Oatmeal Cream Pies: Keto-Friendly Indulgence?

Oatmeal cream pies are nostalgic treats for many, but are they keto-friendly? The answer is yes, but with some modifications. The key to making keto oatmeal cream pies is substituting traditional ingredients with low-carb, sugar-free, and gluten-free alternatives. This involves using almond flour or a combination of ground flaxseed, tapioca flour, and coconut shreds in place of regular flour, and sweeteners like monk fruit or Swerve instead of sugar. The filling can be made with butter, cream cheese, or palm shortening, along with a sugar-free sweetener and flavourings. With these adjustments, you can enjoy a soft, chewy, and delicious keto version of the classic oatmeal cream pie.

Ingredients for keto oatmeal cream pies

Cookies

• Butter
• Sweetener (brown and/or granulated)
• Molasses
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Almond flour
• Baking soda
• Oats (gluten-free)
• Coconut flakes (unsweetened)
• Walnuts (finely diced)
• Flax meal
• Xanthan gum
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Powdered sweetener (keto-friendly)

Filling

• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sweetener
• Heavy/Nut milk or cream
• Vanilla extract
• Marshmallow flavouring
• Palm shortening

Step-by-step recipe for keto oatmeal cream pies

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar-free sweetener
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar-free sweetener
• 1 teaspoon molasses flavor extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

For the Filling:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar-free sweetener
• 1 tablespoon oat fiber
• 1 tablespoon nut milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 dropperfuls marshmallow flavoring (optional)
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 325˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar-free sweetener, and granulated sugar-free sweetener until creamy.
• Stir in the molasses flavoring, vanilla extract, and eggs. Set this mixture aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat fiber, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• While mixing continuously with an electric mixer, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Continue mixing until combined.
• Use a 1.25-inch cookie scoop to portion out balls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake the cookies in the oven for 9-10 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
• While the cookies are cooling, make the filling. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly mix in the sugar-free sweetener until combined. Then, add the oat fiber, nut milk or cream, vanilla extract, and marshmallow flavoring (if using) and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
• Once the cookies have cooled completely, it's time to assemble the pie sandwiches. You can use a piping bag to pipe swirls of filling onto the underside of one cookie, or simply spread the filling with a knife.
• Place a second cookie on top of the filling to create a sandwich. Repeat this process until all the cookies are used, making about 18 sandwich cookies.
• Store your keto oatmeal cream pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

Nutritional information for keto oatmeal cream pies

Keto oatmeal cream pies are a low-carb, gluten-free, and sugar-free alternative to the classic oatmeal cream pie cookies. Here's a breakdown of the nutritional information for this keto-friendly dessert:

Ingredients:

The key to making keto oatmeal cream pies is substituting traditional cookie ingredients with low-carb and sugar-free alternatives. Here are the common ingredients used:

• Flour: Almond flour or sunflower seed flour is used as a keto-friendly alternative to regular flour. It provides a similar cookie texture while keeping the carb count low.
• Sweetener: Sugar-free sweeteners, such as monk fruit, erythritol, stevia, or xylitol, are used to sweeten the cookies and cream filling without adding carbohydrates.
• Oats: Some recipes include a small amount of gluten-free oats to provide the classic oatmeal texture and flavour. However, oats are high in carbs, so they are used sparingly or omitted entirely.
• Butter: Softened butter is used in both the cookies and the cream filling.
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binder and provide structure to the cookies.
• Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda is added to help the cookies rise and give them a lighter texture.
• Cream Filling: The cream filling varies but often includes butter, cream cheese or heavy cream, and a sugar-free sweetener.

Nutritional Values:

The nutritional values for keto oatmeal cream pies can vary depending on the specific recipe and serving size. Here are the approximate values for a single sandwich cookie:

• Calories: 232
• Carbohydrates: 8g (net carbs can be as low as 1.4g)
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 21g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Cholesterol: 51mg
• Sodium: 229mg
• Potassium: 64mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 1g
• Vitamin A: 456 IU
• Calcium: 35mg
• Iron: 1mg

Comparison to Original Oatmeal Cream Pies:

Compared to traditional oatmeal cream pies, the keto version has significantly reduced carbohydrates and sugar. However, it is important to note that keto oatmeal cream pies may also have higher fat content due to the use of ingredients like almond flour and butter.

Storage:

Keto oatmeal cream pies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for 2-3 months. The cookies tend to remain soft and chewy, even after refrigeration.

Tips for making keto oatmeal cream pies

Ingredients

Keto oatmeal cream pies are made with a combination of almond flour, ground flaxseed, tapioca flour, coconut shreds, and a sweetener. Here are some tips for choosing and preparing the ingredients:

• Use superfine almond flour for the best results. Cheaper "fine" almond flours may have a gritty texture and negatively impact the taste of the cookies.
• If you are allergic to almonds or prefer a different type of flour, you can substitute sunflower seed flour or lupin flour in a 1:1 ratio. Coconut flour can also be used, but you will need to use a smaller amount as it is more moist.
• For the sweetener, you can use a brown sugar substitute that can pack and has moisture. Monkfruit-based sweeteners are also a popular choice for keto recipes.
• If you want to include a hint of marshmallow in the cream filling (like the Little Debbie version), add a few drops of toasted marshmallow flavoring instead of using marshmallow fluff.

Baking Tips

• Use a cookie scoop or a piping bag to portion out the dough and create evenly sized cookies. This will ensure that your sandwich cookies look neat and picture-perfect.
• When baking the cookies, keep in mind that thinner and smaller cookies will cook faster, while thicker and larger cookies will take longer. Adjust your baking time accordingly.
• The cookies will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
• If you want extra filling in your cookies, you can double the cream frosting recipe.
• Store the keto oatmeal cream pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. They can also be frozen for up to three months.

Variations on the keto oatmeal cream pie recipe

There are several ways to vary the keto oatmeal cream pie recipe. Here are some ideas:

Nut-Free Variation:

You can make this recipe nut-free by substituting sunflower seed flour for almond flour. The amount of coconut flour may also work, but it needs to be less, and the recipe has not been tested with this substitution.

Keto Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:

Add sugar-free chocolate chips to the cookie dough before baking. You can skip the filling and serve them as single oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Alternatively, use butterscotch chips to make Low Carb Oatmeal Scotchies.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies:

Instead of the cream cheese filling, use peanut butter frosting.

Dried Fruits:

While raisins are standard in classic oatmeal raisin cookies, they are not suitable for low-carb cookies. Instead, use dried cranberries sweetened with a sugar-free sweetener.

Coconut:

Although coconut is not necessary, it adds a nice texture and taste to the oatmeal cream pies. If you don't like coconut, you can replace it with additional oats or sliced almonds, but this will slightly increase the carb count.

Frequently asked questions