Banana Mini Moon Pies

Banana Mini Moon Pies

Over a year a ago, I hit a Cracker Barrel and picked up a pack of Mint Mini Moon Pies. Although I was less than excited at the results (Feb 2012 blog entry), when I saw the banana flavored version of the "Mini Pie" series this year at another Cracker Barrel, it didn't discourage me from wanting to give that a try since banana was one of the core flavors of the original Moon Pie line.

The Attraction

 I do have to fully disclose that I have had the full size version of the Moon Pie before and was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I'm not a huge fan of banana-flavored anything generally, but I enjoyed how the banana flavor wasn't too overwhelming and the overall pie wasn't too sweet.

Why bother trying the mini-version then?

The question begged to be asked; after being greeted with the surprisingly unpleasant crunchy shell of the mint flavored version, do all mini-pies have hard shells or was the mint version the exception? (Gosh, I sure hope so) 



The Review

It didn't hurt that I was already of the fan of the large size version.When I opened the package, the mini version of the moon pie looked just like that; a smaller version of the large pie. Only one way to know if it taste the same!

First bite in....and it's confirmed. The shell is like the original! Back was the familiar soft shell I had come to associate with Moon Pies and the fluffy marshmallow filling. What was surprising as I rejoiced in that knowledge was how much I enjoyed it. Dare I say even more than the original Moon Pie.

The smaller moon pie just isn't as dense as the original. It seemed easier to manage in my mouth and just somehow the ratios seem to work better. I think there's less of the marshmallow filling, but it works nicely in the smaller package. The banana flavor was consistent with the minis bigger brother; just the right balance. With 2 pies to a package, I doubt the second pie will stick around for very long.

The Sweet

This version of the moon pie is what it really it should have been all along; a smaller version of the original Moon Pie! With less marshmallow filling, it just seems to be a better product, IMHO. Do I still love the original? Yes, of course, but given the option, I think I would rather go the mini-pie route. (gasp!)

The Bitter

In the New York City area, it's sometimes hard enough to find Moon Pies, forget about minis. I've only seen minis at one place and one place only, Cracker Barrel. The idea of driving 2 hours to get a pack of Mini Moon Pies isn't very appealing.

For about $1 a pack ( I got them for half that), the price is right. It's hard to find and that might be the most annoying part of Mini Moon Pies. They got it right this time. If you like Moon Pies, you're going to like the minis. How much you like them will vary depending on how much marshmallow you like in your Moon Pie; like more, you might like the minis less; like less of the fluffy filling such as me, you might be pleasantly surprised how it's possible to improve upon an already proven formula.