The Fascinating Tennessee Origins Of The Moon Pie

When you think of Tennessee, you probably picture loads of country music, the Smoky Mountains, and copious amounts of Nashville-style hot chicken. But did you know that the moon pie dessert also comes from the Volunteer State? 

This sweet treat — marshmallow sandwiched between graham crackers and dipped in chocolate — actually goes all the way back to 1917. According to MoonPie, a Kentucky coal miner approached a traveling salesman for the Chattanooga Baking Company, questioning why there wasn't a confection that was "as big as the moon." Thus, the company was inspired and the MoonPie was born. The indulgence quickly became a hit, due to its deliciousness and reasonable price (a MoonPie and an RC Cola was only 10 cents back in the day). Several other historical events, like World War II and the subsequent baby boom, caused sales to spike and demand to increase for this dessert. 

Over a century later, you can still find the original MoonPie (and several other new flavors like vanilla and banana) at drugstores and supermarkets across the country, or on Amazon. There are also variants to the OG, like the Double Decker MoonPie — two of the delectable sandwiches combined into one. 

If you don't have a MoonPie on hand, don't fret, because there are ways to make them, too. Simply whip up your favorite cookie dough recipe (one infused with graham crackers will taste more like the real deal) and bake as instructed. The real fun begins when the cookies are out of the oven and cooled completely. Grab two cookies, spread marshmallow fluff in between them, and sandwich together. After chilling the sandwich for several minutes, dunk it into the melted chocolate of your choice, place on parchment paper, and leave until the chocolate has hardened. 

An alternative method for recreating this iconic dessert is to make a Southern moon pie, which offers a much softer texture than others. With a devil's food cake mix combined with an instant chocolate pudding mix, plus water, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil, separate the concoction into cookie-sized scoops on parchment paper and slide into the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Once these cakes disguised as cookies are cooled, just sandwich two with marshmallow fluff, and that's it. Since the marshmallow layer will be visible, you can decorate these confections with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips, or any other unconventional toppings that are common on ice cream sundaes or similar desserts.