Soft and chewy apple cider-spiced oatmeal cookies filled with a dreamy creamy caramel cream cheese frosting!
Caramel apples have always been one of those autumn staples that people can’t seem to get enough of. They have that perfect flavor balance of sweet and tart, and they’ve also got the perfect texture balance between the crisp cool apple and warm gooey caramel.
However, the only thing I don’t like about caramel apples is that they’re so flippin’ hard to eat. When you have a small mouth, like myself, it’s nearly impossible to bite into a caramel apple without accidentally dislocating your jaw. I’m more of a dipper, meaning, if I want to get my caramel apple fix, I just dip some apple slices in some caramel.
Of course, another great way to get your caramel apple fix is through DESSERTS. In fact, I think I have the perfect caramel apple dessert for you right here…
These Caramel Apple Oatmeal Creme Pies have all of the flavors of a delicious caramel apple, but they’re SO much easier on your jaw. With super soft and chewy oatmeal cookies infused with cinnamon-spiced apple cider and caramel cream cheese frosting, nothing screams fall quite like these creme pies.
These autumn dream boats are actually another fall rendition of one of my favorite childhood treats–Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Creme Pies. A few years back, I made these Pumpkin Oatmeal Creme Pies, which were nothing short of divine. I knew it was definitely time to whip up another batch of these babies, but this time the inspiration would be caramel apples.
The cookie dough is pretty much your standard oatmeal cookie recipe, but with a few fall extras. First you’ll combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. This includes all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Classic apple pie spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves are also incorporated into the dry ingredients.
Now, my secret (probably not so secret) ingredient for infusing desserts with apple flavor is instant apple cider mix. I love this ingredient because you can pretty much add it to any baked good without messing with the chemistry of the recipe. It’s basically a super concentrated powder that adds flavor and sweetness. The brand I always go with is Alpine Spiced Apple Cider. Make sure you use the dry instant drink packet, and NOT apple cider juice/liquid. Water also doesn’t need to be added to the drink mix.
Although whole oats offer a heartier, chewier texture to cookies, I went with quick cook oats since Little Debbie’s Creme Pies are made with this variety. Once the quick oats are tossed in with the rest of the dry ingredients, it’s time to get started on the wet ingredients. In a stand mixer, cream some butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Then add an egg yolk, a splash of vanilla, and some applesauce. That’s right, these cookies have DOUBLE the apple goodness!
Now it’s time to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Simply dump the flour mixture into the stand mixer, start the mixer on low, and allow it to do it’s thang. Once everything is well-incorporated, wrap the dough up in some plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This dough is pretty sticky if you don’t chill it, so definitely DON’T skip this step. Chilling the dough also prevents the dough from spreading too quickly in the oven.
Once the dough has had plenty of time to chillax in the refrigerator, take it out, and roll portions of it into 1-inch balls. Place these dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned around the edges and puffy in the center. Allow the cookies to cool completely before sandwiching them with the frosting.
Speaking of FROSTING…
Even though the classic creme filling in Little Debbie’s creme pies is more marshmallow creme-based, I opted for cream cheese frosting in these luscious beauties. There’s just something about the combination of cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookies and cream cheese frosting that’s absolutely divine. Maybe because the flavors remind me of carrot cake.
Mmmm, carrot cake…..
When it comes to assembling the oatmeal creme pies, you have two options. You can either grab a butterknife or offset spatula, and spread the frosting onto the bottom side of one cookie, and place another cookie on top. OR, you can make things super duper simple on yourself by transferring the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a gallon ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and piping dollops of the frosting onto each cookie. Not only is this method SO much quicker, but it gives you a more pristine appearance. Not that that really matters since people are going to demolish these oatmeal creme pies in minutes anyway…
Oops, did I say minutes? I meant seconds…
Caramel Apple Oatmeal Creme Pies
Ingredients
Apple Oatmeal Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (0.74 oz) pouch instant apple cider drink mix*
- 1 ⅔ cup quick oats
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 3 ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices and cider drink mix together. Stir in the oats; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add both sugars and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the applesauce, egg yolk, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Dump in the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using greased hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place dough balls onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each one.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together on high, until smooth and creamy. Add the caramel and mix until combined.
- With mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time. Once all of the sugar has been added, whip frosting on high for about 30 seconds until light and fluffy.
To Assemble:
- Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or gallon zip-loc bag with the tip cut off), and pipe the filling onto the bottom side of a cookie. Gently press another cookie on top, forming a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining cookies and frosting.
- Serve immediately, or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.