The First Little Debbie Snack Cake Is Still A Favorite Today

Little Debbie has been a snack cake titan for over half a century. From Zebra Cakes to Cosmic Brownies, it has a reputation for being the ultimate school-yard lunch items. There always seem to be new cream pie flavors coming out, or seasonal ones returning. There's one snack, however, that consistently ranks among the best, and that's the Oatmeal Creme Pie. Not only are these one of the best, they're also the very first snack Little Debbie ever produced.

During the Great Depression, the McKee family had lost their life's savings. In order to make ends meet, Oather (aka O.D.) McKee began selling cookies from Becker's Bakery door to door for a single cent. He decided to up his game by selling two hard oatmeal cookies sandwiched together. These sales gained the family just enough money to buy a tiny bakery of their own after putting up their only car as collateral. By 1935, O.D. had perfected a softened oatmeal cookie with cream in the middle and began selling it for a nickel. This sandwich cookie turned out to be quite popular and helped the family survive.

By 1960, the McKees had become so successful that they were operating factories. At this point, they were able to make their own brand name, which they decided would be "Little Debbie," after O.D.'s granddaughter. Her portrait also became their influential food mascot, still seen on packaging today. The first snack pack they every produced contained, of course, Oatmeal Creme Pies. In the first ten months alone, over 14 million of the newly-branded snack cakes sold. While numerous other snack cakes would soon follow, these cookie sandwiches reigned supreme as a top seller for decades.

As to why these oaty snack cakes have persisted, it's pretty easy to understand. The cookies are pleasingly soft, with oats and molasses as major ingredients, and the cream is luxuriously sweet. People enjoy these treats with everything from hot coffee to a cold glass of milk. To this day, its tasty versatility has led to it being the most Google-searched Little Debbie's snack cake in nine states, even as the Cosmic Brownie has gained nostalgic virality.

With this in mind, it makes sense that both older and younger generations online have plenty of good things to say about Oatmeal Creme Pies. One Redditor explained, "I sat here for about 5 minutes thinking about what I like best about them but it's futile. Everything is perfect about them." Another felt similarly, saying, "I don't get how they stay so soft and delish." So, although this snack cake has a long history, it's definitely not going anywhere anytime soon.

This perpetual popularity has also led to different versions of the Oatmeal Creme Pie and different mediums for its flavors. For example, Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie ice cream is now on shelves. Also in the frozen aisle, Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Bars and Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches launched in 2026. Double Decker Oatmeal Creme Pies from Little Debbie now allow you to have a bigger version of the famed snack cakes. You can also transform Oatmeal Creme Pies into big no-bake cakes yourself, if you'd rather go the DIY route.