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These homemade vegan moon pies have soft yet crunchy graham cracker-flavored cookies stuffed with a sweet, fluffy marshmallow filling all coated in dark chocolate. No gelatin, eggs or dairy needed!
Just like my vegan toaster strudels and homemade honey buns, these nostalgic cookies taste better than the store-bought version!
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Moon Pies
Wow, I don’t think there’s a snack that could be any more nostalgic than moon pies. I honestly can’t remember the last time that I had a moon pie, but I’m sure it was nearly a decade and a half ago. Since I haven’t had a moon pie in literally years, when I say I’m excited about these…I mean it!!
These chocolatey morsels are seriously the best vegan moon pies. They’re pulling on all my nostalgic heartstrings and are so good. Here are a few more reasons why we love this recipe and you will too:
What Are Moon Pies?
Moon Pies originate from Tennessee and are a classic Southern sweet treat. Traditional homemade moon pies typically have butter and milk, plus the marshmallow filling has gelatin, so they’re not even technically vegetarian…which is such a shame!
But I’ve got your back! I’ll show you exactly what vegan swaps to make. But, before we begin making them, here’s a little brief synopsis of what a moon pie is. Moon pies typically consist of 3 components:
- A marshmallow filling
- Two graham cracker cookies
- And a chocolatey exterior
Keep reading to see what ingredients you’ll need to make them!
Ingredients
This recipe subs in vegan butter, a flax egg to bind the cookies, and vegan marshmallows for the marshmallow fluff. You can use homemade marshmallows or use store-bought ones from Trader Joe’s, or Dandies.
Here are a few key ingredients:
- Vegan Butter, I prefer Violife Vegan Butter
- Ground Flaxseed, to make a flax egg (our vegan egg substitute)
- Vegan Graham Crackers, which we’ll blend into a fine ‘flour’
- All Purpose Flour, also needed for the cookies
- Baking Powder, to help leaven the cookies
- Vegan Marshmallows – storebought or use these homemade marshmallows
- Semi Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips, for the chocolate coating (you could also use chopped chocolate)
Helpful Equipment
To make this recipe easy, here are a few crucial pieces of kitchen equipment that will come in handy:
- Medium Sized Pot, for melting the marshmallows
- Mixing Bowl
- Rolling Pin & Circular Cookie Cutters
- Baking Sheet & Wire Rack
How to Make Homemade moon Pies
Exact ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below!
Add graham cracker sheets to a food processor and pulse until they become a very fine powder.
Mix together the wet ingredients for the cookie dough in a large bowl.
Then, add the dry ingredients and the blended graham cracker powder.
Mix the wet and dry together until a soft dough forms. If the dough is very soft, wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough so it is ¼ inch thick. Using a glass or a circular cookie cutter, cut out the dough into 2” diameter circles.
Lay the cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 325F until golden brown on top.
Make The Marshmallow Filling
So now’s the fun part…and this part is perfect for kiddos, too! We get to sandwich our marshmallow fluff between our baked cookies and coat them up with melted chocolate!
Add the marshmallow filling ingredients to a pot over low heat. Cover and heat the ingredients, stirring frequently until the marshmallows are melted.
Spread a tablespoon or two of the melted marshmallow filling onto the flat side of a cookie. Place another cookie on top and press down lightly to flatten the filling. Repeat for all the cookies.
Dip the pies into the melted chocolate, spooning chocolate on the tops and sides until completely covered.
Let rest briefly on a wire rack so the excess chocolate can drip off, then transfer to a parchment lined tray and chill until the chocolate sets.
Serving & Storage
Once all the pies are coated in chocolate, set them in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes. The chocolate coating should be hard to the touch when ready to eat.
These moon pies can be stored at room temperature (if you don’t mind the chocolate being a bit softer), or they can be stored in the fridge. Just be sure to let them come to room temperature for about 5 minutes prior to chowing down on them!
My husband and I ate this entire batch in a day and a half. That’s how good these are. Plus we have very little self-control when it comes to sweet treats haha! But for real, these are the best vegan moon pies out there! The graham cracker cookie is soft in the middle, with layers of crunchiness.
The marshmallow filling is fluffy and sweet. And you really can’t go wrong with chocolate. I hope you enjoy! I know we did :).
Some tips for the Best Moon Pies
- Melt the marshmallows low and slow: The marshmallows need to be a spreadable consistency to be able to put them between the cookies. The best way to do this is over low heat on the stove top.
- Add some water if the cookie dough is dry: Different temperatures, weather, and more can affect how flour absorbs moisture when baking. If the dough is dry and isn’t coming together into a ball, you can add up to 1 tablespoon of water.
- Let the chocolate coating harden: Before digging in, give these vegan moon pies some time to chill in the fridge.
More Vegan Sweet Treats
The Best Vegan Moon Pies
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, melted – 114g
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed – 100g
- ¼ cup maple syrup, 68g – or agave nectar
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, mixed with 2.5 tbsp water (see step 1)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 220g
- 1 cup blended vegan graham crackers, 100g a fine powder- see notes
- 1 tsp baking powder, 4g
- ⅛ tsp table salt
Marshmallow filling:
- 20 regular-sized vegan marshmallows, like Trader Joes, Dandies, or homemade – 280g
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, or coconut oil
Chocolate Coating:
- 2 cups vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, or vegan white chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and blend into a fine powder. Mix the ground flaxseed with 2½ tablespoons of water, then set aside for 2–3 minutes to thicken into a flax egg.
- Make Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, flax egg, and vanilla. Add the graham cracker powder, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder, then mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough is very soft, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.
- Roll Out Dough: On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a glass or circular cookie cutter to cut out 22–24 circles about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 14–15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt Marshmallows: Add the marshmallows and vegan butter to a medium pot over low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until melted & fluffy.
- Assemble Cookies: Scoop or spread 1–2 tablespoons of marshmallow filling onto the flat side of one cooled cookie, top with another cookie, and press lightly to flatten the filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- Coat in Chocolate: Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or melt in a double boiler. Dip each pie into the melted chocolate, spooning it over the top and sides until completely covered. Let the excess drip off, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill & Store: Chill the pies in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the chocolate is set. Store at room temperature.
Recipe notes
- Flour Measurement: For the most accurate results, measure the flour with a digital scale. If using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level off the top rather than scooping directly from the bag. Scooping can pack in excess flour, which may make the cookies dry or crumbly.
- Marshmallow Texture: The marshmallows melt down into a fluffy texture, but not into a liquid.
- Graham Crackers: Look for a version without honey to keep them vegan friendly. You’ll need 100g or about 1 cup after they’ve been blended. After blending, the graham crackers should be a fine, sandy texture.
Did You Make This?
Leave a star rating and a comment below to let others know how it turned out for you!
Categories:
Baked Goods, Southern, Vegan Comfort Food, Vegan Cookies, Vegan Dessert Recipes, Vegan Recipes,
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Of course! I’m glad you liked it!
I came across your site when doing an ingredient search for Moon Pies. To clear things up, store bought Moon Pies don’t have butter and milk. They contain no dairy. Yes, gelatin. That’s the only non-vegan ingredient.
no clarification needed as the author referred to “traditional” and not store-bought moon pies. traditional pies do contain milk, butter and gelatin. as an aside: having “only” one animal-based ingredient (such the boiled skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of innocent beings) is just as heinous as having more than one.
Emily, was just thinking about moon pies when I googled ingredients/recipes. so glad to have landed here and look forward to making these with my granddaughter in the near future! Oh, and I haven’t found this (neither have I looked for it), but I wonder if this product could be used instead of melting vegan marshmallows?! https://vegnews.com/2021/9/dandies-vegan-marshmallow-fluff
Hi Pam! I believe the marshmallow fluff would work here. It will probably be softer than the melted marshmallows (which firm up a bit once they cool) so the end texture may be different. If you end up using it, I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi! I’m hoping to make this this weekend. Do you suggest food processing the graham crackers? Also would whole wheat flour work or should I get white flour?
Hi Lilly! Yes, you can food process the graham crackers into a fine powder. I used white all-purpose flour in this recipe. I’m not sure how these would taste with whole wheat flour.
These look great! I plan to make them for a moon-themed birthday party. How do you think they would do being frozen ahead of time?
Hi Meagan! I haven’t tried freezing these moon pies before. Because of the marshmallow center, I’m not sure if the texture will be the same once they thaw. These do keep well covered in the fridge for 2-3 days though. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture!
Thank you so much! I’ll try making them just a couple days ahead.
These look fun and were ok to make. I was a tad disappointed because mine weren’t as sweet as I was hoping. I think I was thinking of something else. My man liked them though and I would still make them again.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for your feedback! If you prefer sweeter Moon Pies, I recommend using a dairy free milk chocolate to coat them vs. dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. This will make a big difference in the overall sweetness level!
I’m already on my next batch! This time I’m using my own homemade marshmallows and they’re sweet! Dairy free melted chocolate instead of melted chocolate chips, you say?