These Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts are baked—not fried—and inspired by classic oatmeal crème pies. Made with oats, brown sugar, molasses, applesauce, and Greek yogurt, they’re soft, fluffy, and topped with a light vanilla cream. An easy, nostalgic donut recipe perfect for breakfast or brunch.
Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts
- Baked, not fried (lighter and less mess)
- Soft, fluffy cake-donut texture
- Loaded with oats, brown sugar, and molasses
- Simple pantry ingredients
- Comes together quickly
- Easy clean-up — no frying oil
These donuts taste like your favorite chewy oatmeal cookies… just shaped like a donut and topped with a fluffy vanilla cream.
A Nostalgic Twist on Oatmeal Cream Pies
Growing up in the 80s, snack cakes were everything. Strawberry shortcake rolls, fudge rounds, star crunch — but oatmeal cream pies were always the favorite. Instead of recreating the sandwich cookie, this recipe captures all those warm oatmeal cookie flavors in donut form, similar to your favorite baked cake donuts.
If you love nostalgic desserts with a bakery-style twist, these are going to be on repeat.
What These Donuts Taste Like
Think soft oatmeal cookies meets fluffy cake donuts. The molasses and brown sugar add warmth and depth, the oats give texture, and the vanilla cream topping is light, sweet, and perfectly balanced — not heavy or greasy.
Ingredients for Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts
Donuts
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup old-fashioned oats
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons molasses
Vanilla Cream Topping
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon milk
How to Make Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts
Step 1: Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray donut pans generously with cooking spray.
Step 2: Mix the Yogurt
Combine Greek yogurt with a small splash of water in a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, oats, and salt.
Step 4: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk avocado oil, molasses, applesauce, egg, and the yogurt mixture until smooth.
Step 5: Combine
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix — this keeps the donuts light and fluffy.
Step 6: Bake
Spoon batter into donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool slightly, then remove donuts to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Vanilla Cream Topping
Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk with an electric or stand mixer on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light, fluffy, and smooth.
Spread or pipe cream onto cooled donuts.
Tips for Perfect Baked Oatmeal Donuts
- Don’t overmix — tough donuts come from too much stirring
- Use old-fashioned oats for texture (not instant)
- Let donuts cool fully before frosting
- Spray donut pans well to prevent sticking
Variations & Swaps
Make Them Healthier
- Swap butter topping for a Greek yogurt glaze
- Reduce sugar slightly for a less-sweet donut
Flavor Add-Ins
- Cinnamon or nutmeg
- Mini chocolate chips
- Raisins or chopped dates
Cream Options
- Cream cheese frosting
- Marshmallow-style filling
- Maple vanilla glaze
How to Store Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts
- Store frosted donuts in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days
- Bring to room temperature before serving
- Unfrosted donuts freeze well for up to 2 months
Oatmeal Cream Pie Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup vanilla greek yogurt
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp molasses
- Cream topping
- ¾ cup butter
- 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray donut pans with cooking spray.
- Combine greek yogurt and water in a bowl, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking soda, oats and salt together
- In a medium sized bowl combine avocado, oil, molasses and applesauce, then add the yogurt and water mixture, and mix until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix or it will cause your donuts to be tough.
- Spoon mixture into the donut pan until each one is about 3/4 of the way full
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Remove from oven, let cool slightly and remove donuts from pan onto cooling rack
- Once cool, top with cream
- Cream Topping
- Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer or stand-mixer on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and smooth, about 5 minutes.
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