S’mores Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
These S’mores Cupcakes are a new way to enjoy a classic summertime treat. Graham cracker crust topped with chocolate cupcakes and a dollop of flavorful marshmallow buttercream. You don’t want to wait to bite into one of these delicious cupcakes!
S’mores are a summertime classic, but if your summertime plans don’t include sitting around an open fire, you can still enjoy all that wonderful s’mores flavor with these sweet cupcakes!
These cupcakes are a show-stopper. They start with a buttery graham cracker bottom, layered with chocolate cake, and then topped with a fluffy marshmallow buttercream frosting.
While these s’mores cupcakes look and taste incredibly fancy, this recipe makes putting them together SO easy! If you can mix up a box of cake mix, you can make this recipe, I promise!
This is the perfect recipe to bust out for your next summer BBQ or pool party or any time you’re craving the sweet marshmallow, chocolate, graham cracker combination!
Ingredients to Make S’mores Cupcakes
- Graham Crackers: You’ll need about two cups of crushed graham crackers to mix with butter and sugar for the bottom layer of these cupcakes.
- Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix: Feel free to use any brand you prefer. You will prepare it according to the directions on the box so you will also need water, vegetable oil, and eggs.
- Unsalted Butter: Allow your butter to soften to room temperature, making mixing much easier. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives your frosting some structure and sweetness
- Marshmallow Fluff: You can use any brand of marshmallow fluff. You cannot substitute marshmallows in this recipe.
- Optional Toppings: Chocolate bars, chocolate syrup, graham cracker crumbs
Tools
- Food Processor: To help crush the graham crackers. It’s not necessary but does make the job much faster
- Mixing bowls
- Cupcake/muffin tin
- Electric mixer
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Prepare Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan and set aside.
Add graham crackers to a blender or food processor and mix until fine crumbs are formed.
In a small bowl add crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Mix until crumbs have been coated in the butter and a wet but sticky texture is achieved.
Put 1 Tbsp of the graham cracker mixture in each cupcake liner. Use a spoon to firmly press down the crumbs into a flat surface. (I used the top of a sprinkles lid and it worked great). Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven.
Step Two: Make Cupcakes
Meanwhile, add all cupcake ingredients into a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to come to room temp.
Step Three: Frost
To make the frosting, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add 1 jar of marshmallow cream and mix to combine. On a slower speed, add 1.5 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
Incorporate the remaining jar of marshmallow cream followed by another 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar. Continue to mix on high until a smooth, glossy frosting has formed.
Expert Tips
- For the frosting, taste as you go. Depending on how sweet you want it/the texture you desire, you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar so all the ingredients come together smoothly.
- To really take these cupcakes to the next level, you can use a kitchen torch to char the marshmallow frosting. This extra step makes the cupcakes look like roasted marshmallows but also lends some roasted marshmallow flavor.
FAQs
You can use any chocolate cupcake recipe you like, including my Chocolate Cupcake Recipe. With so many layers to these s’mores cupcakes, I like to make it easy and just use the mix but you can do it all from scratch if you like! Once you add the graham cracker and the frosting it will all taste homemade either way!
The marshmallow fluff does not harden, so it makes it very difficult to freeze these cupcakes. You could certainly make the s’mores cupcakes without the frosting and freeze them, then thaw at room temperature and top with the frosting just before serving.
Store these s’mores cupcakes in an airtight container (careful not to smoosh the frosting!) for up to two days at room temperature.
If you want to make these cupcakes ahead of time, I recommend baking the cupcakes and storing them unfrosted until you are ready to serve. You could even bake the cupcakes and put them in the freezer for up to three months before frosting and serving.
Do not skip frosting the cupcakes! The marshmallow frosting is really what makes these s’mores cupcakes shine.
Did you enjoy this S’mores Cupcake recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- White Wedding Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Fluffernutter Cookies
- Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
S’mores Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Cupcake/muffin tin
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
- 15 full size graham crackers, about 2 cups of cracker crumbs
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Cupcake Ingredients
- 13.5 oz Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, up to 3 1/2 cups
- 14 oz marshmallow fluff, 2 jars total
Optional Toppings
- Chocolate bars
- Chocolate syrup
- Graham cracker crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan and set aside.
- Add 15 graham crackers to a blender or food processor and mix until fine crumbs are formed.
- In a small bowl add crumbs, 5 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp sugar. Mix until crumbs have been coated in the butter and a wet but sticky texture is achieved.
- Put 1 Tbsp of the graham cracker mixture in each cupcake liner. Use a spoon to firmly press down the crumbs into a flat surface. (I used the top of a sprinkles lid and it worked great). Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile add all cupcake ingredients into a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to come to room temp.
- To make the frosting, cream 1 cup butter for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add 1 jar of marshmallow cream and mix to combine. On a slower speed, add 1.5 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
- Incorporate the remaining jar of marshmallow cream followed by another 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar. Continue to mix on high until a smooth, glossy frosting has formed.
Notes
- Graham Crackers: You’ll need about two cups of crushed graham crackers to mix with butter and sugar for the bottom layer of these cupcakes.
- Boxed Chocolate Cake Mix: Feel free to use any brand you prefer. You will prepare it according to the direction on the box so you will also need water, vegetable oil and eggs.
- Unsalted Butter: Allow your butter to soften to room temperature to make mixing much easier. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives your frosting some structure and sweetness
- Marshmallow Fluff: You can use any brand of marshmallow fluff. You cannot substitute marshmallows in this recipe. You can use any brand of marshmallow fluff. You cannot substitute marshmallows in this recipe.
- Optional Toppings: Chocolate bars, chocolate syrup, graham cracker crumbs
- For the frosting, taste as you go. Depending on how sweet you want it/the texture you desire, you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar so all the ingredients come together smoothly.
- To really take these cupcakes to the next level, you can use a kitchen torch to char the marshmallow frosting. This extra step makes the cupcakes look like roasted marshmallows but also lends some roasted marshmallow flavor.
