Fall Without Fire

My favorite thing about fall turning into winter is being able to cozy up by a fire... There is no feeling quite like crisp autumn air against your skin while smelling cedar burning in the fireplace- hearing the embers crackle. And nothing goes better with gathering around the fireside like s’mores. Who doesn’t love them? Marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers... YUM.

Unfortunately, I live in Phoenix so sitting by a fire is pretty much out the window, but who says I have to give up the s’mores? My homemade moon pies are an easy way to get that s’mores flavor without working up too much of a sweat in the Arizona heat!

I have to be honest, these are a lot easier than they seem and don’t take long at all!

To make the graham crackers, I start with 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/4-cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in the stand mixer until its well blended. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined. Then I place the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours. After the dough has set, flour a work surface and roll out the dough. Cut into medium sized circles and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°. If you want more of a crunch to the graham cracker, leave them in the oven for a couple more minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

While those are baking, melt 2 bags of mini marshmallows with 1/4 cup butter. I usually melt the butter in a pan before adding the marshmallow. You dont want them to burn so keep it at a medium low heat and be patient with it. Once the marshmallow is melted, place the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag (or a gallon baggie) and cut a hole big enough to be able to squeeze it onto the graham crackers.

Once the graham crackers are baked and cooled, pipe your desired amount of marshmallow on each one to form a s’more sandwich. Don’t be afraid to get a little sticky!

The next step is to melt a bag of chocolate chips with 2 tbsp corn syrup (to give it that shine). I do this by boiling a pot of water and placing a metal bowl on top with the ingredients because chocolate burns really quickly and a double boiler will prevent this.

If the chocolate is still thick while its melting, add about 1/4 cup of milk. Once the chocolate is smooth and shiny, pour over each sandwich to give it that moon pie look. Depending on how thick you pour your chocolate, you may need to repeat this process or double the chocolate initially.

I usually make these moon pies vegan by substituting the animal product with plant product, such as: vegan chocolate chips, soy milk, vegan butter, and vegan marshmallows. Some of these ingredients might be hard to find depending in where you live, but I was able to get all of it at my local Whole Foods Market.

This recipe taste just like the original moon pies and they’re even better because you have the satisfaction of making them yourself!

These moon pies are fast and easy to make, but you can always head to your local Crackerbarrel to grab the OG moon pie in a box.

I just know once I eat one, I always want s’more.