EASY Homemade Oreos

Disclosure: I may earn a commission from purchases you make through affiliate links in this post at no additional cost to you.

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. (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 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…

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. (View on Amazon)

Clearly, this recipe has gotten around a bit. I am reprinting it below with my notes and my original filling.