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
“RC cola and a Moon Pie” …. have heard the saying all my life. “Coke and a Moon Pie” or “Sundrop and a Moon Pie” is just not the same!!
I truly believe Satan uses TV and the media to cause so much harm to our minds, and get our focus away from what really matters.
My heart aches for the “higher up” that thought he deserved credit; I hope he comes to know the truth.
He definitely uses it a good bit, that’s for sure. But I also met some really great folks behind the scenes, and Matt Rogers, who was the host of our show was a devout Christian as well. There are a few networks and a handful of shows (UPtv, American Bible Challenge, etc) that are really going against the tide and if we come out for them as much as we can to show our support, hopefully others will follow suit. I’d like some more “real” reality tv that seeks to uplift rather than all of these that take pride in showcasing people falling apart. Beat The Chefs was very uplifting and the chefs were so encouraging to the contestants. I was proud to be a part of it.
I would love a true reality show, not the choreographed and scripted farces that pass for reality now. Disgusting ! Most of them.
Lordy! Walking home from the City swimming pool on a summer day with a Moon Pie and a RC cola!! Can almost taste it again!!
Sweet memories!!
Thanks, I loved reading that story about Jeff Foxworthy. When I see him on tv I always think that he seems like such a nice guy and now I know it’s true.
Yes, grew up eating Moon Pies and LOVE, LOVE the vanilla ones! The banana are my 2nd favorite and then chocolate.
This sounds great and think I will have to make it at our next family gathering.
Thanks again!
God Bless!
Diane M.
I love an original Moon Pie. 🙂 I saw a recipe somewhere that used those in a banana pudding in place of the vanilla wafers. I still need to make that one day. *swoon*
I bet this would be nearly similar if I used the regular Moon Pies with the chocolate coating and drizzled a little chocolate sauce over the top instead of caramel.
That is awesome that you got to meet Jeff Foxworthy. I really liked his American Bible Challenge show when it first came on (the same season that your show was on), but then they changed the way they did the show a little bit and I just didn’t care for some of the contests – it made it less about the knowledge than whether you could get a ball in a cup with a spoon or some such nonsense. But I still think he’s a great host, and if I catch it on I will watch it!
I also like that you both put the other tv guy in his place about God getting you to where you are. My husband and I are sure that some people in “show business” have sold their souls to get where they are because of how their lives just fall apart even as they become more and more successful. It’s really sad what it’s like out there in that business. I’m glad there are a few out there that hold on to their values and beliefs because I’m sure that it’s incredibly hard to do when you are immersed in that culture.
Thanks for sharing the Jeff Foxworthy story! I’ve always liked him!
You are so welcome, Judy! I always like hearing that someone I respect is truly a good person so I’m glad to spread the word!
I remember my daddy always loved a moon pie. I just never could make myself like them though. This cake looks like it could change that in a hurry though!! 🙂
You are so sweet! Moon Pies are such an icon of the old days, before Little Debbie and all of the treats we have available now. The fact that working folks could afford them just endeared them all the more! I believe I will splurge and have me a banana one today 🙂
You spoke of health with your cake. Moon pies were more nutritional than most other sweet things now. They were graham crackers with marshmallow and , I don’t know …..some kind of covering.
Like you my favorite was/is banana, but I ate a lot of chocolate ones before the banana came along.
To me Moon Pies is serious business, but I do remember one half funny story.
As you stated, things were hard and a lot of people had little money, lived by our wits and God’s grace and goodness.
A family we knew was poor, but the parents loved their kids and wanted to provide treats for them. At a nickel per, moon pies fit the bill. Each month when they bought groceries they bought enough Moon Pies to last the month and doled out one to each child as a Sunday treat. One day the mother found the youngest child, about three, in the back yard playing in the sand. We used to build a lot of our toys and this little guy thought moon pies would make fine wheels for his oatmeal box bus. Didn’t work too well, but he was eating th.e broken ones , dirt and all. If that’s not a resourceful kid I don’t know what is.
I wanted a special for Valentine’s. I used Chocolate moon pies with choc. pudding and choc. syrup. I used Strawberries instead of Banana’s. Topped with choc. syrup and Strawberries with tips dipped in chocolate. Beautiful dessert and very good. My daughter will post a picture on her fb page. I am going to do this for the teacher where she works Friday for their Valetines Lunch. The Moon Pie Banana Pudding I did for Christmas was a hit so I know they will Love this. Thanks for the idea of doing a cake.
Great ideas Edna!!!!