Homemade Moon Pies

Plate of moonpies surrounded by a bowl of chocolate chips, bottles of milk, and an RC Cola.

4.70 from 39 votes

Learn how to make homemade Moon Pies with tender graham cracker cookies, marshmallow filling, and a smooth chocolate coating—just like the classic Southern favorite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 12

Cooling time 2 5

Total Time 2 42

Servings cookies

Calories 480kcal

Author Lisa Bynum

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup cane syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups (about 1 sleeve) graham cracker crumbs, ground fine
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons whole milk

For the marshmallow center:

1 container (7-ounces) marshmallow crème

For the chocolate coating:

1 bag (12-ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, cane syrup, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until incorporated. Slowly stream in the milk and continue mixing until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes if needed to soften slightly. Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using a 3-inch round cutter and place them on a prepared baking sheet. You should end up with 12 cookies.
Bake for 10–12 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when removed from the oven. Cool for 10–15 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, spoon approximately 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup of marshmallow crème onto the center of 6 cookies. Top each with a second cookie and gently press until the marshmallow spreads to the edges. Place the sandwich cookies on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Remove from heat and allow the chocolate to cool until warm but not hot. Whisk in the oil until smooth.
Using two forks, gently lower one sandwich cookie into the chocolate. Turn to coat completely, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Return the cookies to the freezer until the chocolate coating is fully set.

Video

Notes

The dough will be soft after mixing; chilling is important to make rolling and cutting easier.
Don’t overbake the cookies—they should still feel soft when removed from the oven and will firm up slightly as they cool.
Freezing the assembled sandwich cookies before dipping is key to keeping the marshmallow filling from shifting or melting.
Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before dipping so it coats smoothly without melting the filling.
Work with one cookie at a time when dipping for the cleanest finish.
Store finished Moon Pies in the refrigerator or freezer for best texture and shape.

Adapted from Garden & Gun Magazine February / March 2014

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