S’mores Cupcakes
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Buttery, textured graham cracker cupcakes topped with a duo of velvety smooth chocolate buttercream and fluffy marshmallow buttercream.
This Smore Cupcake Recipe Will Be Your New Favorite
Summer is all about the s’more. Ooey, gooey, melty, crunchy, sweet, chocolatey, grahamy, LOVELY. Aside from super fresh fruits and vegetables, not much yells “summer” more than the most delightful campfire combination that ever did live.
These s’mores cupcakes have lived on my blog since 2015. The idea for them was born when I reached out to my Instagram followers about which part of the s’more they thought was the most important.
I had many folks say that the marshmallow was the best part, but then I had a handful say that the graham cracker was the key, with its coarse and crunchy texture being the perfect complement to melted chocolate and toasty marshmallow.
Personally, when it comes to a s’more, I am ALL IN on the graham cracker. It is the foundation for all of the other ingredients that get jammed into that toasty little treat– anywhere from peanut butter to Reese’s cups to big marshmallows, little ones, jumbo ones, dark chocolate, white chocolate– the combinations are truly endless.
But one thing stays constant: the tried and true graham cracker.
It was decided right then and there– I needed to make a graham cracker cupcake, and I’ll tell you what: BEST DECISION EVER.
S More Cupcake Recipe Ingredients
For the graham cracker cupcakes, you will need:
• graham cracker crumbs
• whole wheat flour
• baking powder
• salt
• unsalted butter
• light brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• large eggs
• milk
• vanilla extract
For the chocolate buttercream, you will need:
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• Dutch processed cocoa powder
• vanilla extract
• milk or cream
• salt
For the marshmallow buttercream, you will need:
• unsalted butter
• marshmallow creme
• powdered sugar
How to Make S mores Cupcakes
These graham cracker cupcakes start with very finely crushed graham cracker crumbs that get tossed together with a little whole wheat flour.
I speak in this homemade cinnamon graham crackers post about how whole wheat flour helps give homemade graham crackers their signature taste. Whole wheat flour also helps add more texture to the overall crumb of the graham cracker cupcake, with its inclusion of the entire grain.
If all you have is all-purpose flour, that will work just as well. There is plenty of whole wheat flour that already exists in graham crackers and graham cracker crumbs to fit the texture bill.
The cupcake batter is pretty standard as far as ingredients, but the texture is unlike any you probably work with on a regular basis.
This graham cracker cupcake batter is coarse and sticky, and it isn’t very viscous. I always use an ice cream scoop with a trigger to scoop my cupcake batter, and this batter holds its shape pretty firmly even when it’s in the cupcake pan.
The end result is a coarse, textured crumb that is also soft and buttery. It sounds impossible, but trust me, it is very possible and very real for those qualities to coexist. Especially if you are a texture lover, you will really enjoy the base of these s’mores cupcakes. Craggy.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
Over the years, these cupcakes have gotten many positive reviews, but I personally was never totally in love with them. They were originally filled with mini chocolate bars, which didn’t quite add enough chocolate for me.
I went back and forth with exactly what to do with revamping this s’mores cupcake recipe, but ultimately, I decided not to fill the graham cracker cupcakes with anything in order to keep the chocolate to marshmallow ratio solidly in the “equal” camp.
This chocolate buttercream is one that you find in other spots my blog, originally coming to life on my yellow layer cake and also gracing my chocolate layer cake.
It’s creamy, it’s chocolatey, and it makes the perfect foundation for a fluffy marshmallow buttercream swirl.
MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM
This marshmallow butterdream, I mean buttercream, is what dreams are made of. It consists of butter, marshmallow creme/fluff, powdered sugar, unicorns, rainbows, butterflies, err… What I’m trying to say is… This stuff is dangerously good.
It’s fluffy and it’s dreamy and you will think about it long after it’s gone, I assure you. A nice puffy cloud of the good stuff goes right on top of that chocolate buttercream base.
How to Assemble a Perfect Smores Cupcake
When your graham cracker cupcakes are cooled, your chocolate buttercream and marshmallow buttercream are ready, it’s time to assemble.
This is simple: pipe some chocolate buttercream on top of the cupcakes, either keeping it flat with your piping method or, doing what I did and flatten each mound slightly with a small spatula. You just want to make sure it’s flat so that the marshmallow buttercream can go on top.
Swirl that marshmallow buttercream into a gorgeous little mound right on top of the chocolate foundation, and you’re all set!
My original taste testers loved these cupcakes, and they made a great suggestion: tossing some more crushed graham cracker on top of the marshmallow frosting for the added crunch factor. I hadn’t done that the first time around (why?!), but decided to this time. YES. Do that. Extra crunch on top is chef’s kiss awesome.
The texture of the graham cracker cupcake itself is right up my alley as a texture lover– it’s crumbly and craggy without being dry and gives you all the graham cracker flavor some s’mores desserts tend to lack.
The chocolate and marshmallow on the top grace each bite with equal parts of that triple threat that makes s’mores so irresistible. We aren’t missing out on any parts in this completely revamped s’mores cupakes recipe, and I am much happier with this end result than I had been previously.
I hope that if you’ve been here before and tried (and loved!) the old recipe, you’ll consider trying this new and improved recipe. To me, these are s’mores perfection, and they’re exactly what I wanted them to be this time around.
Smores Cupcake Recipe FAQs
There are several ways to produce super moist cupcakes, but in these s’mores cupcakes, we’re insuring a moist crumb by measuring the flour properly (by weight) and not overmixing the batter.
If you’re looking for a summer time cupcake and maybe you’re heading to a cookout or BBQ where there won’t be a fire to have authentic s’mores, whip up a batch of these and you and your fellow party-goers will have s’mores at your fingertips.
That is… If you don’t eat them all before you even get there!
S’mores Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CUPCAKES
- 1 and ½ cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs approximately 10 full sheets
- ½ cup (60g) whole wheat flour be sure to measure properly
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) milk any, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (18g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons (15-30mL) milk or cream
- pinch of salt
MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM
- ¾ cup (171g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 ounces (174g) marshmallow creme about 1 cup
- ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
Instructions
GRAHAM CRACKER CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line the wells of a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, toss together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 and ½ cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup (60g) whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes).1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, add the milk and vanilla, and beat again until combined.2 large eggs, ½ cup (120mL) milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add the graham cracker mixture. Beat on low until completely combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners ¾ of the way full (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a thumb trigger). Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until edges just start to brown or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- In a small bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute).¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- Decrease mixer speed to low. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, milk/cream, and a pinch of salt. Increase mixer speed to to high and beat until completely combined (approximately 1-2 minutes).1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons (18g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 to 2 Tablespoons (15-30mL) milk or cream, pinch of salt
MARSHMALLOW BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme and beat on high until smooth (approximately 2 minutes).¾ cup (171g) unsalted butter
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely combined (approximately 1 minute). Marshmallow buttercream will be loose, so test the sturdiness before piping. Add additional powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time to desired consistency.¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar, 6 ounces (174g) marshmallow creme
- For more buttercream troubleshooting tips, see my book, The Home Baker's Guide to Basic Buttercream.
ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES
- Using a piping bag or a large zip top bag with the corner snipped off, pipe a layer of chocolate buttercream onto each cupcake. Flatten slightly with a small spatula.
- Using another piping bag or large zip top bag with the corner snipped off, pipe a swirl or mound of marshmallow buttercream on top of the chocolate buttercream. Dust with additional graham cracker crumbs, if desired. Cupcakes will stay fresh covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Triple threat is RIGHT! Girllllllll you’ve done it again. Loving the BUTTERDREAM — let’s just go ahead and start calling it that for good, because, let’s be real, it’s EXACTLY what 99% of my dreams are make of. Holy cow, Lynn – I can’t wait to try this!!!
I’m going to work on trademarking the word so I can sell it in little cloud containers and everyone in the world will be happy all the time. Didn’t I say we needed more ‘mallow in the world? We’re getting closer and closer!!
I second Leah – BUTTERDREAM! I need to find marshmallow fluff stat! It may be the middle of winter, but this girl is craving s’mores, and smore’s cupcakes, well they are the perfect winter solution! Thanks Lynn!
Amy, when you come visit, we can totally eat some marshmallow fluff right out of the jar. In fact, while you’re here, I think you should sample one of everything in my baking cabinet that you can’t get in Australia!!
That sounds like a plan! A delicious, delicious plan! We better tee up a Spin class too so I can still fit into my jeans!
I agree, fresh fruits and veggies and s’mores are what I think of when it comes to summer! I love that you used graham crackers and whole wheat flour in these cupcakes, and that marshmallow frosting looks delish!
Kristine, it’s so(ooooooo) good!!
I just made these to bring to a 4th of July cookout and while I haven’t been able to try them yet, licking the bowls was amazing! Can’t wait to try them later on. I topped with more of the powdered grahams like you suggested, and half a chocolate square 🙂 (picture here http://imgur.com/JIzwnPo). Thanks for the recipe!
They look great, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing!
A few questions. Recipe says two eggs but directions say to add the egg (singular). Just wanted to make sure how many eggs and not mess it up! Hehe. Also, do you know if this frosting is one you can torch a bit to give it that smokey look? Thanks so much! Looking forward to making these!!
So my butterdream didn’t come out that yummy…what did I do wrong??? 🙁
Hi Eliset– sorry I just now saw your comment from earlier. Yes, 2 eggs! And I have no idea why your buttercream didn’t work, since I wasn’t there with you. Did you leave any ingredients out?
double checked my ingredients I didn’t leave anything out it taste like old refrigerated butter which my butter wasn’t opened. I’m a little bummed:(
I don’t know what to tell you! I’m just sorry it didn’t turn out!
You have no idea how much I’m connecting with this post right now! Ever since I made 7-minute frosting I’ve been obsessing over making a S’mores cupcake but I couldn’t solve the graham cracker problem. This is such a smart (and tasty) solution!
Haha, so glad I could help out the cause, Meg! It worked nicely!
Cupcakes and buttercream tasted good overall, but even after I completed the measurements exactly, it did not rise as it looked like it did in the pictures and recipe.
Oh. My. Word! I happened upon this recipe during quarantine and I couldn’t wait to make it. I followed it to the letter and these are AMAZING! I’ve made it 3 times and they come out perfect each time. You are the first food blogger that I’ve decided to follow. Looking forward to try more of your recipes!
Thanks so much, Cynthia! I appreciate the follow– don’t be a stranger!
We had fun making these and attempting to add our own little flair! We used homemade graham crackers and added peanut butter into the frosting (still need to work out the kinks a bit) but they were a big hit and definitely ones we will make again!
Oh, how yummy!! Thanks, Kim!
how much flour? it says 1/4 1/2 cup?
Thanks for catching that typo, Jacki! It should have said 1/2 cup, 60g.
Love these! Came back looking for the recipe and thought I lost it because there were no chocolate bar pieces inside the cupcake, but alas, it’s just been updated. I love the chocolate inside! 🙂 These have always gone over great! Glad you mentioned the past version so I knew I was in the right place ❤️
Hey, Kaitlyn– I’m so glad you are return reader on these guys 🙂 prepared either way, I think they’re delightful, and I’m so glad you agree!
Just made these and they are heavenly!! Thank you for sharing 🤤
Thank you so much, Emily!
Has anyone tried this recipe using regular all purpose flour instead of wheat? I’m curious to know the outcome
Awesome recipe! My 5yo helped, and we had a great time following all of the steps. We made it gluten-free by subbing the flour and graham crackers with Pamela’s. Very tasty!
Thanks so much, Cece! Way to help, ARo 🙂
Wow!!! These cupcakes are AMAZING! I even made them gluten free and they were still delicious! Both my husband & I wanted to eat the whole batch. I was looking for a s’mores cupcake recipe for my daughters birthday & I’m so happy I came across this one. This one is 100% the best and I will be using it for a lot more than just her birthday. THANK YOU!!!! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thank you so much, Carissa! 🙂
Hey, can I use regular flour for this recipe?
Hey, Katie– it’s likely you can use all-purpose flour just fine, though I’ve never tested it. Whole wheat will give more of the “graham” texture and flavor. Let me know if you try it!
Hi, I just made these for our twin grandsons’ 5th birthday party. Of course, I needed to test one before serving. 😁 They’re delicious but VERY crumbly, as in I’m afraid guests may lose most of the cake when eating. Any suggestions?
Hi, Dana– they are a crumblier crumb than traditional cupcakes thanks to the graham cracker crumbs.
I add fluff in the center and have changed to adding a few mini marshmallows on top for cuteness. This recipe it awesome!
Yum! Thanks so much, Amanda!