COLLAGEN OATMEAL CREAM PIES (GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE)
It’s hard to beat these Collagen Oatmeal Cream Pies! Think soft-baked oatmeal cookies with a fluffy marshmallow-flavored filling. I’ll admit, I was afraid to make “healthy” oatmeal cream pies because I didn’t want to be disappointed. The classic was just too good to mess with I thought. Well friends, I am happy to announce that these low sugar, protein-packed oatmeal creme pies can hold their own! They taste amazing and are kid-approved, too 😉
Did you know? Current research shows that collagen supplementation is helpful for treating joint pain and stiffness, osteoarthritis (joint degeneration due to wear and tear of cartilage), and rheumatoid arthritis.
Collagen substitutions
These delicious cream pies get their protein from flavorless LIV Body Marine Collagen, which adds beauty-boosting, gut healing, and joint health benefits! I love that this collagen brand is highly bioavailable and wild-caught for utmost quality. You can use my code “NO EXCUSES” for 20% off all LIV Body products!
If you don’t have collagen peptides, you can substitute an additional quarter cup (30 grams) of gluten free baking flour, or 30 grams of another protein powder, like whey or plant-based protein. You simply can’t use as much of other protein powders without the cookies coming out dry and dense (collagen makes things gooey, not dry). If using a whey blend or casein, you will need to add a couple extra tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce, or almond butter to ensure they stay moist. Depending on the protein used, you may also need additional liquid to get a thick, drop-style cookie batter.
Flour substitutions
I used gluten free baking flour to keep the texture soft and chewy, sans the gluten. However, you can sub half as much (six tablespoons) coconut flour for a lower carb, more crumbly version. You can also use regular all-purpose flour in place of the gluten free baking flour, cassava flour, oat flour, sweet white sorghum flour, or spelt flour.
Almond flour probably won’t work in this recipe without using extra egg or flax as a binder. You may also need up to twice as much (one and a half cup) to get a thick enough batter. Let me know if you try it! 😉
Sweetener substitutions
To add that classic brown sugar flavor without all the sugar, I used a monk fruit brown sugar alternative, but you could also use Swerve Brown, Sukrin Gold, Lakanto Golden, or half as much (one-third cup) of Truvia Brown Sugar Blend or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (the last two are not calorie-free).
You can also use regular brown sugar or coconut sugar, but doing so will add 70 calories, 18 grams of carbs, and 17 grams of sugar per cookie!
Other substitutions
I used creamy almond butter to give these cookies a chewy texture. You can also use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter, but they won’t taste quite like the original. When I tested three tablespoons of vegan buttery spread in place of the almond butter, it worked okay, but the cookies spread out farther than I wanted and weren’t as chewy. I imagine it would be a similar result using unsalted butter, ghee, or coconut oil.
This recipe does call for one-quarter cup of egg whites, but you can substitute two more tablespoons of ground flaxseed plus one quarter cup of warm water if you’re allergic to eggs.
What really makes these cookies taste just like the classic is a little unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, and unsweetened applesauce… do not leave these out!
Cream filling options
Now for the filling… there are three ways to make it. The first way is to combine reduced fat cream cheese with marshmallow flavoring and confectioner’s erythritol (or powdered sweetener of choice). Feel free to use dairy-free cream cheese instead!
The second option is to simply cut two sugar-free marshmallows in half cross-wise and sandwich the four halves in between two cooled cookies. Then reheat in the oven for 5 minutes or until the marshmallow melts together a little.
You can also make aqua faba fluff, which is imitation marshmallow fluff from canned chickpea liquid (I wasn’t impressed with the flavor but you might like it!).
Here’s the printable recipe for these Collagen Oatmeal Cream Pies! I’d love for you to rate and/or comment below if you try them 😉
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
Collagen Oatmeal Cream Pies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (90g) gluten-free baking flour*
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (60g) flavorless collagen protein powder* I used LIV Body brand, code "NOEXCUSES" for 20% off
- 2/3 cup calorie-free brown sugar alternative* like Lakanto Golden, Swerve Brown, or Sukrin Gold
- 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder optional
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. salt optional
- 1/4 cup (2 large) egg whites
- 3 tbsp. almond butter*
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract optional
Filling (option 1):
- 4 oz. cream cheese* softened (can use dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s erythritol* or powdered sweetener of choice
- 10 g flavorless collagen protein powder optional
- 1-2 drops marshmallow flavored syrup optional
Filling (option 2):
- 12 count sugar-free marshmallows* I used Know Brainer Max Mallow brand
*See blog post for more substitutions.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together dry cookie ingredients (through salt) in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (through vanilla extract) and mix until a thick dough forms. Dough should hold its form and not spread much at all.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Using two level tablespoons per cookie, drop batter onto sheet to make twelve cookies.
- Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes until edges are firm but center is soft to the touch.
- While cookies cool, combine cream cheese, powdered sweetener, and marshmallow flavor until smooth. Spoon filling into a sandwich bag, seal the top, and cut off one corner to make a piping bag. Pipe frosting onto one cookie half and sandwich the other half on top to make six pies.
- Alternatively, cut marshmallows in half crosswise, and place four halves in between two cookies to make six pies. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt marshmallows slightly.
- Enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week or in the freezer up to one month.
Notes
Also in Blog
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This Pumpkin Chip Protein Bread has a rich, tender texture full of pumpkin spice and chocolate chips (no dry protein bread here). The kids and I can't get enough! Best of all, it's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and easily made egg-free and vegan.
