Oatmeal Cream Pies get a nutritious and tasty makeover with gluten-free Muesli. A great healthy snack for kids.
This recipe has been entered into a contest on Bob’s Red Mill. I’d love it if you’d stop on by and vote for you favourite! Vote Here.
I am always up for a challenge. Ah, who am I kidding? Oftentimes, I’m not up for a challenge at all and I’d rather crawl back into bed than be challenged in any capacity. And if it’s 6am and I don’t have a cup of coffee in my system, you’d best be keeping your challenges to yourself, you hear? But other than these times, I’m always up for a challenge. Errrr, sometimes. If I’m in the mood. If I am not in the mood, I will throw daggers at you with my eyes and you will rue the day you challenged me. You have been warned.
But if we’re talking about gluten-free and sugar-free baking, then yeah, I am pretty much always up for a challenge. I particularly like to be challenged to recreate a gluten and sugar-filled treat into something far healthier but that I can still pass off as a delicious treat to my kids. I also like to be challenged to find new and creative ways to use ingredients. Lucky for me, Bob’s Red Mill recently provided me with the chance to challenge myself in both capacities. And thus we arrive at the vastly healthier and yet still delicious cousin to Little Debbie and her Oatmeal Cream Pies.
I am delighted to bring you gluten-free Muesli Cream Pies, made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Muesli. When they asked if I wanted to take part in their baking challenge and come up with a way to use the muesli in a recipe, the first thing I did was ask how much added sugar their new cereal contained. I am always looking for new ways to get my kids to go gluten-free, but not at the expense of a lot of added sugars. Fortunately, the muesli is mostly unsweetened, with just a touch of honey and some dried cranberries (sweetened, but they are minimal) and raisins. I am definitely down with that.
Then I had to put my thinking cap on and figure out how to use it. Muesli has always reminded me of a cross between oatmeal and granola and it’s very much a breakfast item. So I thought about muffins and quick breads and coffee cake. And then I thought about how to turn it into a real treat, cookies and cakes and such. I will confess, I don’t think I’ve ever had a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie and I am certainly not about to start now, but they are much lauded by Americans. So I felt it a flash of inspiration to make a Muesli Cream Pie with other gluten-free ingredients and no additional sugar, to create a healthy, kid-friendly snack. And what a snack it is! The cookies turned out both soft and crisp, and are great on their own. But add in a sweet buttercream filling and you have yourself the perfect sandwich cookie. My kids adored them!
And starting tomorrow, this recipe will be entered into a contest whereby I could win some great Bob’s Red Mill prizes so you know I am going to be bugging you to vote for me when it opens! You could also win some Gluten Free Muesli yourself, just for voting and pinning. Details tomorrow, stay tuned.
Disclosure: I received some free gluten-free Muesli from Bob’s Red Mill. There was no other compensation of any kind.
Muesli Cream Pies – Gluten-Free Snacks for Kids
Ingredients
Muesli Cookies:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Muesli
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener or granulated erythritol
- 2 teaspoon molasses optional
- 1 large egg
Cream Filling:
- 6 tablespoon butter softened
- ⅔ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream room temperaure
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cookies, preheat the oven to 325F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, Muesli, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter with granulated erythritol and molasses. Beat in egg until well combined. Beat in flour mixture until dough is well mixed.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Press each ball with the heel of your hand to ¼ inch thickness.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until just beginning to brown and barely firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and let cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the filling, beat butter until smooth, then beat in powdered erythritol. Beat in cream and vanilla until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
- Take one cookie and spread the bottom with filling, then top with another cookie, bottom-side down to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.
- Makes about 10 sandwich cookies.
Jenny says
These look amazing! By chance do you know the nutrition facts for this recipe? Specifically the macros?
Carolyn says
These are not a good low carb option, to be honest. I made them back when I was still occasionally making gluten-free things for my kids.
Joy says
Did I miss the nutrition info on these?
Sandra says
It is cold and rainy tonight so something with oatmeal and cinnamon seemed just the thing to make everything cozy. These little pies were right for the occasion. The cookies had a nice oatmeal texture. They were chewy and tasted really good. I like them a lot!
The cream filling seemed a little too sweet to me. I am just beginning my low carb, gluten free journey and learning about the products used. This is only the second gluten free recipe I have made so next time I’ll try less powdered sweetener or add some cream cheese* to the cream filling.
As always, thank you for your help by pioneering creation of these recipes. You not only make low carb, gluten free doable, you make it fun!
*Cream cheese is probably not in the Little Debbie tradition. Oh well.
Jennifer Stahl says
I’m curious what you can use instead of the Swerve Sweetener or granulated erythritol ? We have nothing like this in Germany and I prefer to use Honey or unrefined sugar.
Carolyn says
Well, unless you have unrefined sugar in powdered form, the filling is going to be a bit tough. But you can use sugar/honey for the cookie part very easily and powdered sugar for the filling.
Jennifer Stahl says
Thank you! I have a food processor and can grind the sugar down. 🙂
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
What a great idea for the Muesli. I have a bag of it I got through something else, and have been trying to come up with something creative to make with it! These cookies look wonderful – definitely getting my vote!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Erin!
constance carter says
Oh–these are so delicious–and I have sooo many gluten free friends and relatives. What a total find–a treat that is yummie and nourishing and fun to boot. I’m going to send this to the Belinda at the Tennessee Fitness Spa–she just loves nourishing treats for her spa family. Thanks–I’d used other Bob’s Red Mill Products–from my Capitol Hill Harris Teeter–but not the muesli before–thanks for the tip. I’m in your debt for this recipe, Mrs. Ketchum.
Carolyn says
Hey, I know you! 🙂 Hi Aunt Connie.