These s’mores cupcakes are delicious! Moist chocolate cupcakes with a graham cracker base, cool marshmallow frosting, & more on top! All gluten free + vegan.
Delicious and moist vegan and gluten-free s'mores cupcakes with a graham cracker bottom and cool whipped marshmallow buttercream frosting makes for one awesome dessert! This is perfect for backyard BBQs, summer gatherings, or a picnic!
Made with simple ingredients, these s’mores cupcakes are ready to become your new favorite - just like they have become in my family!
Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Flavor - If you love s’mores you are gonna LOVE these cupcakes! Starting with my gluten free and vegan chocolate cake as a base, these cupcakes are packed with flavor! I love adding the graham cracker on the base and sprinkles on the top. It gives it the most amazing texture. Not to mention the marshmallow frosting.
- Easy - Like my other cupcake recipes, these cupcakes are so simple to make - seriously! There are a few different components to making these cupcakes but I pinky promise they are really easy to do.
- Travel - S’mores can be messy and you can’t make them ahead of time. Not with these cupcakes! They travel super well in a cupcake carrier and can be brought to any party or potluck as a fun twist on dessert.
Ingredients
Graham Crackers - These are one of the most important ingredients for this recipe! For a pure vegan graham cracker, I suggest using these Nabisco. For a gluten free graham cracker, I love Pamela’s. The most allergy friendly brand is Nairn’s Gluten Free Oat crackers that is both gluten free and vegan! You could also use Kinnikinnick Graham Crackers as they are gluten free and vegan, but use caution if you have a peanut allergy as these contain pea protein.
Marshmallows - My hands down favorite marshmallow is made by Dandies. I use their mini’s for making the frosting and the large ones for toasting on top! If you need a soy free marshmallow, I recommend Smucker’s Marshmallow Flavored Topping. Note, this product contains corn so avoid if you’re allergic to corn. Finally, plain marshmallow fluff also works in this recipe if you are able to eat egg whites.
Other ingredients that you will need include:
- Flax seeds
- Milk of choice
- White sugar
- Neutral oil
- Vanilla
- Applesauce
- Gluten free flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder and soda
- Butter of choice
- Powdered sugar
Best Gluten Free Flour
Every gluten free flour blend has slightly different ingredients so not all will get you the same result you see in these photos. I recommend that you use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour in this recipe for the best results every time!
If you try a different flour, you may need to adjust how much liquid to add or subtract to the recipe. Just watch the batter and if it seems too thick or thin, adjust accordingly.
I don’t recommend using a single ingredient flour like almond flour, oat flour, or rice flour for these cupcakes. A blend is required to get the best, moist cupcakes.
Allergy Substitutions
If allergic to corn, make sure that you use a corn free baking powder and a corn free powdered sugar.
If avoiding dairy, use a plant-based butter of your choice. My favorites are I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Sticks or Soy Free Earth Balance. I also use rice milk in the frosting as needed.
Cupcake Instructions
The full instructions complete with the measurements are written in the recipe card below!
Begin by preheating the oven and preparing your cupcake tray with some cupcake liners. This recipe will make about 15 cupcakes.
In a small bag or bowl, add your graham cracker crumbs of choice. Using a masher or a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Add melted butter and brown sugar and mix well.
Scoop 1 tablespoon into each cupcake and using your fingers, press it down. Set it aside.
In a small bowl, add the ground flax seeds and the hot water. Mix this very well and set it aside to allow it to get gelatinous.
In a large bowl, sift the gluten free flour into a bowl. This helps to remove any lumps and aerate the flour a bit to help get more lift. Add the remaining dry ingredients: Cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients: Warmed or room temperature milk, white sugar, canola oil, vanilla extract, applesauce, and the flax egg.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix together with a whisk or rubber spatula. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined. However, make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Using a large spoon, transfer the cupcake batter to the graham cracker bottom. Fill each cupcake about ¾ of the way full.
Bake these in the oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out clean.
Remove them from the oven and let them rest in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. By removing them from the hot pan you will prevent them from getting too gummy.
Frosting Instructions
In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and melted marshmallows together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, keeping the mixer on low speed until all the sugar is added. Add the vanilla and salt.
Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes to fully combine. If the frosting looks too thick or thin, add 1 tablespoon of milk or powdered sugar, depending on need. Refrigerate this until ready to frost.
Assemble the cupcakes
Frost the cupcakes however you like. I used a piping bag with no tip and made 2 swirls on the top of the cupcake. Gently dunk each frosted cupcake in the graham cracker crumbs while the frosting is still wet.
Toast the marshmallows on a large baking sheet in the upper third of your oven and set the oven to broil. They will brown up almost immediately so don’t look away! Once browned, quickly remove them from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Place each on top of the frosted cupcake. Garnish with a small piece of chocolate if desired.
S'mores Cupcakes Tips
Pop a few marshmallows on a baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes to let them get all toasty just like over the campfire! Or if you have a food safe kitchen torch, you can gently torch the marshmallows. Just be careful they don’t catch on fire!
The milk should be warmed slightly to about 100 degrees. This helps all the ingredients incorporate better and results in a smoother finished batter.
FAQ
Do I have to use gluten free flour?
Not at all! This recipe works with both gluten and gluten free flour just perfectly.
How to store these cupcakes?
These cupcakes will keep in both the fridge and freezer for a few days.
Countertop: Not recommended for long storage as there is dairy in the frosting.
Fridge: Preferred method. These will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. By day 3 the cake will start to dry out, however.
Freezer: These will keep frosted in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Unfrosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other Cupcake Recipes to Love
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Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- cupcake pan
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Base
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter of choice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Chocolate Cupcake
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons very hot water
- 1 cup milk of choice
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup canola oil other neutral flavored oil also works
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons applesauce
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Marshmallow Frosting
- ½ cup butter of choice
- ½ cup softened marshmallows
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Milk of choice as needed
Toppings
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 15 large marshmallows
Instructions
Graham Cracker Base
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and line a second pan with 3 more - this recipe makes about 15 cupcakes. Set this aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter of choice. Using a rounded tablespoon, place the wet mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Press down with your fingers so that it is compacted in the base. Set this aside while you make the cake.
Chocolate Cupcake
- Make the flax egg: In a small heatproof bowl, mix ground flaxseeds with very hot water. Set this aside for 5 minutes to allow it to become gelatinous.
- Make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, sift the gluten free flour to remove any lumps and help aerate the flour. Add the remaining dry ingredients of cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk this together.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Warmed milk, sugar, canola oil, vanilla extract, applesauce, and the flax egg. Mix this together well.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir this together.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. Fill them about ¾ of the way full as gluten free doesn’t rise as much.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the hot cupcake pan before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Marshmallow Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and melted marshmallows together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, keeping the mixer on low speed until all the sugar is added. Add the vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes to fully combine. If the frosting looks too thick or thin, add 1 tablespoon of milk or powdered sugar, depending on need. Refrigerate this until ready to frost.
Assembly
- Frost the cupcakes however you like. I used a piping bag with no tip and made 2 swirls on the top of each cupcake. Gently dunk each frosted cupcake in the graham cracker crumbs while the frosting is still wet.
- Toast the marshmallows on a large baking sheet in the upper third of your oven and set the oven to broil. They will brown up almost immediately so don’t look away! Once browned, quickly remove them from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Place each on top of the frosted cupcake. Garnish with more chocolate if desired.
- Enjoy!
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