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
Christy I love Moon Pies, and Chocolate is my favorite, what can I substitute for the bananas in using the chocolates Moon Pies?
I’d do Hershey bars or chocolate chips but I can handle chocolate like no other lol
Well, I made two of these this Labor Day weekend. One for a family reunion and the other for a 175th church anniversary. Nothing left but the dirty dish, each time. I think everyone enjoyed it. 🙂 It is really, really good. I made the homemade pudding mix from your banana pudding recipe instead of the Jell-o boxed pudding. Thanks for all of the great recipes.
Oh my goodness, I am so glad everyone enjoyed them!!! I hope you had a great weekend Linnie and may you have a blessed week!!
Christy: I made this cake this weekend and while my husband and I enjoyed it I have to say I think I enjoyed the picture and the article more than the cake. But this is the first recipe on all of the dozens of food blogs that I subscribe to that has EVER enticed me to actually make it. I may just venture into the kitchen again and try something else! Thanks
🙂 I am so glad you tried it and liked it Debra!!! I can’t wait to see what you make next!!
When growing up in North Carolina, my mother made us work in the summer for farmers when they were barning tobacco. It gave us enough money to buy school clothes such as a winter coat, shoes etc. I made $4.00 a day handing leaves and we worked from sun up to sun down. There were no work police at the time. Morning breaks always consisted of Moon Pies and RC colas. However sometimes I worked for people who didn’t supply food for the morning breaks and mama made me tomato and fat back biscuits. Christy, do you know what fat back is? Delicious with fresh home grown tomatoes.
I sure do know what it is Alice!!! It’s a staple in the South!!
This recipe is posted on facebook under another recipe site. It had a link to this page (but didn’t mention your name at all) and didn’t know if you were aware of it and was ok with it. I know you work very hard on your recipes and didn’t want you to not get credit for all you do. 🙂 Thanks for all you do!!
Thank you for letting me know Gayle!
love moon pies
🙂
I grew up on moon pies, and we go when we can to the RC & Moon Pie Festival they have here in Bell Buckle, TN. Trust me when I say, there truly isn’t anything better than a moon pie (any flavor) and an RC. Yummy! For anyone who hasn’t tried them please do.
Do you remember the song “Give me an RC Cola and a Moonpie”