Moon Pie

AMoon Pieis an American snack, popular across much of the United States, which consists of two roundGraham crackers, withmarshmallowfilling in the center, dipped in a flavored coating. The snack is often associated with thecuisine of the American South, where they are traditionally accompanied by anRC Cola.Today, MoonPies are made by Chattanooga Bakery, Inc., inChattanooga, Tennessee.
The traditional pie is approximately 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. A smaller version, called a Mini Moon Pie, is approximately half the weight, and a double-decker Moon Pie of the traditional diameter features a third cookie and a second layer of marshmallow. The five primary flavors are chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry, and salted caramel. Coconut appears seasonally during theMardi Grasparading season. Lemon, Blueberry, and Pumpkin Spice also appear seasonally throughout the year.
According to Chattanooga Bakery, they came up with the idea for Moon Pies when a traveling salesman for the company asked a Kentucky coal miner what kind of snack he would like to eat, and the miner requested something with graham crackers and marshmallows. Popular folklore, repeated and encouraged by the Chattanooga Bakery itself, states the miner then asked that the snack be "as big as the Moon",which inspired the name "moon pie".
The company celebrated its centennial with a "My Favorite MoonPie Memory" contest. The grand prize was a 100-year supply of Moon Pies. A military veteran, Christopher Priest fromRockford, Michigan, won the contest. The company also took awrappedWinnebago across the country in the fall, thanking its top customers and attending various sporting events and festivals.
In September 2017, as part of its centennial, MoonPie returned to its original recipe, replacinghigh-fructose corn syrupwithsugarand removing preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.
In 2020, the company released pumpkin spice double-decker MoonPie as well as mini MoonPies.
The brand is known for its eccentricTwitterpresence.
In 2024,Mast General Storebegan selling Over the Mooncandy bars.
There is a custom of eating Moon Pies withRC Cola, although the origin of this is unknown.It is likely that their inexpensive prices, combined with their larger serving sizes, contributed to establishing this combination as the "working man's lunch." The popularity of this combination was celebrated in a popular song of the 1950s byBig Bill Listertitled "Gimme an RC Cola and a Moon Pie."In 1973,NRBQhad a minor hit with the song "An RC Cola and a Moon Pie."
An annual RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival are celebrated inBell Buckle, Tennessee, and a Moon Pie eating contest is held inBessemer, Alabama.
In the 1994 song "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous" by country artistTracy Byrd, a line says "Our champagne and caviar is anRC Colaand a Moon Pie."
Lyrics in the 1976 song "Junk Food Junkie" byLarry Groceinclude: "And I pull out someFritoscorn chips /Dr. Pepperand an Ole Moon Pie / Then I sit back in glorious expectation / Of a naturaljunk foodhigh."
In the 1999 filmThe Green Mile, a character named Toot is drinking a glass bottle of RC Cola, and when he is about to eat his Moon Pie, a death row inmate named Wild Bill offers him anickelfor his Moon Pie.
The Moon Pie became a traditional "throw" (an item thrown from a parade float into the crowd) ofMardi Gras"krewes" (parade participants) inMobile, Alabamaduring 1956,followed by other communities along theNorthwest FloridaandMississippiGulf Coast. The westernmost outpost of the MoonPie as an important Carnival throw isSlidell, Louisiana, which has a parade by "The Krewe of Mona Lisa and MoonPie". Also, in the town ofOneonta, Alabama, there is a MoonPie eating contest started by Wal-Mart employee John Love when he inadvertently ordered too many. This anecdote was featured inSam Walton's autobiography,Made in America.
Since New Year's Eve 2008, the city ofMobile, Alabamahas been lowering a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) lighted mechanical Moon Pie to celebrate the coming of the new year. The giant Moon Pie descends the 34-story RSA BankTrust building at the stroke of midnight.Every New Year's Eve, the world's largest Moon Pie is cut and served to the public as part of the festivities. It weighs 55 pounds (25 kg) and contains 45,000 calories (190 kJ).
Enrichedwheat flour(niacin, reduced iron,thiamine mononitrate,riboflavin,folic acid),corn syrup,sugar,vegetable shortening(containspartially hydrogenatedsoybeanoil and/orcottonseedoil and/orcoconutoil and/orpalm kernel oiland/orpalm oil),soy flour,dutched cocoa(processed withalkali),cocoa,gelatin,baking soda,lecithin,salt,artificial flavoring,sodium sulfite.
Other flavors (such as banana, vanilla, strawberry, or orange) might have different nutritional content.
Single-decker
Double-decker
Minis
Moon Pie Crunch
In the northern areas of the U.S., a similar product exists called a "Scooter Pie" and also a single-cracker marshmallow cookie called "Mallomars."Little Debbiealso makes what they call "Marshmallow Pies," which are nearly identical to the moon pies. In theUnited Kingdom,Australia, andCanada, a similar product is called "Wagon Wheels."
InSouth Korea, the very similar "Choco Pie" is produced by several companies, including theLotte Confectionery. In Japan, there is the smaller-sized "Angel Pies" byMorinaga, as well as a brand of "Choco pie" that is similar, as are "Mamut" (Spanish for "Mammoth", sold byGamesa), and "Rocko" (marketed byMarinela, which incorporatesstrawberryjelly in the snack) inMexico, and there are several other minor brands as well.
The "Halley" and "Bimbo" pies sold inTurkeyandEgypt, respectively, are similar. InArgentina, a similar treat is "Alfajor," and more than 20 brands marketed as "alfajores" are very popular.Nestlémanufactures similar sweets called "Holiday," which are available in theBalkan countries.