Oreo Cookies From Scratch

This Oreo cookie recipe is my homemade take on the classic, super nostalgic treat. I wanted thin, crisp, black cookie shells with a creamy white filling; something that completely evoked the memory of Oreo cookies. My recipe is spot on (if I do say so myselfđŸ€“)–these cookies taste like my childhood! I feel like it’s important to mention that my recipe makes homemade Oreos that are CRISP! So many recipes mimic the flavor, but don’t quite achieve the texture of the real thing. To me, Oreo cookies should not have soft “shells” like whoopie pies; they need to be perfectly crisp. Mine are just that, and they break easily beneath your teeth, just like the real thing! The filling is also carefully crafted to be perfectly sweet, creamy and just the right consistency. I love it.

What You’ll Love About these Homemade Oreos

What You Need

For the Cookies

Homemade Oreos are surprisingly simple to make. While there aren’t too many ingredients in my Oreo cookie recipe, I’d like to go over a few before we get started.

For the Filling

We need just 5 ingredients for the filling, one of which might surprise you: shortening! I typically don’t like to bake with shortening, but I found it necessary here. Keep reading to find out why, and your options for substitutes.

Butter. Once again, make sure your butter is softened before getting started. I use unsalted butter here too and add additional salt myself. Shortening. I found at least some shortening was necessary to keep the filling from being too rich. Real Oreos use shortening in their filling too, so it makes sense to use it here for the most authentic results. Despite this, many of you won’t want to use shortening, and, honestly, I get it! You can just substitute the shortening with an equal amount of butter, but just know it won’t be as true to the original and will be quite rich. Powdered sugar. Much like measuring flour, it can be easy to over-measure powdered sugar. Make sure you know how to measure properly to avoid a frosting that is too thick or too thin. Clear vanilla. This keeps the filling pure white and also gives it that classic Oreo filling flavor. You can use regular vanilla if that’s all you have on hand, but the clear vanilla has a more artificial taste like the real thing (is that a little backwards for you to read, too? 🙃).

SAM’S TIP: If you want even BETTER tasting (less authentic, but better) homemade Oreos, substitute the shortening in the filling for softened (full-fat) cream cheese. Yum!  Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Homemade Oreo Cookies

SAM’S TIP: I personally prefer my Oreo cookies to be a bit on the thinner side, so I roll them closer to 1/16″. You’ll get more cookies this way, but you will likely need to shave a minute off the bake time too. I’m hoping to test these cookies to see how they do in other recipes, like my Oreo pie or Oreo cheesecake, will keep you posted on how it turns out! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

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