Homemade Oreos + Video
These easy Homemade Oreos are made completely from scratch. Soft, fudgy (brownie-like) chocolate cookies are stuffed with a simple, vanilla cream filling.
Oreo Cakesters
Remember Oreo Cakesters? The soft sandwich cookies from the mid-2000’s?
These Homemade Oreos are A LOT like that.
Save This recipe
Enter your email below to get a link to this recipe emailed straight to you to save later! Plus be signed up for all new recipes.
I remembered that my friend Erin used to make some soft Oreos for Christmas neighbor plates, so I asked her for her recipe.
Her recipe uses a boxed cake mix, which is fine, but I wanted something from scratch, so into the kitchen I went to start creating this recipe for you.
Crisp vs. Soft Cookies
This isn’t my first time making Oreos at home. I’ve also got some Homemade Mint Oreos on my blog and they are also really good, but different.
The cookie is crisp, yet tender and makes a great, sturdy sandwich cookie.
It’s a nice choice if you’re going for a more classic Oreo cookie. AND you don’t have to cut it out like sugar cookies.
But for these homemade (cakester style) Oreos, the cookie needed to be softer.
It was tricky to get a softer texture without it being too thick and cakey like a whoopie pie.
After four test batches, I have achieved the BEST homemade Oreos, and I’m confident that you will love these as much as I do.
What are the Ingredients to Make Homemade Oreos?
- All-purpose flour
- Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (or King Arthur Flour’s Black Cocoa Powder – use half as much or it will dry out due to the higher alkalinity)
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Large Egg
- Vanilla
- Milk
These are all basic pantry staples if you’re a regular at-home baker.
I definitely recommend the darker cocoa powder for that classic Oreo taste.
The cookies in these homemade Oreos are moist and fudgy; almost like a brownie.
They’re soft, but not cakey like a whoopie pie.
They taste wonderful by themselves, but the addition of the cream filling creates the tastiest sandwich cookie.
What is the Oreo Filling Made Of?
Classic Oreos are made with a vanilla buttercream frosting consisting of butter, shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
My friend Erin’s homemade Oreos recipe uses a cream cheese frosting in the middle, which I wouldn’t object to, if I wasn’t trying to keep it classic.
If you prefer cream cheese frosting, be sure to use my recipe for the best cream cheese frosting.
It’s lightly sweet and perfect for piping into cookies like this carrot cake whoopie pie recipe. You’re going to love these from-scratch, homemade Oreos!
More cookie recipes to try:
- Mint Oreo Recipe
- Oatmeal Cream Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
- Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Homemade Oreos
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- ½ cup (40 g) Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk
Vanilla Cream Filling:
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (57 g) coconut oil/shortening*
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie trays with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix completely. Scrape bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix completely. Dough will be thick.
- Scoop about 1 Tbsp of cookie dough (the size of a quarter), round dough into a ball, and place it onto the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. (12 cookies per half sheet tray. You should get close to 36 cookies to make 18 sandwich cookies.)
- Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the cookie dough balls half way down. (Grease the bottom of the cup with cooking spray if needed, to help with sticking.)
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-7 minutes, until just baked through, for a soft, fudgy cookie. Let cookies rest for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make filling, beat the butter and coconut oil/shortening until smooth in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth.
- Place the filling in a zip-top plastic bag and cut off the corner. Pipe filling onto the bottom of a cookie. Top with the bottom of another cookie. Repeat until all cookies are paired together and filled. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
Video
Notes
- COCOA POWDER: Regular unsweetened cocoa powder will also work well. If you'd like to use black cocoa powder, I typically use half black cocoa powder and half regular unsweetened cocoa powder. It will still look black without being too bitter.
- For Cream Cheese Frosting as the filling, half my recipe here.
- COCONUT OIL OR SHORTENING helps the frosting be more shelf stable. If you don't have these ingredients or prefer not to use either of them, use all butter for the frosting instead. Just keep in mind it may be softer, and more difficult to sandwich the cookies together.
- SMALLER COOKIES: Use a teaspoon to scoop dough for Oreo sized cookies. Will make 38 cookie sandwiches if making them this small.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
These are fab-u-lous! They have become a family favorite. I love how dark they turn out, just like the real thing! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
So glad you are enjoying my recipe Noah! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe.
These cookies sound absolutely amazing. I believe I might make them for my Christmas baking thi year.
Do you think the cookies would be good to freeze? Either before or after they are prepared as sandwiches?
I would freeze the cookies separately from the frosting and assemble them when you’re ready.
I absolutely loved these! They taste even better than Oreo Cakesters. Next time I’ll make a little less filling, I had a lot left over. But besides that everything about this recipe is perfection. Thank you for bringing back one of my favorite childhood sweets since they discontinued selling them!! 😀
I’m so glad you are are enjoying this recipe Emily! I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with the recipe.
Can these be froze after cooled?
Yes, just don’t put the filling in them. (Just freeze the cookies without the filling.)
Will these freeze okay?
If you freeze just the cookies (no filling). When you’re ready to eat them, thaw the cookies and then add the filling.
Can I used regular Hersey cocoa unsweetened powder instead of the dark? Or it has to be the dark one?
Absolutely. Use what you have. It will work the same.
Delicious! Made them allergy free by using gluten free flour, flax egg (1 Tbs flax and 3 Tbs water), vegan butter and flax milk. Turned out great!!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your findings with the allergy free ingredients.
Is it gluten free? If not would you know how to make it gluten free or any similar recipes that are? Thanks. (Wanna make for a friend who can’t have gluten)
Hi Eric, this recipe is not gluten free, but if you swap the all-purpose flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour, it should still work out for you.
A follower on instagram also reported that she made them gluten free with: 2/3 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum (to replace the flour).
How can i substitute eggs! I am a vegetarian but i love to bake! And this is the main reason i have to search many recipes just to find the vegan one! Please helpp!!
I can’t say for sure, but you can try 1/4 cup of applesauce or 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Good luck!
The cookie is delicious without the filing. We have made them many times and thinking of using as a crumble base. Cooking and putting into the food processor. Is it possible to show the (estimated) nutritional information without the filing? Thank you!