Home > Recipes > Desserts > Cookies > Homemade Oreo Recipe
by Michelle
December 17, 2020
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4.41 (37 ratings)Have you ever wondered if it was possible to make Oreos at home? The answer is a resounding YES! These homemade Oreos are easier than you think, with a dark chocolate wafer cookie and creamy, somewhat stiff filling that will make you wonder why you never tackled chocolate sandwich cookies at home before! As someone who loves to incorporate Oreos into recipes whenever possible, I am here to tell you that they are even BETTER than store-bought, so get a big glass of milk ready and let’s bake!
One word: Amazing.
If you have any affinity for Oreo cookies at all, you will happily devour these without looking back.
The familiar chocolate wafer packs an insane amount of richness and a perfectly balanced flavor, thanks to the use of Dutch-processed cocoa powder. And the vanilla cream in the middle? The texture is perfect and you can easily twist these apart just like you did when you were a kid.
How to make Oreo cookies from scratch
While it might sound daunting, like most copycat recipes, making your own homemade Oreos is easier than you think!
We start with the chocolate wafer cookies and then add in the filling. Let’s talk about each one in a little more detail…
The chocolate cookies
There are two very distinct characteristics of store-bought Oreo cookies:
- They are very dark, pretty much black.
- They are super crispy, not at all soft.
So how do we achieve these? It’s actually quite simple!
First things first – the black color of the Oreo cookies. Dutch-process cocoa powder is much darker than your traditional unsweetened cocoa powder and gives these cookies that unmistakable dark color. If you want to get black cocoa powder, then you can use that for even darker cookies!
Now, on to that crisp texture. While I am usually all-in on soft cookies, that is not Oreo’s game. They are light and crisp, which we replicate here by using a combination of Dutch-process cocoa and baking powder, as well as all granulated sugar (we skip the brown sugar, which usually adds softness and moistness to cookies).
The results are a sort of chocolate shortbread wafer that has a deep chocolate flavor and the perfect amount of crispiness – there is no hint of softness, but they are sturdy and don’t crumble apart when you bite into them.
The Oreo cream filling!
Now on to everyone’s favorite part of the Oreo cookie: the filling!
While many homemade Oreo cookies use a white chocolate ganache or a simple buttercream, I didn’t find a ganache authentic enough and I needed to tweak my buttercream to get the consistency juuuuust right.
I ended up adding some vegetable shortening to a simple vanilla buttercream to get a slightly stiff consistency to make the filling more along the lines of what you would find in the middle of those oh-so-addicting cookies. If you want a filling recipe without shortening, you can omit it and go with an all-butter option, but I do find that the shortening goes a long way in getting the filling super close to tasting just like traditional Oreo cookies.
A few cookie tips
- While I loved the scalloped-edge cookies, you can definitely use straight-edge cutters, or do different shapes!
- Another gorgeous option – use a cookie stamp! Oreos have their own design on top, so why not give yours one, too?
- While piping the filling is quick, you can totally slather it on with an offset spatula.
Storage and freezing instructions
These cookies are a magnificent candidate for making ahead of time or freezing whole.
- Make-Ahead Dough: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before being rolled out, or frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a resealable bag.
- Make-Ahead Filling: The filling can be made and refrigerated for up to 2 days ahead of time (give it a good mix with a rubber spatula before using).
- Make-Ahead Chocolate Cookies: You can bake and cool the chocolate wafer cookies, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Fill and assemble when ready.
- Cookie Storage: Once the cookies are baked and assembled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Oreo-inspired recipes!
- Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- Ultimate Oreo Cake
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
If you make these homemade Oreos and love them, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
Homemade Oreo Recipe
Yield: 36 sandwich cookies
Prep Time: 50 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Chilling time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
A homemade Oreo recipe with chocolate wafer cookies and a creamy vanilla filling. Dunk in milk or twist them apart!
4.41 (37 ratings)
Print Pin Rate
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, (8 ounces)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 2 ounces (0.5 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (51.25 g) vegetable shortening
- 2 cups (240 g) sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch square, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 14x10-inch rectangle (1/8-inch thick). Slide dough in parchment onto a tray and freeze until dough is firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cut out as many rounds as possible from first chilled square with a 2-inch fluted or round cutter, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to a buttered baking sheet, arranging them ½ inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft, return to freezer until firm.)
Sprinkle half of cookies with decorative sugar (if using), then bake cookies until baked through and slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely (cookies will crisp as they cool).
Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (re-roll only once).
Make the Filling: Beat the butter and shortening together at medium speed until combined and smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the filling is light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cookies: Pipe a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of the plain cookies. Top with the sugared cookies to make sandwiches. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Gourmet.
Calories: 141kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 32mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 205IU, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Author: Michelle
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
[Photography by Dee Frances]
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92 Comments on “Homemade Oreo Recipe”
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Ruth — Reply
Can these be successfully made with Allulose for diabetics?
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Hillary — Reply
The shortening in the frosting is terrible!
Also, the cookies didn’t have the right snap and were a strange flavor- maybe too salty. -
Char — Reply
Just made these and they were excellent! Truly all the refrigerating dough steps were worth it :) And I subbed 2 TBSP cream for the shortening. So so good!
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Dani — Reply
I made these at Christmas and they turned out great !!..so many compliments – to be honest i didnt want to give them away! 😅
Thinking of making them for the super bowl…if I used a football shaped cookie cutter, do you think they’ll hold that shape ?
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Miriam — Reply
WOW! Me and the hubs literally jumped up and down like giddy 10 yr olds when we tased these!
Oreo perfection for the 70s and 80s babies who know what a REAL Oreo tasted like from back in the day!
I have made almost every Oreo recipe there is out there and they all were committing a crime to even remotely think they were like an Oreo! These were so perfectly crunchy alone that I will bake and stash these plain in the freezer for those times I need the chocolate wafer cookies. The stuffing is as close to the Oreo stuffing flavor that I have tasted…I used reg vanilla bc I didn’t have clear so it was not as white, but perfect consistency and flavor!!
Once stuffed and sandwiched, they become a tad bit softer, but the way and Oreo should so that when you take a bite they don’t shatter! I am gushing bc they are worthy of the gush! They are dunkable, but didn’t turn our teeth black – BONUS!
I used all black Dutched cocoa to get that Oreo flavor and instead of re-rolling scraps, I formed them into log and did slice and bake – they turned out just as nice so going fwd I will slice rather than roll.
All in all THE BEST Oreo copy cat I have found!!! Thanks Michelle for great recipe!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Miriam, So awesome to hear how much you and your husband loved these!!! Thanks for stopping back to share your feedback, it’s much appreciated! :)
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Monica Hobbs — Reply
These cookies were amazing! I’m not a fan of Oreos but my daughter is so I made them for her and we all just couldn’t stop eating them.
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Michelle — Reply
I’m so thrilled to hear that your family enjoyed these!
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Michele — Reply
Hi,
Is is absolutely necessary to put the cookies in the freezer before baking? I
My freezer is not only full, but it is a bottom freezer which is smallish. Might I put them in the refrigerator? I am excited to try your recipe, as I have made homemade Oreos before and they were really delicious! Happy Holidays to you and your family!-
Michelle — Reply
Hi Michele, You can use the refrigerator, but will need to do so for longer to get the dough chilled and firm – probably closer to 45 minutes or an hour vs 10 minutes. Enjoy!
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gmail email login — Reply
Definitely try this recipe! Thank you!
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Dustin — Reply
Easy recipe, my family LOVES them! Will definitely be making again, thank you so much for the awesome recipe!
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Jennifer — Reply
Have you tried these with black cocoa powder?
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Michelle — Reply
After dough was mixed, I rolled these into same sized balls, evenly placed them on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, covered them with cling wrap, and pressed each one into a flat circle using a wide-bottomed glass. Flash froze them for 10 minutes before baking as instructed.
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Lindsay — Reply
How long can the dough be stored in the freezer?
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Lindsay, I would say up to 1 month.
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Rachel Page — Reply
They look so good! Wow!
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Michael — Reply
Loved this recipe! I made them for a holiday cookie exchange. Although I made peppermint filling with extract and crushed peppermint candies, and then dipped half the cookie into dark chocolate. Decadent!
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Satu — Reply
This recipe is so amazing, I think is necessarily detailed and the fact that you changed the filling to something more economic and accessible is cool too.
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Jen — Reply
I have a batch cooking in the oven right now! I also wanted to say that the dough can also be rolled into a log and then refrigerated, then just slice off the 1/8 in circles. Not as pretty as the fluted edges, but does speed up the process, and worked well when sub-ing in GF flour that doesn’t roll out as well. I also then just keep the dough log and frosting in the fridge/freezer and slice off a few as needed. Thanks again!
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Rachel — Reply
How do these keep? I’m planning to ship them across the country.
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Rachel, They keep really well at room temperature. I would say they’re good for up to a week or so. You should be fine shipping them.
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Wes — Reply
Wow, do these look amazing. Speechless. I am going to have to get my wife to make these :-)
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~Sacha — Reply
I made these as part of a huge batch of christmas baking that I share to friends and family…except…these were so good that I refused to share any.
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Robin — Reply
Ok – I think I need some help!
When I made the cookies, the batter was so crumbly that I couldn’t roll it. I added two additional egg yolks, and I still couldn’t roll it out. So I formed the dough into little balls and pressed them down with the back of a glass. I got about 24 cookies doing this (which made only 12 oreos – a lot of work for such a small amount). What could I be doing wrong? I did use regular cocoa powder, but besides a difference in flavor, I don’t see how this would affect the texture of the cookies.
For the filling I used 1/4 cup butter instead of the shortening, and it came out so tasty! Like buttercream between two cookies! I just wish my cookies were more of a success!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Robin, Did you gather the dough together, form it into a square and chill it before you tried to roll it? It’s a little like pie crust where when first mixed it’s a little crumbly but then once squished together and chilled, you can roll it out easily.
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Robin —
Yep, I gathered the dough together (as best I could…it was almost acting like powder) and was able to form it into two balls. I chilled it for at least 3 hours, but when I went to roll it, it was as crumbly as when I started. The only thing that seemed to be helping the dough form any shape was the heat from my hand…so weird! Not sure what happened…I’ll have to attempt them again.
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Epcs62108 —
I wonder if you used the right amount of flour? I always spoon it into my measuring cups, level it with th back of a knife (sometimes weigh it, even). Scooping flour out of the bag or a jar with your measuring cup can throw off a recipe.
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Tweedy — Reply
I made these today to give to co-workers. I tinted the filling red and green and they look so great! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
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Michelle — Reply
Love the festive twist! I bet they’re gorgeous!
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Phil — Reply
Made these tonight for the first time. Not being much of a baker myself, was amazed how they turned out
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Michelle — Reply
Yay!! They’re super, right?!
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Phil —
yes!! Thanks for the ideas. Made several different cookies this weekend from your site to give as gifts. Thanks for the inspiration
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Jen @ How To: Simplify — Reply
I definitely have to make these. My husband would go nuts over them!
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Cookin' Canuck — Reply
The stiff buttercream sounds like the perfect thing to fill these with. I’ll bet these beat the store-bought version by a mile.
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Tracy — Reply
These look so good! And so much better than the preservative-packed ones from the store!
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Poppy — Reply
Hello!
i LOVE LOVE oreos and i was always wondering if you could make home-made ones.
(the store bought ones make me feel guilty)i was wondering if you could sub. butter for the veg shortening in the filling?
i would love to make these but i’m afraid i won’t be able to get my hands on any vegetable shortening. -
jean — Reply
Made these today and have eaten two and a half already (had a lonely one left over with no top). Not sure if I whipped the filling long enough as I couldn’t even squeeze it out of the bag. But, no complaints on taste! next time I’ll use pure Dutch cocoa as all’s I had was part Dutch. :)
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Andi — Reply
These were on my to-bake list for the holidays but I didn’t get around to them because I thought they may be tricky. I don’t have the best track record with roll ’em and cut ’em cookies. But I wanted the for Valentine’s day, so this week I made a test batch to see if they would be okay. The test batch was just a 1/2 batch, and I was blown away. Not only is this the ONLY recipe I have EVER gotten to roll and cut decently, the flavor was amazing, and the filling was tasty! These are MUCH better than regular Oreo’s, and I am an Oreo fanatic. These are all I will be making from now on. And the possibilities are endless! Peanut butter or lemon filling, a color and shape for every holiday, I’m thrilled! Thank you for sharing this.
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Jillian — Reply
this recipe..SMASHING!! simply brillant! i just made some. omg the frosting..u nailed it! amazing! <3
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meg — Reply
Made these the other day. I dare say that these really do taste like the real oreos! :) packed with goodness with out the chemicals and icky stuff commercial brands use! Will try filling them with diff’t kinds of fillings next time for more variety!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Kayzilla – Once prepared, these cookies will keep for about 5 days. You could also make the chocolate cookies and freeze them, and then once thawed, fill them.
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Kim – You can use regular cocoa powder, as it won’t affect the texture of the cookie, but it likely won’t have that same rich flavor that Dutch processed cocoa provides. These would definitely store well wrapped and shipped – what a wonderful thing to send these to soldiers!
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Kayzilla — Reply
Hello!
I was wondering how long these save for and if you can freeze them for future use.
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Kim — Reply
Do you think these would work okay with regular cocoa powder? I have no idea where to find dutch process outside of the internet.. I’ve searched to no avail! Also, do you think they store well wrapped up? I am sending some boxes of homemade goodies to some soldiers overseas for the holidays, so I am trying to find some good recipes that will make the trip!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Virginia,
I’m so sorry to hear that these didn’t turn out well for you. Since you say that they were flaky and tasted bitter I am wondering if perhaps there was not enough butter used? I am not sure about the off color, but Dutch-processed cocoa does produce a much deeper chocolate color. Do you know if your Ghiradelli cocoa is Dutch-processed? For those of you who have already made these, did you use regular cocoa powder or Dutch-processed? I can’t imagine what else could cause such a big disparity in results, assuming that there were no mistakes made with ingredient quantities.
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Meg,
These are definitely crispy, which make them the perfect copycat cookie! I hope you enjoy!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Anna,
How great peppermint would taste for the holidays! Because peppermint extract is a bit more potent than vanilla, I would recommend using ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and totally omitting the vanilla. I would then do a taste test and if you want more flavor, add a ¼ teaspoon at a time. Enjoy the cookies! :)
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Courtney — Reply
I definitely have to try making these. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! :D
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Virginia — Reply
Mine turned out terrible! I should have guessed that something was not right when I noticed that the dough was lighter in color than I expected. They were also too flaky and tasted bitter. I baked them on parchment paper on a shiny pan and used Ghiradelli cocoa. The filling was perfect, though. But where did I go wrong?
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Sally — Reply
My daughter and I made these yesterday. We had a great time making them, and they are amazing! The hardest part was not eating all the extra filling. :)
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meg — Reply
Looks amazing! am now drooling. Oh! Can i just ask? Are these chocolate sandwiches crunchy or the soft-ish? :) Most of the homemade oreos i’ve encountered before were more on the soft side, like whoopie pies. How are these like? thanks!!
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Burcu Unal — Reply
I find biscuits very practical to make and as they are crispy I like eating them very much also. This is a great recipe, I will give it a try for sure.
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Tiffany — Reply
Almost did an automatic clear out of this from my FoodBuzz inbox… what a mistake that would have been!!!
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Lindsay — Reply
Wow. I am for sure making these!!! They look amazing!!!
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Anna — Reply
Hi,
I was wondering about using a different flavor extract for the holidays and I’m a novice baker. I want to make pepperment cream. Should I replace one teaspoon vanilla extract with peppermint extract, or should I completely omit vanilla and replace it all with the mint? P.S. I saw this recipe on foodbuzz and It looks fabulous!
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Gina — Reply
I’ll be making these this weekend with my niece and nephew!
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Cristie — Reply
Great looking cookies. Love that they are not made from a box. Can’t wait to try them!
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Jencrafted — Reply
What a fantastic idea! I’ve been searching for good chocolate cookies and these will be perfect to bake for a cookie exchange party next week. Great photography too, by the way! Congratulations!
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The Gourmet Girl — Reply
These look wonderful and are a great alternative to store bought ‘oreos’ Would love to have you consider submitting these or another cookie in Gourmet Girl Magazine’s Virtual Cookie Crawl. If you are interested check out the details here. http://kitchenrap.blogspot.com/2009/11/gourmet-girl-magazines-virtual-holiday.html
Congrats on making the Top 9 -
Michelle — Reply
Hi Heather,
Yes, I think the chocolate cookies would freeze just fine. Hope you enjoy the cookies! :)
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Lucy — Reply
Oh boy. I am truly addicted to Oreo cookies and these look incredibly addictive! SO delicious though, I think it may just be worth the many many cookies I will surely end up eating :D
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wasabi prime — Reply
Oh pure LOVE! I was feeling uninspired for holiday baking and I may have to do this with a minor twist — add a bit of peppermint extract in the filling and maybe some red/white sprinkles or super-crushed peppermint candies for crunch. These cookies mean so many childhood memories for so many people!
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Dolce — Reply
I would probably skip the cream and eat them just like this!
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Marsia — Reply
Good Evening!
Can you made these sugar-free? Swapping out regular sugar for sugar free 1-1? Thanks-
Michelle —
I have not tried using sugar substitutes, but if you give a try, let me know how it works out!
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Theresa — Reply
Wow. Can’t wait to try these!
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Danielle — Reply
Oreos are one of my favorite cookies. I can’t wait to give these a try!! :)
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jennifer — Reply
oh no! another amazing recipe!! i just can’t keep up! :)
yummy! thanks for adding another to my list… can’t wait to make some! -
Annie — Reply
Girl, it’s like one mind! I made this exact recipe a few weeks ago, used the same cookie cutter, and even stacked them similarly in my pic! I haven’t posted mine yet because I think I’m doing a comparison post. Craziness!
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Andrea — Reply
You have no idea how happy this post makes me! My grandma gave me a huge box of cute cookie cutters just this last weekend, what better way to break them in with a great recipe like this? I’m sure I’ll be making these in red and green for the next several weeks!
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Belinda @zomppa — Reply
Another beautiful concoction!
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Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction — Reply
Love these cookies… I think they look much, much better than Oreos!
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Brad — Reply
Great recile that brings back so many memories of being a kid, and dunking my oreos until mushy, then making an oreo milkshake, well kinda….
Thanks for recreating the Oreo. -
Drick — Reply
and yet another fab one – great looking sandwich cookie and I know it is better that it looks, if that is possible…
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Brandi — Reply
I *love* Oreos and can’t wait to try these. Since I’m hosting a cookie exchange on Saturday, this might be the perfect time. Thanks!
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TammyJo Eckhart, PhD — Reply
How often do you bake? Daily?
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Heather — Reply
These look great! Do you think the baked cookies would freeze well for a couple weeks? (Without the icing?)
I bet it would be cute to color the middle red/green for Christmas!
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Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite — Reply
These look lovely! Didn’t get my act together for this month’s Gourmet Unbound but will do next month!
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Joy Manning — Reply
Wow, these look unbelievably good. I’m saving the recipe to my holiday cookie file.
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Kelly @ EvilShenanigans — Reply
Well, these look amazing! Can’t wait to try them! Or, you could send me some … ;)
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Julie @savvyeats — Reply
These are not only beautiful, but they look delicious! I’d love to make my own “Oreos!”
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Amanda — Reply
Ohhhhh myyyyy!!!! Those look amazing, I bet they are awesome!
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Sally — Reply
Thanks for posting this recipe! I can’t wait to bake these!!
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BethieofVA — Reply
Those look fantastic!! Stick one in the mail to me!! :)
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Katie @ goodLife {eats} — Reply
These look wonderful! Both of my kids love Oreos. I bet they’d think it was super cool if we made them ourselves. I will have to give this recipe a try. Thanks!
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shelly (cookies and cups) — Reply
Love homemade Oreos! I have made some before and they beat out the boxed kind BIG TIME!
Yours look delicious and the pictures are brilliant, as usual! -
Alta — Reply
Oh, yum! So gonna make these. Homemade Oreos = amazingness!
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Michelle — Reply
Hi Carrie, whoops, sorry about those omissions! I have edited the recipe above to include them. You will get about 3 dozen cookies out of this recipe, and I used a 2-inch fluted cutter (you could also just use a plain round).
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Carrie — Reply
What size cookies cutters did you use? And if you could let me know how many completed cookies this batch made? Thanks! They look delicious, I may try these this weekend!
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Jessica @ How Sweet It Is — Reply
I love that you changed the filling – I think I’d like that filling better than white chocolate, too. They are so pretty and look delicious. These are a Christmas baking must!
