EASY Homemade Oreos
Once you see how easy it is to make homemade Oreos, you may never buy store-bought ones again. This copycat Oreo cookies recipe tastes the same, if not a little better, than the real thing – and their creamy vanilla filling blows away what comes in the box.
Oreo cookies are classics for a reason. They are perfect for snacking on, but they are also incredible crushed up in an Oreo crust (like in my orange cheesecake) or mixed into cookies and cream desserts like my Oreo cupcakes with cookies and cream frosting.
I love making homemade Oreos because I can control the ingredients, the amount of filling, the size and shape of the cookies, and even the flavor of the fillings.
Serve them with a tall glass of milk or a mug of warm milk and honey to help you sleep.
How to Make Oreo Cookies
To make Oreo cookies, start by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar.
The secret to making perfect Oreo cookies is to use dark cocoa powder. With regular cocoa powder, you won’t get that dark look and flavor that the cookies are known for.
Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder works well and you can find it at most U.S. grocery stores. If you want a really dark cocoa powder with a more nuanced flavor, try Cacao Barry Extra Brute [paid link]. (You will never go back to your old cocoa powder once you try it!)
Next, mix in the butter and eggs with an electric mixer until the dough comes together. It may not happen at first, but keep waiting – it will.
When I first wrote the instructions for this recipe in 2009, I said that there was no way to roll out this dough because it was too sticky. I suggested making small balls of dough with your hands and flattening them onto a cookie sheet. While that method will work, I’ve since learned to roll out the dough between two silicone mats or two pieces of parchment paper.
Rolling the dough between the mats or parchment will keep it from sticking and allow you to have cookies with a more consistent depth – important for even baking. I like to use the Dough E-Z silicone mat [paid link] which is giant and folds over on itself. Plus, it comes with guides that you can put on the mat to help you roll to the correct depth, 1/8″.
Once the dough is rolled out, use a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to cut out circles. If you don’t already own a set of round cookie cutters, I’d highly recommend getting one. I include them in my list of ideas if you are looking for a gift for a baker.
Store-bought Oreos are 1 1/2 inches in diameter, however the beauty of homemade copycat Oreos is that you can make them any size you like.
The extra dough can be peeled away and re-rolled.
Bake for 9 minutes or until set.
How to Fill Oreo Cookies
I fill my Oreo cookies with my vanilla frosting. It’s a better version of the classic Oreo filling. You can also experiment with other fillings like peanut butter frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting or even cookie dough frosting!
The easiest way to fill Oreo cookies is to use a piping bag. Pipe a little frosting – or a lot, if you prefer – between two same-sized cookies and press down.
Best Tips for Making Oreo Cookies
- Always use dark cocoa powder.
- Roll the dough between two non-stick surfaces like parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Experiment with different sizes and shapes.
- Experiment with different filling flavors.
- Oreo cookies last up to two weeks in a sealed container on the counter. They can also be frozen and thawed before serving.
If You Like This Recipe, You Make Also Like…
- Homemade Chessmen cookies
- Homemade Biscoff cookies
- Homemade Pirouette cookies
- Copycat Thin Mints from A Mind “Full” Mom
The Oreo Cookie Recipe
As I mentioned above, I got the Oreo cookie recipe from Laurie of Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese, and Carbs. Laurie got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, who got the recipe from the book Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman [paid link]. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
Clearly, this recipe has gotten around a bit. I am reprinting it below with my notes and my original filling.
Homemade Oreo Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder such as Hershey's Special Dark
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature; this is the same as one stick plus two tablespoons
- 1 large egg
Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste [paid link] you can also use vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cookie Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Beat in the butter and the egg with an electric mixer on high speed. Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
- Roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness between two sheets of parchment paper or two silicone mats.
- Use a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass to cut out dough to 1 1/2 inch circles (or whatever size you desire). Re-roll dough scraps and repeat.
- Bake on a parchment- or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet for 9 minutes or until set. Place cookies onto a cooling rack to cool.
Filling Instructions
- Beat butter on high speed with an electric mixer for about three minutes until light and airy.
- Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time.
- Add vanilla bean paste and salt and continue to beat for another minute.
Assembly Instructions
- To make a cookie, pipe a teaspoon-sized (or more) dollop of frosting into the center of a cookie using a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip. (If you don't have a pastry bag, you could easily just spread the filling with a knife or use a plastic bag with the corner cut off as a pastry bag.)
- Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the frosting. Lightly press to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with frosting.
- Eat the cookies using whatever method you prefer. I like the take apart, lick the cream, then eat the cookie method.
Notes
- Always use dark cocoa powder.
- Roll the dough between two non-stick surfaces like parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Experiment with different sizes and shapes.
- Experiment with different filling flavors.
- Oreo cookies last up to two weeks in a sealed container on the counter. They can also be frozen and thawed before serving.
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