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.
Moon Pies originate from Tennessee and are a classic Southern sweet treat. Traditional moon pies typically have butter and milk, plus the marshmallow filling has gelatin, so they’re not even technically vegetarian…whomp whomp.
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
No fear! These moon pies are pretty easy to make, and I’ll show you how to make them step-by-step! My vegan recreation 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).
The Marshmallow Filling
The first step is to set up a simple double boiler to melt down the marshmallows. They 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.
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. These cookies use finely ground graham crackers mixed with flour, which give them a unique texture and flavor. After rolling all my dough out, I use a 2-3 inch diameter cup to cut it into small circles.
Assembly Time!
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! Here’s a 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.
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!
Y’all, not even lying. My boyfriend 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 :).
If you’re looking for some more vegan sweet treats, check out these recipes!
Vegan Espresso & White Chocolate Cookies
Vegan Cozy Maple Spiced Coffee Cake
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
Cookies:
- ½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 flax egg, 1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp water
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham crackers blended into a fine powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Marshmallow filling:
- 15-20 Vegan marshmallows, I get mine from Trader Joes but Dandie's brand is also great
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- Pinch of cream of tartar
Glaze:
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 tablespoon 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. Simmer the water on medium heat.
- Add the marshmallow filling ingredients to the double boiler. 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.*
- In the meantime, make the cookies by combining the melted 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 2” diameter circles.
- Lay the dough on a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown on top.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.