Sweet Things Remembered

This no-bake s’mores pudding dessert layers a buttery graham cracker crust, rich homemade chocolate pudding, and toasted marshmallow fluff for all the flavors of a classic campfire s’more.

When I think of summertime sweet treats, s’mores are one of the first things that come to mind. It’s funny how certain flavors can instantly transport you back to being a kid. For me, the nostalgic flavors of graham cracker, chocolate, and toasted marshmallow remind me of childhood summers, running around outside without shoes, helping grandpa pick beans in the garden (still without shoes), riding bikes up and down the street, climbing trees in my grandparents’ backyard, and playing endless games of hide and seek.

When it comes to s’mores specifically, I picture roasting marshmallows over the fire and intentionally catching them on fire. It wasn’t because we liked them that way, we just wanted to make the joke that we were “doing the Dennis the Menace.” You also can’t sit around a fire making s’mores without someone quoting The Sandlot. “First you take the graham. You stick the chocolate on the graham. Then, you roast the ‘mallow…” I trust you know the rest 😉

Just like I love a good s’more, I also love a good s’mores-flavored dessert. It’s all the deliciousness of the classic campfire treat without the hassle of building an actual fire. After seeing a few s’mores pie ideas, I knew I wanted to create my own version. Instead of a pie, though, I decided to make a creamy, scoopable pudding dessert layered with all the classic s’mores flavors, complete with a lightly toasted marshmallow top. It turned out amazing and has already earned a spot on my list of summer favorites. If you love s’mores as much as I do, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

• Graham Crackers
• Butter

For the Pudding:

• Sugar
• Cocoa Powder
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Milk
• Butter
• Vanilla Extract

For the Topping:

• Marshmallow Fluff
• Graham Cracker Crumbs (optional)
• Shaved Chocolate or Chopped Chocolate (optional)

Equipment

• Saucepan and whisk or spatula
• Food processor (optional)
• Measuring Tools
• Deep 9 inch pie plate or 8×8 square dish
• Chef’s Torch (optional)

How to Make S’mores Pudding Dessert

Step 1: Make the Crust

• To a food processor, add 12 graham cracker sheets and blend into course crumbs.
  • If you do not have a food processor, add your graham crackers to a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Then, add the crumbs to a bowl with the melted butter and stir together.
• Add in 6 tbsp melted butter and blend until butter is incorporated and crumbs stick when pressed together. If the graham cracker still crumbles add 1-2 more tbsp melted butter, blend, and test again.
• Once the crumbs are sticking together, remove them from the food processor and press them into the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate or 8×8 baking dish. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Pudding

• In a medium saucepan, stir together ⅔ cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 3 tbsp cornstarch, and ¼ tsp salt. Then, gradually stir in 2¼ cups milk.
• Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil.
• Once the mixture is boiling, cook for 1 more minute, and then remove from the heat.
• Immediately, stir in 2 tbsp butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Pour the pudding into the graham cracker crust lined dish and gently cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding.
• Refrigerate until the pudding has set, which should be at least 2 hours.

Step 3: Add the Topping

• After the pudding has set, cover the top of the dessert with a 13 oz jar of marshmallow fluff. Spread the fluff evenly, or make swirls and peaks as desired.
• Optional – After spreading the fluff, use a chef’s torch to lightly toast (or burn for a Dennis the Menace effect) the top of the marshmallow fluff.
• Optional – Around the edges of the dessert, sprinkle additional crushed up graham crackers and/or chopped up chocolate.
• Keep refrigerated until time to serve. Enjoy!

Questions You May Have

Can I substitute instant chocolate pudding, instead of making it from scratch?

Absolutely! This dessert would definitely work with instant pudding. If you are running low on time, or just don’t feel like making a scratch pudding, instant is a great option. I haven’t made it that way, but I assume just one box would yeild enough pudding for the size of this dessert.

What should I do if I want to make a larger pan of pudding, like a 9×13?

If I was making this in a 9×13, I would just double the recipe. Even though that pan size is more than double the volume of an 8×8, doubling the recipe should make enough crust and pudding to cover a 9×13.

Can I add more flavors to this dessert than just the classic s’mores flavors?

Of course! Here’s a couple ideas of how you could do that –

• Peanut Butter (for the s’mores that use a Reese’s Cup instead of chocolate) – After pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan, warm ½ cup creamy peanut butter in the microwave until pourable, about 15-20 seconds. Pour that over the crust, and then make the pudding to add over top.
• Caramel (for the s’mores that use a caramel filled chocolate) – After pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan, warm ½ cup of thick caramel sauce in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Pour that over the crust, and then make the pudding to add over top.
• Cookies ‘n Cream (for the s’mores that use the cookies ‘n cream chocolate bar) – After pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan, add a layer of crushed up Oreo cookies, and then make the pudding to add over top.