These smores cupcakes bring all the fun of a campfire treat into an easy-to-make dessert. They start with a crunchy Graham cracker crust, followed by soft graham cracker cupcakes, a rich chocolate ganache layer, and fluffy marshmallow frosting.
I love making these for summer parties, birthdays, or whenever I'm craving something a little nostalgic. If you enjoy chocolate desserts, you should also try my Brownie Cupcakes.
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Video Instructions
Try These S’mores Cupcakes
If you love traditional s’mores but don't have a campfire handy, these cupcakes are the next best thing. The crunchy graham cracker crust, creamy chocolate layer, and toasted marshmallow frosting give the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Note: For the Graham cracker cupcakes, I used this S’mores Cake recipe as a starting point. I decided to replace a part of the flour with finely crushed Graham cracker crumbs to get the Graham cracker taste into my cupcakes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Classic campfire flavor: I love how these cupcakes taste just like traditional s'mores, but you don’t need a campfire to make them. You get the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow in every bite.
- Great texture: The crunchy graham cracker crust with the soft cupcake and fluffy frosting is what makes this recipe so delicious.
- Perfect for parties: Whenever I make these for birthdays or summer gatherings, they get eaten so fast.
- Easy to make ahead: I prefer to bake the cupcakes a day before serving and finish them with the ganache and frosting later.
Ingredients
- Graham cracker crumbs: I use graham cracker crumbs both in the crust and the cupcake batter because they give these cupcakes that classic s'mores flavor.
- Chocolate bars: I prefer using good-quality milk chocolate for the ganache. Hershey's is always a great choice if you want that traditional s'mores taste.
- Buttermilk: This helps keep the cupcakes soft and moist without making them heavy.
- Egg whites: These create the light and fluffy marshmallow frosting that makes these cupcakes super special.
- Vanilla beans: I add this for the incredible flavor it gives the cupcake batter.
How to Make S'mores Cupcakes
1. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof large bowl. Heat the heavy cream until very hot and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until smooth and set aside.
2. Combine Graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar until evenly moist.
3. Press into the bottoms of cupcake liners. Bake for 5 minutes and set aside.
4. Stir Graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt together.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg and sugar until creamy. Add oil and vanilla and mix until combined.
6. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
7. Fill each liner about two-thirds full. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
8. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
9. Whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves. Beat until glossy stiff peaks form.
10. Spread chocolate ganache over the cooled cupcakes.
11. Pipe or spread marshmallow frosting on top.
12. Toast the frosting using a kitchen torch if desired and serve.
Recipe Tips
- I recommend making the chocolate ganache in the beginning and letting it stand until you start frosting the cupcakes. When it is too warm, it is too thin and would run down the cupcakes.
- Don't overfill the cupcake liners, or the cupcakes may sink.
- If the ganache becomes too thick, I warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Toasting the frosting gives these cupcakes that authentic campfire flavor.
- A standard cupcake pan works perfectly for this recipe.
- Spoon the cooled chocolate ganache on top of the cooled cupcakes. If the chocolate ganache is not smooth anymore, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Go with the brand you love, but for me, nothing can compete with Hershey's milk chocolate bars.
- Use chocolate crackers for a fun twist on the crust.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Hot chocolate
- Coffee
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh berries
- Chocolate milk
- Caramel sauce
- Extra toasted marshmallows
FAQs
No, the consistency is not the best for frosting cupcakes. It wouldn't stay on top of your cupcakes. It would run down the sides.
Yes, I usually bake the cupcakes a day ahead and frost them before serving.
Yes, I recommend freezing the unfrosted cupcakes and adding the ganache and frosting after thawing.
Recipe
Smores Cupcakes
Ingredients
chocolate ganache
- 1 cup chocolate bars, finely chopped (170g)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (80ml)
graham cracker crust
- ⅔ cup graham cracker crumbs (80g)
- 3 tablespoon butter, melted (42g)
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar (12g)
graham cracker cupcakes
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (90g)
- ⅜ cup all-purpose flour (45g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup oil (120ml)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar (100g)
- 1 large egg
- 2 vanilla beans* (or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- ½ cup buttermilk (120ml)
marshmallow meringue frosting
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup caster sugar (150g)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners (this recipe yields about 16 cupcakes). Set aside.
- Make the chocolate ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 minute or until very hot and almost boiling. Pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and combined. If chocolate doesn't melt completely, then put the bowl into the microwave a few seconds. Set aside until you start frosting the cupcakes.
- Make the graham cracker crust: In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar until evenly moist. Press into the bottoms of your cupcake liners. Bake for 5 minutes until the tops are set. Set aside.
- Make the graham cracker cupcakes: In a medium-sized bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment beat egg and sugar on medium speed until creamy and combined for about 2 minutes. Add oil and vanilla* and mix on low speed until combined. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter and mix on low speed just until combined. Begin and end with dry ingredients.
- Spoon batter with an ice cream scoop into the cupcake liners on top of the baked graham cracker crust and fill ⅔ that your cupcakes don't sink or spill over the sides. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick centered in the middle comes out clean. I baked mine for 18 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Make the marshmallow meringue: Fill a saucepan 2 inches high with water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl (preferably glass) and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water. Whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. (Make sure the meringue doesn't get too hot, or the egg whites will cook through, and the meringue won't be stiff but lumpy. Remove from saucepan in-between to cool down a bit, if necessary.) The meringue should be warm to the touch. Remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on high speed until shiny, glossy, and stiff peaks form, for about 5-7 minutes.
- Spread the chocolate ganache on top of the cupcakes. Frost cupcakes and store in an airtight container at room temperature or the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 17-20 minutes, plus 5 minutes for the graham cracker crust.Taste & Texture
These smores cupcakes are soft and moist with a crunchy graham cracker crust, rich chocolate topping, and fluffy marshmallow frosting that melts in your mouth.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store for up to 3 days if your kitchen is warm.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months.
Serving Recommendations
I love serving these cupcakes slightly toasted on top so the marshmallow frosting tastes just like it came from a campfire. They're perfect for parties, summer gatherings, and holiday dessert tables.Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder to the cupcake batter for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate.
- Top with mini marshmallows instead of meringue frosting.
- Add crushed graham crackers on top for extra crunch.
Proper Storage Tips
- Keep the cupcakes in an airtight container.
- Store away from direct sunlight.
- Frost just before serving if making ahead.
- Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for the best results.
Pro Tips
- I always let the ganache cool before frosting.
- Don't rush the marshmallow frosting; stiff peaks are important.
- Fill each cupcake liner only two-thirds full.
- Toast the frosting carefully to avoid burning.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before assembling.
Video
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Rhonda L
I bought this cupcake at the Silos Bakery. Best cupcake I ever had. Looking forward to making them.
Justinne Brown
By far the BEST s’mores cupcake recipe!!!
I’m going to share some of the modifications that I made.
I cored the center of the cupcakes and fill it with ganache.
Then I piped a double round of the marshmallow on top of the cupcake using a star tip. I filled the center with a little bit of ganache then torched the marshmallow. This way, it won’t be messy when eaten. I also fill , frost and torch 30 minutes before serving so the ganache can stay fluid.
Thank you very much for this recipe!
Much love,
justinne
Sabine
That sounds awesome! Thank you so much for your feedback! Have a wonderful day!
Lisa
Perfect for my Husbands birthday treat! I made caster sugar in my food processor since there’s nowhere to get it where I live. The cake was tender and flavorful, the ganache was decadent, and the Italian meringue was amazing—my first time making it so I was super grateful for the thorough instructions. Thank you!!!
Christiane
Made this for my 4yrs old son on his birthday because he requested some s’mores cupcakes and it was absolutely soo delicious that my partners at all the leftovers and requested I make another bath lol!
Love this did it with chocolate frosting and added some mini marshmallows on top for decorations
Sabine
Thank you so much! I'm happy that you like the recipe as much as we do!
Charlie
Made these for my wife for her birthday and they were fantastic! Are birthdays are close so we compete in making each other cupcakes each year and she has basically already said that there is no way she can beat these. The cake part isn’t very cake like, and are very heavy on the gram cracker taste however as a whole they taste fantastic. I usually bring extras to my classmates each year and really didn’t want to this year cause they were that good!
I did mess up the meringue and had to redo it. I used granulated sugar and just put it in a blender for a little bit and it worked great, But I think I got some egg yolk in the mix and then over cooked it. It took about 3 minutes to dissolve the sugar on the stove and then 7-8 minutes of to whip it to stiff peaks.
Michele Nash
Just made these. Omg a recipe my husband finally loves.
Sabine
And I thought just my hubby is a picky eater 😉 I'm happy to hear that!
Melissa
@slaythejar on Instagram stole your smores cupcake photo and is leading customers to believe she is the one who made these and took the photos.
Sabine
Thank you so much for telling me, Melissa! I've already reported it to Instagram and they took it down. It's a shame!
Monica
Hi Sabine. I came across your recipe the other day while searching for the 'best s'mores cupcake recipe'. There is a baker here in Houston that we ordered s'mores cupcakes from and they were so good that I had to go home and make my own. First off, your recipe looks delicious! Unfortunately I only had enough time tonight to make the cupcakes. Tomorrow I will make the marshmallow meringue. If you have any tips on how to neatly cover the cupcake in ganache and then the frosting, let me know!
Sabine
Hi Monica, I recommend to spread the ganache on top of the baked cupcakes and wait for a few minutes until it dries. Then spread or pipe the meringue on top. You rated this recipe with three stars, but I can't find anything in your comments what the reason is for that. Could you give me feedback on what you didn't like about this recipe? This would help me to figure out where people struggled or didn't like about my recipes. Thank you!
Monica Laisatrukli
I finished the cupcake recipe over the weekend and they turned out delicious! I initially gave it a 3 star review before I finished so it really wasnt a fair assessment. Now that I'm done I'd like to bump it up to 4 stars! The taste was outstanding but I had some construction issues. I covered the cupcakes with ganache and let them dry like you suggested. Then I piped the meringue on top and blow torched it. I ate one immediately afterwards and the cupcake fell apart on me. The cupcake wasn't dense so it didnt hold its shape. As soon as I peeled the liner off and stuck my fork in it, the whole thing deflated. I popped the rest of them in the fridge to "set" but in the morning they were the same. My daughter requested that I make the graham cracker crust sweeter by using Nabisco honey graham crackers and to make the crust thicker next time. Other than that, it was delicious...just hard to eat.
Sabine
Thank you so much for your feedback! It sounds like there was too much flour in the cupcakes or they were too dry. If you bake with cups rather than a kitchen scale, please make sure that you spoon and level the flour into the measuring cup. Or they were too long baked. An oven thermometer helps to reach the requested temperature. But I'm happy that you liked the taste!
Amanda
Sabine, First and Obviously: LOVE the recipe. S'mores is always a guaranteed win, but when you add the extra flair that only you can do--it's just spectacular! This just popped into my mind about guitar lessons. I once had the chance to learn how to play in a "Guitar for Vets" program, but I was too daunted to show up. However, I don't know if you have something called "MeetUp.com" in your area. It is where people just kind of get together for anything and everything--that is the best way I can put it. Here is an example for the San Fran area for guitar enthusiasts: https://www.meetup.com/find/?allMeetups=false&keywords=guitar&radius=50&userFreeform=san+francisco&mcName=San+Francisco%2C+California&lat=37.77493&lon=-122.41942&sort=default. If you have a hobby--from knitting to coding--or what you think may be the most far-flung hobby out there, I bet someone else already formed a group for it on this website.
Sabine
I'm glad you love the recipe, Amanda! Unfortunately, we don't have such groups here in Austria. It's so much easier to find like-minded people and connect with others in the states. One of the million reasons why I love it so much! Guitar for Vets sounds kind of fun. Are you a vet, Amanda? Thank you so much for the link, we will definitely check this out when we are in SF.