Want to Celebrate Mid-Autumn? These 2-Ingredient Oreo and Chocolate Mooncake Recipes Have You Covered
The pastries are served during the Mid-Autumn Festival, an important holiday in Chinese culture.
If there’s one thing I love about about my Chinese heritage, it’s that I get to honor my favorite season: fall. The Mid-Autumn Festival, held this past Tuesday, has always held a special place in my heart. And this year, I’m celebrating in a delicious way — by making mooncakes with a twist! As someone who didn’t grow up with the tradition, my first festival during college showed me how much these baked goods bring people together. And I’ve found the perfect shortcut: with two ingredients, these Oreo and chocolate mooncake recipes are the easiest way to join in on the fun. Here’s how to make them.
What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. Similar festivities also occur in many East and Southeast Asian cultures. Traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, it’s a time to give thanks for the autumn harvest, reunite with family and admire the full moon, which symbolizes unity. The origins of the festival date back thousands of years, based on the legend of the Moon goddess Chang’e in Chinese mythology.
Today, Mid-Autumn Festivals include family gatherings, lantern lightings (for good fortune), and, of course, eating mooncakes!
What is a mooncake?
Mooncakes are probably the most recognized food associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they come in many varieties. Traditionally, these round pastries have a sweet paste filling made from lotus seeds, red beans and sometimes a salted egg yolk that symbolizes the full moon. The thin, slightly chewy exterior, often imprinted with intricate patterns, symbolizes longevity and harmony.
Mooncakes are traditionally gifted to family and friends during the festival. But even though this recipe has a rich history, today’s mooncakes have evolved to include modern flavors, including custard, chocolate and even ice cream.
Tips for nailing your mooncake recipes
If you’ve ever had a mooncake at your local Chinese bakery, you might feel a bit intimidated recreating it yourself. But making mooncakes at home doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are a few tips to get the best results:
1. Choose quality ingredients
Since these mooncake recipes only require two ingredients, the quality matters. Use fresh Oreo cookies, your favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread and high-quality chocolate to ensure the best flavor.
2. Use a mooncake mold or DIY it
You can buy mooncake molds for around $10 on Amazon — they’re great for giving your treats that traditional look with pretty designs. But don’t worry if you don’t have them — any small, round cookie cutter or even shaping them by hand will work just fine. You can also use silicone molds or any decorative stamp to add flair.
3. Always chill before serving
In my opinion, mooncakes taste way better the next day. So whether you bake them or not, let them chill overnight before enjoying so they hold their shape and have a better texture.
Easy 2-ingredient mooncake recipes
These modern mooncake recipes take under an hour to make. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Oreo mooncake recipe
This recipe is from Food is A Four Letter Word.
Ingredients:
- 19 oz. (about 2 cups) crushed Oreo cookies
- ¾ cup cream cheese, cut into cubes
Directions:
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings
- Place Oreo cookies into to a food processor and blend until fine crumbs. Add the cubed cream cheese and process until it starts to look like dough and the cream cheese is evenly distributed.
- Get 2 Tbs. of the dough and roll firmly into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat and refrigerate balls for 20 minutes so they firm up.
- Place a dough ball into the mooncake mold, hold the mold firmly on your work surface, then press the mold down very firmly three times then lift up the mold and remove the cake from the mold. Repeat until you’ve made all the mooncakes.
- Refrigerate uncovered for about an hour before serving. They should be served cold, so don’t let these sit out at room temp.
Chocolate & Nutella mooncake recipe
This recipe is from All Purpose Veggies.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup chocolate hazelnut spread like Nutella
- ½ cup coconut flour (or almond flour)
- 6 Tbs. chocolate hazelnut spread, for the filling
Directions:
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Yield: six servings
- For the filling, scoop Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread of choice into 1-2 Tbs. sized portions on parchment paper. Freeze the scoops for one to two hours until solid.
- Mix the chocolate hazelnut spread and coconut flour in a bowl. Add 1-2 Tbs. more coconut flour (or Nutella) if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until you get a soft but firm dough.
- Divide dough into six equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk, then wrap it around the prepared filling scoops. Use a mold to press the dough into mooncake shapes and set onto a clean parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 12-14 minutes. For best texture, chill in the fridge overnight, then eat next day.
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