto Oatmeal Cream Pies

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

23 ratings

I spent weeks perfecting these keto oatmeal cream pies to taste like the Little Debbie original. Soft, chewy oat fiber cookies with vanilla marshmallow cream filling at only 1.4g net carbs per sandwich cookie.

  • 1.4gnet carbs
  • 4.7gprotein
  • 40minutes
  • 18servings
A stack of two oatmeal cream pies. The top pie has a bite taken out of it.
Oatmeal cookies filled with cream filling on a wire rack lined in rows.
A bite out of an oatmeal cream pie sitting on a wire rack with rolled oats spilled nearby.
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I grew up eating Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies out of the box. They were in my lunchbox almost every day, and I remember peeling the cookies apart to eat the cream filling first. When I started eating keto, those were one of the first things I missed. So I spent weeks in my kitchen figuring out how to make a low-carb version that actually tastes like the original.

I have tested a lot of low-carb cookies over the years, from my keto pumpkin whoopie pies and keto peanut butter cookies to my keto no bake cookies, and I keep coming back to this recipe as one of my favorites. The combination of warm spices, oat fiber, and that fluffy cream filling is something I crave on a regular basis. If you love nostalgic keto snack cakes, check out my keto Christmas tree cookies and my keto Hostess cupcakes too.

Two keto oatmeal cream pies stacked in front of a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies box.

I wanted these to be a true Little Debbie copycat, not just a random keto cookie with cream in the middle. Here is what makes my version work:

  • Oat fiber instead of oats gives you the oat flavor and texture with zero net carbs. I use it in both the cookies and the filling for extra body.
  • Molasses extract adds that deep, warm sweetness that real oatmeal cookies have. I use the extract instead of actual molasses to keep the carbs down.
  • Marshmallow-flavored cream filling sandwiched between the cookies. I add 1 1/2 dropperfuls of toasted marshmallow flavoring, which gives that subtle Little Debbie undertone.
  • Warm spices (cinnamon and a touch of salt) round out the flavor so these taste like the real deal, not some bland keto substitute.
  • Each keto sandwich cookie comes in at only 1.4g net carbs.

I make a batch of these every couple of weeks and my family finishes them within two days. They are one of the best low-carb desserts I have developed, and I think once you try them you will understand why I keep making them. If you want more cookie ideas, browse my keto ice cream sandwiches or my almond flour cookies next.

Rows of oatmeal cream pies on a black wire cooling rack.

Are oats keto friendly?

I get this question constantly, and the short answer is no. A half cup of rolled oats has around 27g of carbs, which would wipe out most of your daily carb budget on keto. I used to try small portions of oats in recipes, thinking a tablespoon here or there would be fine, but the carbs add up fast. That is why I switched to oat fiber for all my keto baking that needs an oat-like flavor or texture.

Oat fiber: the low-carb replacement for oats

Oat fiber is the ingredient that makes these keto oatmeal cream pies possible. It comes from the outer hull of the oat grain, and it is almost entirely insoluble fiber with nearly zero net carbs. I use it in these cookies because it gives you that slightly grainy, hearty texture that real oatmeal cookies have. The flavor is mild on its own, which is why I pair it with molasses extract and cinnamon to build that classic oatmeal cookie taste.

You can find oat fiber online or at specialty baking stores. I buy mine in bulk because I use it in everything from this recipe to my keto sugar cookies. Do not confuse oat fiber with oat flour. Oat flour is finely ground rolled oats and still contains carbs. Oat fiber is the zero-carb hull.

How to get keto sandwich cookies the same size

I learned this the hard way after my first batch came out with one giant cookie sandwiched against a tiny one. The fix is simple: use a cookie scoop. I use a 1.25-inch cookie scoop for every single ball of dough, and they come out uniform every time. If you do not have a scoop, pinch off dough and roll it between your palms to form about a 1-inch ball. I also rotate my baking sheet halfway through so the cookies bake evenly. Once they cool, I match them up by size before piping on the cream filling.

Two sandwich cookies stacked on each other.

How to store these sandwich cookies

I keep these in an airtight container in the fridge, and they stay soft and chewy for 5-7 days. The cream filling stays firm and the cookies hold up without getting soggy. If I am making a big batch, I freeze the assembled pies on a baking sheet first, then transfer them to a freezer bag. They keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, I pull one out and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating. The cookie softens back up perfectly.

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The recipe

Keto Oatmeal Cream Pies

Print Pin
Prep 20 min Cook 20 min Total 40 min Serves 18

Ingredients

Servings 18

Keto Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients

Vanilla Cream Filling Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven

    Preheat oven to 325ËšF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

    A baking sheet lined with white parchment paper.

  2. Combine wet ingredients

    In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar-free sweetener and granulated sweetener. Mix until creamy. Stir in molasses flavoring, vanilla extract and eggs. Set aside.

    For this step

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 3/4 cup packed browned sugar free sweetener
    • 1/3 cup granulated sweetener
    • 1 teaspoon molasses extract
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 eggs
    A clear glass bowl with wet cookie ingredients inside.

  3. Mix dry ingredients

    In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, oat fiber, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

    For this step

    • 3 cups almond flour
    • 1/3 cup oat fiber
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    A glass bowl with almond flour inside.

  4. Finish the oatmeal cookie dough

    While mixing continuously with an electric mixer, slowly add in the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Continue to mix until both are combined.

    A clear glass bowl with oatmeal cookie dough inside.

  5. Scoop the dough

    Using a 1.25 inch cookie scoop, place balls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.

    A baking tray with six cookie dough balls scooped on the tray.

  6. Bake

    Bake in the oven at 325ËšF for 9-10 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for several minutes until you can easily slide a spatula underneath. Then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

    Cookies baked on a tray with crinkle tops.

  7. Cream filling

    In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly mix in sugar-free sweetener until combined. Add oat fiber, nut milk or cream, vanilla extract and marshmallow flavoring if using. Continue mixing until light and fluffy.

    For this step

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 1 1/2 cup sugar free sweetener (use recommended brand above)
    • 1 tablespoon oat fiber
    • 1 tablespoon nut milk or cream
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 1/2 droppersful marshmallow flavoring, optional
    A glass bowl with vanilla cream frosting inside.

  8. Make sandwich cookies

    Scrape frosting into a piping bag and pipe swirls of filling on the underside of one cookie. Place a second cookie on top.

    Piping cream filling on a bottom sandwich cookie.

Nutrition

Per serving: 1 sandwich cookie

Calories
265
Fat
25.5g
Protein
4.7g
Total carbs
20.6g
Net carbs
1.4g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use real molasses instead of molasses extract?

I have tested both. One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses adds about 10g of net carbs to the entire batch, which comes out to roughly 0.6g extra per cookie. If that fits your macros, go for it. I personally stick with molasses extract because it gives me that deep, warm flavor without any extra carbs. A little goes a long way with the extract.

How do I tell when the cookies are done baking?

I pull mine out when the edges just start turning golden brown but the center still looks slightly underdone. They firm up a lot as they cool on the baking sheet. If you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they will be too crispy once they cool. I usually check at the 9-minute mark and go from there. Every oven is different, so I always set my timer for a minute less than what I think they need.

My cookies fell apart when I tried to assemble them. What went wrong?

I have had this happen, and it almost always comes down to not letting the cookies cool completely. They are fragile when they are warm. I let mine sit on the baking sheet for a full 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack for another 10-15 minutes before I touch them again. If they are still crumbling after cooling, your dough was probably too dry. I add a teaspoon of water or an extra egg yolk next time that happens.

Can I make these dairy-free?

I have made these dairy-free by swapping the butter for coconut oil in the cookie dough and using a coconut cream-based filling. The cookies turn out just as soft. For the cream filling, I whip chilled coconut cream with powdered sweetener and a bit of vanilla. It is not identical to the butter-based version, but I actually prefer the lighter texture. One of my readers also had great results using palm shortening in the filling.

How long do these last, and can I freeze them assembled?

I have left them on the counter and they hold up for about 2 days before the filling starts to soften too much. In the fridge, I get a solid 5-7 days out of them. My preference is storing them in the fridge because the cold firms up the cream filling and gives them a better bite. I pull them out about 10 minutes before eating so the cookie softens a little. For freezing, I lay the assembled cookies flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze until solid (about an hour), then stack them in a freezer bag with parchment between layers so they do not stick. They keep for up to 2 months frozen. I tried freezing the cookies and filling separately once, but the cookies cracked when I tried to spread filling on the frozen ones. Assembled first is the way I do it every time.

Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?

I would not do a straight swap because coconut flour absorbs way more moisture than almond flour. I have tried it, and you need roughly 1/4 cup coconut flour in place of 1 cup almond flour, plus an extra egg to compensate. The texture changes too, becoming more cake-like and less chewy. If you need to be nut-free, I recommend using 3/4 cup coconut flour plus 2 tablespoons of oat fiber in place of the 3 cups of almond flour, and add three extra eggs to the dough.

What brand of oat fiber do you use and where do you buy it?

I buy my oat fiber online because most grocery stores do not carry it. I have tried several brands over the years and the biggest difference is how finely ground they are. Finely ground oat fiber works best for cookies because it blends smoothly into the dough without any grittiness. Coarse oat fiber gives you a sandy texture that I do not want in these. I buy in bulk since I go through it fast. Check product reviews before ordering because some brands have an almost cardboard taste. The one I settled on is mild and slightly earthy, which is exactly what I want for that classic oatmeal cookie flavor.

Why do my cookies spread too much while baking?

I ran into this early on and figured out two main causes. First, my butter was too warm when I mixed the dough. The recipe calls for softened butter, and softened means cool to the touch, not shiny or greasy. Getting that right solved most of the spreading. Second, I was not chilling my dough before scooping. I refrigerate my dough for at least 20 minutes before I scoop and bake. If your cookies are still spreading after that, try adding an extra tablespoon of almond flour to thicken things up. That trick has saved me more than once.

How many carbs does one oatmeal cream pie have?

One of my keto oatmeal cream pies has 1.4g net carbs, 20.6g total carbs, and 265 calories. That covers the whole sandwich cookie, both cookies plus the cream filling. The gap between total and net carbs comes from the oat fiber and sugar-free sweeteners, which I subtract because the body does not absorb them the way it absorbs starch and sugar.

Is there a recipe for an oatmeal cream pie without sugar?

Yes, this recipe is exactly that. I use a brown sugar-free sweetener and a granulated sugar-free sweetener in the cookies, plus a powdered sugar-free sweetener in the cream filling, so there is no sugar anywhere in the recipe. Each sandwich cookie comes out to 1.4g net carbs and 265 calories, and the molasses extract keeps that deep flavor you expect from the boxed original.

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Reviews

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4.8 from 23 ratings, 18 written

Made this recipe?

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Beverly

So good, and this was my first time baking anything keto ! They looked way underdone when I pulled them out and then cooled into the CHEWIEST cookie. Do you think the dough freezes okay for next time?

Reply

Lucia

Really good. My daughter held one up against the boxed version and ours came out half the width, so I’d go bigger than the 1.25 inch scoop if you want the full size. Flavor is right though.

Reply

Samantha

My grandson loves Little Debbies so I’m surprising him with these this weekend.

Reply

Annie Lampella

He is going to lose his mind. I always chill them for an hour after assembling so the filling firms up and they hold together when he grabs one. Report back, Samantha.

Reply

Samantha

Made them over the weekend and he was over the moon. Chilled them the full hour like you said and they held together no problem.

Reply

Andre

Took these to a block party last weekend mostly because I needed something I could actually eat, and then the whole tray was gone before the brownies were even cut, which, honestly, has never happened when I bring keto stuff. Someone kept turning one over trying to understand the filling, like they were trying to reverse-engineer it. Doubling the batch for the next one.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That filling fools people every time. I’ve had the same thing happen, someone picks one up and starts flipping it looking for the trick. Double the batch, Andre.

Reply

Chelsea

I made my first keto dessert ever last weekend and picked this one because 1.4g net carbs for a cream pie sandwich sounded made up. Marshmallow filling had me nervous. Came together fine, but I overscooped the first few and ran short before finishing the batch. Is the filling ratio pretty locked in, or can you get away with less?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Not locked in. I do about a tablespoon per cookie but you can go thinner and still sandwich them up fine. Chelsea, hope round two comes out even.

Reply

Chris D.

bringing these to my sister’s birthday dinner this weekend

Reply

Annie Lampella

Chris, take them straight from the fridge. The filling holds up way better cold.

Reply

Chris D.

Makes sense. Grabbing them straight from the fridge on our way out.

Reply

Jasmine

cool them completely before filling or the cream goes everywhere

Reply

Annie Lampella

Learned that the hard way. Even a little warmth and the filling just runs. I do a full 10 on the sheet, then another few minutes on the rack before I even think about assembling.

Reply

Luz

Made like four different keto versions before landing on this one. The others all had that chalky almond flour thing going on. The oat fiber gives it that slight chew the original has. SO much better.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Four versions deep is real commitment. The chalky thing comes from the ratio, not just the almond flour itself. Getting the oat fiber amount right took me more batches than I’d like to admit.

Reply

Brittany

These are freaking good but nobody warned me the dough is super soft and I needed to chill it first or mine just spread everywhere. Once I figured that out on batch two, they looked exactly like the photos. That marshmallow cream filling is something else.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Chilling it makes all the difference. Batch two got you there.

Reply

Maria

Making these for a Mother’s Day brunch since my mom is keto, and it’s genuinely hard to find anything that doesn’t taste like a consolation prize. Should I assemble them the night before, or keep the cookies and filling separate until right before serving? The marshmallow cream filling is what I’m most worried about. Does it firm up too much in the fridge, or does it hold up okay once sandwiched? I’ve made keto sandwich cookies ahead before and ended up with a soggy mess.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Assemble the night before. The marshmallow filling firms up in the fridge, which makes them easier to serve (no sliding). I’ve kept assembled ones in there for 3 days with no sogginess. Pull them out 10-15 minutes before the brunch so the filling softens back up a bit.

Reply

Jennifer

I’ve tried probably five other keto oatmeal cream pie recipes over two years. None got the cookie texture right. This one does. The oat fiber gives you that actual soft chew and the molasses extract tastes like the real deal. Four stars only because I’d load more cream filling next time, but the cookies are the best keto version I’ve found.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Five recipes is real research. I always pile extra filling on mine anyway, so that four-star tracks. The cookies can take it.

Reply

Jess

The dough kept sticking to my scoop until I threw it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Total fix. Cookies came out uniform, didn’t spread into each other, and the middles stayed soft instead of flattening out. Also tried Lakanto golden in place of the regular brown sugar-free sweetener and the molasses depth was noticeably better with it. Worth the swap if you have it.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Lakanto golden is the better call here. I’ve switched to it for this recipe because the caramel base stacks with the molasses extract in a way the plain blends don’t.

Reply

Rhonda

Left a batch on the counter and my son (not keto, very much a Little Debbie purist) texted me from the other room asking what brand I had bought. The oat fiber texture is close enough that it fooled him completely, and now I can’t keep these in the house for more than a day.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ha. A Little Debbie purist texting from the other room asking what brand you bought. That’s the only review that counts.

Reply

Heather Q.

I’ve made three other keto oatmeal cream pie recipes and they all tasted like almond flour cookies with frosting slapped in the middle. The oat fiber here actually does something to the chew, and the marshmallow cream filling is the real deal. This is the only version I’m keeping.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Three versions is real research. The filling was the hardest part, most keto versions just use whipped cream cheese and call it a day.

Reply

Rosa

I kept scrolling past this one because oat fiber cookies sounded like a compromised version of the real thing. I’ve been burned too many times by keto desserts that promise chewy and deliver chalky. Made them last weekend out of desperation for something sweet and now I’m genuinely annoyed I waited so long. The texture on these is soft in a way other keto cookies just aren’t. Most almond flour cookies are fine when warm but turn to dust by day two. These are still soft on day three, which is the thing that actually surprised me. The molasses extract is what other recipes skip, and it’s what makes these taste like an actual oat cookie instead of a sweet almond disc. Double batch next time, no question.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Ha, fair. Day two crumble was what I kept fighting in testing. Oat fiber ratio fixed it.

Reply

Amy

I expected the oat fiber to give these a weird aftertaste, but they’re closer to Little Debbie than I thought anything keto could get.

Reply

Annie Lampella

That’s the whole goal. The molasses flavor extract is what finally got it there, took a few batches to nail the ratio.

Reply

Tasha

These hit really close to the original, which surprised me. My one note: the filling gets pretty stiff in the fridge, so pull them out about 15 minutes before you want to eat them. Texture is way better at room temp.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yes, the filling firms up a lot in the fridge. 15 minutes is about right, I usually just leave them on the counter while I’m getting dinner ready and they’re perfect by the time we eat.

Reply

Diane

My store never has oat fiber and I hate waiting when I want to bake. Would coconut flour work as a sub, or does it totally change the texture?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Coconut flour will work but don’t do a straight swap. I’d use about 2 tablespoons in place of the 1/3 cup (coconut flour absorbs way more liquid). The oat flavor will be slightly softer but the cookie still comes together.

Reply

Nichole

Thanks for this awesome recipe Annie. I follow you on YouTube and have had success with a lot of your recipes. The only thing I substituted in this recipe was the butter in the filling, for palm shortening. The cookies are superb, and the filling came out delicious too.
Anticipating your next creation. 🙂
Nicci

Reply

Annie Lampella

Haven’t tested palm shortening in the filling but that makes sense. It’s more heat-stable than butter so the filling probably holds up longer out of the fridge.

Reply

Amanda Miller

WAY too sweet for my liking, but in small doses, these are a good alternative to the Little Debbie snacks.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Fair. The filling runs very sweet. Cutting the sweetener back by a third or so makes a real difference if you try them again.

Reply

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