Homemade Moon Pies
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Homemade Moon Pies are cookies from my current home state, Tennessee. They are soft vanilla cookies sandwiched around a gooey marshmallow, then dipped in chocolate.Made completely from scratch, these cookies taste almost like the original MoonPie!
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.
No matter what you believe when it comes to politics, I think we all can agree that everyone loves cookies! I teamed up with Bob’s Red Mill for an incredible campaign celebrating a cookie from each state.
My current home state is Tennessee and what is the one cookie Tennessee is known for? MoonPies of course.
The traditional MoonPie has two graham cracker cookies sandwiched around marshmallow filling and is dipped in a flavored coating. The most popular one is chocolate but you can find them in vanilla, strawberry, and banana.
MoonPies were originated at the Chattanooga Bakery in 1917. A coal miner asked the bakery’s traveling salesman for a snack as big as the moon and that is how the tasty treat got its name.
The MoonPie became popular among coal miners because it was filling, fit in their lunch pails, and they were affordable. During World War II the MoonPie was a staple in care packages for the service men.
Its popularity continued to grow throughout the years and currently produces about one million MoonPies a day.
I’m a huge fan of MoonPies myself. I have fond childhood memories of me enjoying MoonPies with special people in my life. That’s why I’m so excited to recreate this beloved cookie.
It all starts with Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour. This flour is incredibly versatile and perfect for all your baking needs.
I chose the make the cookie part vanilla flavored instead of graham cracker. And the cookie is a bit more cake-like. It’s thicker but flavorful and soft.
The filling is made just like homemade marshmallows. I whipped up egg whites and mixed in a hot mixture of sugar syrup with gelatin. It will hold up without melting or separating from the cookies.
After sandwiching two cookies around a large “kiss” of marshmallow, dip them in a semisweet chocolate glaze.
These homemade moon pies are sensational!
Head over to United States of Cookies to what cookies are being featured for your state!
For more delicious homemade cookies, try these homemade thin mints!
Homemade Moon Pies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (227 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the filling
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg white, room temperature
- ½ tablespoon gelatin powder
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate glaze
- 12 ounces (340 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and salt together with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat until incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch together. Add it to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop 1 tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll them into balls. Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the filling
- Combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar in a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and cook to "soft-ball" stage, about 235°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the egg white on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside to soften. Once the syrup reaches 235°F, add in the softened gelatin and mix until fully dissolved. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the syrup into the beaten egg white. Add the vanilla. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and continue to beat until stiff. (This may take around 3-5 minutes)
- Transfer the marshmallow to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a large kiss of marshmallow on the bottom side of half the cookies. Top with a second cookie to form a sandwich. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the glaze
- Add chocolate and oil to a heatproof bowl and set it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Working with one cookie at a time, use a fork to dip it into the bowl of melted chocolate. Flip it over to fully coat the cookie in chocolate. Tap off any excess and let it drip back into the bowl. Place the cookies on a wire rack set over a large baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
- Keep cookies stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cookies with keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
How long do they last? Do they last longer if put in the refrigerator?
Cookies with keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
Thanks for the info on the chocolate glaze! I made my homemade moon pies yesterday but wasn’t sure of the ratio of chocolate to oil and found your website through a google search. I’m GF and egg-free, so I used a store-bought allergy-friendly pie crust to cut out and bake the cookies and then used my trusty egg-free vanilla marshmallow recipe for the filling.
I love it, though I am a kid who loves the internet!!
Do these freeze well?
You can freeze the cookies but not the fully assembled moon pies. The filling contains gelatin which does not freeze well.
I was over the moon with this recipe! Easy to follow and came out exactly like the picture (which never happens). The cookie was perfectly cakey and the whole pie was delicious. I had a bit of leftover chocolate at the end but everything else was measured perfect!
what is the difference between “moon pies” and “wagon wheels”??
I’ve never had a wagon wheel but it doesn’t appear to be a US product. And the ones I see online seem to have to have a jam in the center along with the marshmallow.
I’ve had both. Wagon wheels are like a British biscuit, they have a crunch. Moonpies are much thicker and have a more cakey “cracker”. Personally I much prefer moonpies, but I’m from the UK so they aren’t commonly available.
I’m having a hard time getting the marshmallow to stiffen.
I didn’t have corn syrup and tried substituting honey, could that be the problem?
I’m using a hand mixer as I don’t have a stand mixer.
The honey shouldn’t affect the recipe much. I’m guessing it’s either the humidity, the sugar mixture wasn’t cooked to the right temperature, or the egg whites weren’t properly whipped.
Loved the consistency of the cookie dough-soft & easy to work. Cookies baked up wonderful, but smaller than most moon pies.
My trouble was the marshmallow-my sugar crystallize in the egg & would not beat. I used a candy thermometer & was careful but had a big mess on my hands. Wound up dipping the tips of the cookies in the chocolate & sprinkling with sprinkles ( grandchildren were here). Will practice marshmallow making for future. Will make these again.
My family really loves these, the only problem is that the cookie is a bit too hard, and took more than 12 minutes to cook these.