Moon Pie Cake
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You will be over the moon about this Moon Pie cake! It’s a refreshing refrigerator summer cake recipe with multiple layers, starting with soft Moon Pies, then creamy vanilla pudding, sweet caramel syrup, fresh banana slices, and whipped topping.
There aren’t many snacks as synonymous with the South as a Moon Pie. If you have no idea what a Moon Pie is, you’re in for a treat! Chattanooga Bakery has made these little treats since 1917. They include a marshmallow filling sandwiched between two graham cracker cookies with a flavored coating. The five main flavors are banana, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and salted caramel. Plus, during , you can get orange and coconut flavors too.
With the center, they’re similar to a (here’s my homemade whoopie pie recipe with instead of ). Traditionally, they were accompanied by an RC Cola and this was called “the working man’s lunch” because they were cheap, filling, and gave hardworking men the energy to get back to it. Moon Pies make many things awesome including childhood. So I thought hey, let’s make a Moon Pie cake recipe! I totally made this recipe up as I went along but it turned out awesome!
Which flavor to choose…
Now, I am using banana-flavored Moon Pies because they are my favorite (closely followed by vanilla and chocolate). Any flavor you want works perfectly well in this cake, so go with whatever cranks yer tractor. This is a no-bake cake with multiple layers. We start with the Moon Pie pieces, add the pudding, and then refrigerate. Then we add caramel syrup, banana slices, whipping cream, and more caramel because why not?
This Moon Pie cake recipe is so easy to make and a great refrigerator cake for your next gathering. It’s a surprisingly light-tasting dessert that isn’t as kill-you-sweet as you think it is, but oh my goodness is it good! The flavors complement each other perfectly and you keep going back for just one. more. bite.
If you like this, try my caramel banana pie recipe, Homemade Banana Pudding, Banana Pecan Bread, or Banana Crumb Cake next.
Recipe Ingredients
- Moon Pies
- Bananas
- Caramel syrup
- Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding (here’s my homemade pudding recipe if you prefer)
- Whipped topping
- Cherries (optional garnish)
Helpful Kitchen Tool
How to Make Moon Pie Cake
To start with, unwrap six or seven Moon Pies (A box contains six but it takes about 7 to fill the bottom of my 9×13 dish) and cut them into four strips each like this.
Arrange all of those strips, cut side up, in a baking dish.
Cook your pudding according to the package directions.
Pour it over the Moon Pies.
Aww, look at ’em. All comfy cozy, relaxing in a pudding bath.
Life is good for y’all, isn’t it?
Now cover this with foil and refrigerate it until it is cold.
I just made it in the evening and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
And the next day…
Take your caramel and do a generous zigzag over the Moon Pies.
Slice bananas on top of the caramel.
Now take another Moon Pie and cut it into smaller bite-sized pieces.
Then cover the cake with the entire tub of whipped topping.
Voila!
Zig some more caramel zags on top and sprinkle with the little Moon Pie pieces.
Okay, so I didn’t sprinkle. I placed. Do what your gut tells ya here. Either one still gives you a Moon Pie cake in the end and this puppy is FABULOUS!
Now grab your spatula…
Look at all of those layers!
And dig in. Enjoy!
Storage
Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Because of the whipped topping, I don’t recommend freezing.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any flavor of Moon Pie, just make sure you get the regular size. If you aren’t familiar with them, they have minis, double-deckers, and I think even triple-deckers. You could use the double and triple-deckers if you like and it will take fewer to make this, but if you go with minis it is gonna take a whole lotta Moon Pies!
- Adapt this recipe to suit you and your favorite flavor as well. For example, if you use chocolate Moon Pies with that delicious marshmallow fluff and chocolate coating, use chocolate sauce instead.
Check out these other delicious refrigerator cake recipes:
Ingredients
- 8 Moon pies pick your favorite
- 16 oz whipped topping one tub
- 5 oz vanilla pudding cook and serve
- 5 bananas
- 12 oz caramel syrup 1 bottle
Instructions
- Cut 7 Moon Pies into four strips. Place the strips, cut side up, in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish or cake pan.8 Moon pies
- Prepare pudding according to package directions and pour it over the Moon Pies while still warm. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate until cold.5 oz vanilla pudding
- Top the Moon Pies with a generous drizzling of caramel sauce. Slice bananas on top, spread whipped topping over these, and then finish with another generous drizzling of caramel.16 oz whipped topping, 12 oz caramel syrup, 5 bananas
- Chop up the remaining Moon Pie into bite-sized pieces and scatter pieces on top. Cover again and refrigerate until ready to serve (can serve immediately but gets better after an hour in the fridge).
Nutrition
“Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.”
~Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
I just love your blog, your recipes, your Christian views, and reading about your family. However, I never liked Moon Pies. I am sure my grandboys, 4 of them, will love your Moon Pie recipe.
Please keep writing and giving us your good, country recipes. So many cooking blogs and cook books are not really old fashioned country cooking or, at least, not my idea of country cooking.
Thanks again.
Thank you Sue!!
We just moved back home from the state of Washington. We ended up living out there for 17 years and on our final trip home we stopped at a little store as soon as we crossed the Louisiana state line and bought Moon Pies. It was so good to be back home in the South. We finally found our new house in southwest Mississippi and couldn’t be happier, well, I do believe this moon pie cake will make us even happier. Thanks Christy
Welcome Home Pamela!! I hope you get to enjoy the cake soon!!
They throw Moon Pies from the floats during Mardi Gras parades in Mobile, Alabama. When I lived there, we’d all have Moon Pies (or those knock-off brands) in our lunches for weeks after Mardi Gras.
I now live in Tennessee and the grocery stores here have a lot more flavors of Moon Pies than I’ve seen anywhere else. I sent boxes of them to my great nephew who is in Navy Basic Training in Illinois. I’m sure that was the first knowledge of Moon Pies for some of his fellow sailors. 🙂
Enjoyed reading your post.
Sue P.
Oh how fun!! I think the reason that you see more flavors in Tennessee is because they are made there, in Chattanooga! I love going to the store they have there in Chattanooga!!
It has been years since I have gobbled down a Moon Pie! I love your recipe, and will be looking for the pies. Thank you, for the entertaining story and this great dessert!
Thank you Joanne, I hope you get a minute to try it!
Have you ever heated up a Moon Pie?? Open a chocolate one, stick it in the microwave and turn it on for 5 seconds and take out a warm, delicious treat!! If they still make them, the mint Moon Pies are delicious when frozen.
Oh my, great ideas Lisa!!
Banana moon pies are the best! I love them so so much! I will definitely have to try this!
I hope you like it Kali!!
Chocolate Moon Pies are my favorite…it’s sorta like a smore, but didn’t know what a smore was back in the good ‘ole days. We had a sandwich (either bologna or banana) and moon pie for lunch when we picked cotton in northern Alabama.
Yup! We always had fried bologna sandwiches or banana and peanut butter 🙂
YES – fried bologna sandwiches or banana and peanut butter with just a little honey. We used to eat PINEAPPLE sandwishes also… oh my how they were delicious (crushed pineapple with mayo).
Does anyone remember the raisin filled cookies that were similar to the moonpies? I don’t think they make them anymore…or do they?!?!