Oreo Cookies
This homemade oreo cookie recipe is my version of the classic treat. With dense, dark cocoa cookies and a thick vanilla creme filling, these cookies capture all the familiar flavor with a fresher, richer taste. I set out to match the ingredients of the originals as closely as possible, so these are also egg-free, dairy-free, and completely vegan. Satisfy your urge for these iconic cookies with this straightforward version, created entirely from scratch using familiar ingredients.
Servings 44 sandwiches - double that many round cookies at 1¾ in (4.4 cm) each
Equipment
- Pastry guides (3 mm, ⅛ inch thick)
- 1¾ inch round cookie cutter (4.5 cm)
- #110 cookie scoop (1 teaspoon)
Ingredients
Oreo Cookies
- 165 grams all purpose flour sifted
- 48 grams corn starch sifted
- 20 grams cocoa powder Dutch process, sifted
- 10 grams black cocoa powder sifted (*see notes below)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar sifted
- 96 grams palm shortening room temperature (I use Spectrum brand)
- 125 grams granulated sugar
- 26 grams (20 mL) corn syrup light
- 20 mL imitation vanilla extract for authentic Oreo flavor
Oreo Creme Filling
- 96 grams palm shortening room temperature (I use Spectrum brand)
- 13 grams (10 mL) corn syrup light
- 2.5 mL imitation vanilla extract for authentic Oreo flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal, rubbed between fingers until powdery
- 150 grams powdered sugar sifted
- 8 grams corn starch sifted
Instructions
Oreo Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) with a rack in the center of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, cocoa powders, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar. Set aside.165 grams all purpose flour, 20 grams cocoa powder, 10 grams black cocoa powder, 48 grams corn starch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat palm shortening and sugar together on medium-low until well combined. Scrape bowl down several times between mixing to fully incorporate ingredients.96 grams palm shortening, 125 grams granulated sugar
- Add corn syrup and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape bowl.26 grams (20 mL) corn syrup, 20 mL imitation vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed for about 1 minute. Scrape bowl and paddle well, and mix on low until dough comes together, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.If your dough doesn't come together when it's fully mixed, use your hands to squeeze it together into clumps. Working the dough just a bit will help warm up the palm shortening enough for the dough to bind into one large ball.
- Gather dough together and divide into 2 equal portions. Working with smaller portions of dough means you’ll extract more usable cutouts from each roll. This reduces re-rolling, which can activate more gluten and make the dough tougher. It can also lead to air in the dough, which creates bubbles when baked.
- Roll one portion between two sheets of parchment paper until ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. I use pastry guides to ensure precise thickness. Remove top layer of parchment.
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut cookies into 1¾ inch (4.5 cm) circles. Use a small offset spatula to transfer cutouts to parchment lined baking sheet.The cookies will not spread - they can be placed quite close together. I can fit about 30-35 cookies on a half sheet pan.
- Bake one pan at a time for 11 minutes. Fully cool cookies on baking sheet.If a few of the cookies have bubbly tops, gently press them down with the bottom of a measuring cup. Press gently, don't compress the cookies. They should flatten back out.
- Gather scraps into a ball and roll again until all dough has been used.
- Repeat with second portion of dough.
Oreo Filling
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add shortening, corn syrup, vanilla and salt.96 grams palm shortening, 13 grams (10 mL) corn syrup, 2.5 mL imitation vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping bowl as needed to ensure ingredients are well combined.
- Add powdered sugar and corn starch. Begin mixing at low speed, then increase speed to medium and mix until filling begins to form small clumps.8 grams corn starch, 150 grams powdered sugar
- Scrape bowl and paddle well. Continue mixing on low speed until filling pulls together into a ball.
Assembly
- Using a #110 scoop or a teaspoon, scoop a leveled amount of filling out of the bowl. Using your hands, roll it into a small ball. It should weigh 5 grams. Standard Oreo cookies have about 4 grams of filling per cookie. I prefer a bit more filling, so I've bumped it up to 5 grams per cookie.
- Turn a cookie upside down and place the ball of filling in the center. Place another cookie right-side-up on top of the filling and press gently.
- Pick the cookie up and turn it sideways so you can see the filling (this will help you press the filling evenly.) Gently press using both hands until the filling is the same thickness as one of the cookies. It won't quite extend to the edges.
- Repeat process until all cookies are filled.
Notes
- No mixer? You can mix the dough by hand with a spoon. The shortening / sugar mixture doesn't need to be creamed and fluffy, just very well combined.
- You can substitute Dutch cocoa for the black cocoa, but you won't achieve the signature Oreo color or taste without it.
- * Black cocoa weight AND volume measurements are correct - my black cocoa weighs more per teaspoon than Dutch cocoa.
- I use imitation vanilla extract here (I know, weird!) rather than pure vanilla extract in order to best mimic store bought Oreo flavor. You can use pure vanilla, but it won't give the same sweet bakery-like vanilla flavor, especially in the filling.
- You can substitute Crisco for palm shortening if needed (Crisco is mostly soybean oil and palm shortening.) I do prefer plain palm shortening for the filling as there's no greasy mouthfeel. It's much more noticeable when using Crisco.
- If your dough doesn't come together when it's fully mixed, use your hands to squeeze it together into clumps. Working the dough just a bit will help warm up the palm shortening enough for the dough to bind into one ball.
- I use a 1¾ inch (4.5 cm) round cookie cutter, which is almost exactly the same size as a real Oreo.
- If your rolled dough is beginning to soften up and the cutouts are too soft to transfer, place the dough on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 minutes - just long enough to firm it up a little.
- Dark cookies can be hard to judge by color alone. For these, trust your nose—in the last few minutes of baking, your kitchen should begin to smells like rich, dark chocolate. The cookies should no longer be glossy.
- The cookies are fragile straight from the oven and will firm up significantly as they cool. Resist the urge to move them too soon—let them cool completely on the baking sheet first.
- The dough can be made ahead. Wrap it well and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge, then let come to room temperature before rolling.
- The filling can also be made ahead. Store filling in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Knead it well by hand or use paddle attachment on mixer for about 30 seconds to improve texture.
- When making the filling, be sure to add the imitation vanilla at the beginning with the shortening and corn syrup. If you try to add it with the dry ingredients, it will bind with the corn starch and form small grainy lumps that are impossible to remove.
- If you'd like to make other copycat Oreo cookie versions like Thins, Double Stuf, Mega Stuf or Most Stuf with a yield of 44 cookies, you'll need to change the quantity of filling you make. Thins = ¾x filling batch, Double = 1.5x filling batch, Mega = 2x filling batch, and Most = 2.5x filling batch. Refer to my customizable filling chart for a visual reference.
- For coffee, chocolate, mocha, and orange filling variations, see the Flavor Variations section above.
- Store filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- While delicious served immediately, these cookies benefit from resting overnight. The filling firms up nicely, and the flavors deepen, creating a more balanced texture and taste without losing that classic twist-apart quality.