These are the best vegan moon pies with soft yet crunchy graham cracker-flavored cookies stuffed with a sweet, fluffy marshmallow filling all coated in dark chocolate. These nostalgic cookies taste just like 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:
- Chocolate Coated Goodness: Melted dark or semi sweet chocolate coats everything.
- Homemade Graham Cracker Cookies: This recipe has a homemade, soft graham cracker flavored cookie.
- No Gelatin or Animal Products: Store-bought moon pies are not vegan since the marshmallow filling has gelatin. This recipe is dairy free, eggless and is made with vegan-friendly marshamllows.
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
Ingredients
No fear! These moon pies are pretty easy to make, and I’ll show you how to make them step-by-step. This recipe subs in vegan butter, a flax egg to bind the cookies, and vegan marshmallows for the marshmallow fluff (which I get from Trader Joe’s, but you could also use the Dandies brand).
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Vegan Butter, I prefer Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- Light Brown Sugar
- Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup
- 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
- Coconut Oil, for the filling
- 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
- Heat Proof Bowl, for melting the marshmallow
- Mixing Bowl
- Rolling Pin & Circular Cookie Cutters
- Baking Sheet & Wire Rack
Step by Step Instructions
Make The Marshmallow Filling
STEP 1: Set up a simple double boiler to melt down the marshmallows. Add the marshmallow filling ingredients to the double boiler.
STEP 2: Cover and melt the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are melted and combined with the coconut oil. This will take about 20-30 minutes.
📌 TIP: The masrhmallows need to be a spreadable consistency to be able to put them between the cookies. I’ve found that it takes around 20-30 minutes for the marshmallows to melt down on the stovetop. You don’t want to microwave these. I repeat you do not want to microwave these! If you pop the vegan marshmallows in the microwave to melt them, they’ll end up hard and tough. The opposite of melty-fluff.
Make the Cookies
While the marshmallow melts on the stove, you can make all the other components. The cookies are fast and easy to whip up.
STEP 3: Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, agave, flax egg, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
STEP 4: In the same bowl add the graham cracker powder, all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms.
STEP 5: 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.
STEP 6: Lay the dough on a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 325F until golden brown on top.
Assemble the Moon Pies
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!
STEP 7: In a small bowl or the same bowl as the dough (fewer dishes yay!), combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave by heating it for 2 minutes, stopping to stir the chocolate every 30 seconds.
STEP 8: 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.
STEP 9: Dip the pies into the melted chocolate, spooning chocolate on the tops and sides until completely covered. Chill in the fridge.
📌 TIP: For easy clean up, set all your coated moon pies on a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath to catch all the excess drips.
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 :).
Helpful Tips
- Melt the marshmallows with a double boiler: The marshmallows need to be a spreadable consistency to be able to put them between the cookies. The best way to do this is with a double boiler 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 & Cookies
- Classic Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Honey Buns
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fudgy Vegan Brownies
- Southern Vegan Pound Cake
- Classic Vegan Banana Pudding
Did you make This Vegan Moon Pie Recipe?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
The Best Vegan Moon Pies
These chocolatey morsels are seriously the best vegan moon pies. They have a soft yet crunchy graham cracker cookie with a sweet fluffy marshmallow interior. What more could you want?
Ingredients
Marshmallow filling:
- 15-20 Vegan marshmallows, I get mine from Trader Joes but Dandies brand is also great
- 2 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Cookies:
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, melted (like Earth Balance)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1 flax egg, 1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp water (see notes)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegan graham crackers blended into a fine powder (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Coating:
- 2 cups vegan semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- On the stove, make a double boiler by filling a medium-sized pot with a few inches of water. Place a medium-sized bowl that is able to sit on top of the pot on it. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add the marshmallow filling ingredients to the double boiler. Cover and heat the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are melted and combined with the coconut oil. This will take about 20-30 minutes.*
- In the meantime, make the cookies by combining the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, agave, flax egg, and vanilla to a bowl. Stir to combine.
- In the same bowl, add the graham cracker powder, all-purpose flour, pinch of salt, and baking powder. Mix until a dough forms. If the dough appears cracked and doesn’t come together easily, add a tablespoon of water.
- 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 about 18-20 2” diameter circles.
- Lay the dough on a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 325F until golden brown on top.
- In a small bowl or the same bowl as the dough, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave by heating it for 2 minutes, stopping to stir the chocolate every 30 seconds.
- To make the moon pies, spread a tablespoon or two of the 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. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or wire rack.
- Chill the pies in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the chocolate is set.
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from the non-vegan moon pie recipe by The Garden and Gun.
- The marshmallows melt down into a fluffy texture, but not into a liquid.
- To make a flax egg, mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Set aside for 3-5 minutes. Once it has thickened slightly, it is ready to add to the cookie dough.
- To make graham cracker powder, you can place the whole graham cracker sheets into a food process and blend them until they reach a fine, sandy texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Trans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 34gProtein: 3g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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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?