No-Bake S'mores Tart

This no-bake s'mores tart is the perfect alternative to campfire s'mores with its graham cracker crust, dark chocolate ganache filling, and toasted marshmallow meringue. It's rich and decadent and meant to be shared.

I've already expressed how much I'm in love with my blowtorch so I had to pull it out again for another s'mores dessert. I'm obsessed with the way the meringue browns and curls up on itself and completely transforms from white blobs into toasty goodness just by passing the torch over it.

This s’mores tart starts with a classic graham cracker crust. It’s honestly the easiest tart crust you can make. And I always have fun taking out my stress by smacking the crackers with a rolling pin.

Next comes the dark chocolate ganache filling. This ganache filling is crazy rich and decadent. It’s a step up from the melty chocolate square you pop into a s’more. You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, depending on what you prefer. I personally prefer the very strong, bitter dark chocolate taste but semi-sweet chocolate may be better for the majority of people. Keep in mind that there is no other sugar or sweetener added to the chocolate filling itself so you might want to go with semi-sweet or a dark chocolate that isn’t super strong.

Lastly, top your s’mores tart off with a toasted meringue. This meringue is lighter and fluffier than actual marshmallows but still adds that fun toasty, gooey-ness that you get in a s’more. You’ll need to use a double boiler to heat the egg whites so that they are safe to consume without cooking or baking it. It only takes a few minutes and it’s easier than it sounds. Pipe your meringue on to your tart with a fun piping tip or just dollop it on in a freeform, organic way - my favourite!

Why you'll love this no-bake s'mores tart

• No baking needed, of course! This s’mores tart sets up in the fridge. You'll have to use your stovetop but only briefly for each component. You could easily reuse the same pot for all of them.
• This recipe is really easy to make!
• It's a chocolate lover's dream. It's so rich and indulgent but it's not overly sweet thanks to the semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
• It's a beautiful way to serve a s'mores dessert as a classy and elegant tart.

Ingredients

• Graham crackers - Finely crush them by either putting them in a ziploc bag and whacking them with a rolling pin or whizzing them in a food processor. You can also use digestive biscuits or biscoff biscuits.
• Brown sugar - Just for a bit of sweetness in the tart crust.
• Unsalted butter - Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop before using.
• Semi-sweet or dark chocolate - Use semi-sweet chocolate if you want it sweeter - most people will like this better. Use dark chocolate if you like the strong, bitter dark chocolate taste.
• Heavy cream - Use a cream that’s at least 33% fat. Whipping cream also works here.
• Egg whites - Separate out the egg yolks and have them for lunch or use them in another recipe that calls for only yolks. Be sure not to accidentally get any of the yolk in your egg whites otherwise it won’t whip up properly.
• Granulated sugar - You’ll be dissolving this in your egg whites before whipping it all up into a meringue.
• Cream of tartar - This helps stabilize the meringue so that it whips up faster and holds its stiff peaks better.
• Vanilla extract - This is optional but gives the meringue some flavour. You can mix this is before you whip the meringue or fold it in after it becomes stiff peaks.

How to make a s'mores tart

For the graham cracker crust

Mix in melted butter - In a medium bowl, mix together crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, and melted butter until it resembles wet sand and holds together loosely when squeezed.

Press into tart pan - Dump the graham crust mixture into a 6" fluted 2” deep tart pan. Press the graham crumbs down and into the sides of the tart pan until tightly packed. Let the graham cracker crust chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

For the chocolate ganache filling

Chop the chocolate - Place the chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl and set aside.

Heat cream - In a small pot, heat the heavy cream until small bubbles start coming to the surface and it just begins to simmer.

Melt the chocolate - Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Whisk - Slowly start whisking the mixture until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache becomes thick and smooth. It will look chunky and curdled at first but just keep whisking and mixing in circles until it comes together. Let it cool slightly before pouring into your tart shell.

Fill tart crust - Pour the ganache on top of the graham cracker crust. Smooth over the surface of the ganache with an offset spatula, if needed. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours or until the ganache has set.

For the marshmallow meringue

Make a double boiler - In a small pot, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Add the egg whites and sugar to a heat-safe bowl that fits perfectly into the pot without touching the water. When the water comes to a simmer, place the bowl on top of the pot.

Dissolve sugar - Stir often until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 4-5 minutes. Rub a bit of egg white between your fingers and it should not feel grainy at all.

Whip into meringue - Remove the bowl from the pot and add the cream of tartar and vanilla extract. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on low speed, increasing to high speed. Beat until the meringue reaches stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes. The meringue should stand up on its own when the whisk is pulled out of it.

Add to tart - Take your tart out of the fridge. Plop all of the meringue on top of the tart. Use a spatula to push it around and shape it however you like. To create a spiky look, gently touch your spatula to the surface of the meringue and pull away. Repeat all around the meringue.

Toast the meringue - Using a blowtorch on a low setting, torch the meringue until browned and toasted. If any of the ganache filling has melted from the heat of the torch, return the tart to the fridge to set again. Take the s’mores tart out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving to allow the ganache to soften up.

Storage

This no-bake s’mores tart can be placed in an airtight container or covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing

The marshmallow meringue topping on this tart doesn’t thaw well so the fully assembled tart or leftovers shouldn’t be frozen.

However, the tart with only the crust and ganache filling does freeze well. You can freeze the tart and add the toasted meringue just before serving. Without the meringue topping, it can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Let it come to room temperature before adding the fresh meringue topping so that the condensation on the surface of the tart doesn’t interfere with the meringue.

Tips & tricks

Graham crust - Be sure to pack down the graham cracker crumbs firmly into the tart pan by pressing it into all the corners and edges with a flexible spatula or your fingers. Make sure the sides of the crust are decently thick and pressed together firmly so that it cleanly separates from the tart pan and holds its shape.

Releasing the tart from the pan - Be sure to refrigerate the graham crust so that the butter solidifies and holds the tart shell together before releasing it from the pan. You can release the tart crust from the pan before or after adding the filling, as long as it has been chilled. To release the tart, place the whole pan on top of a smaller bowl so that only the center metal disc is propped up. Grasp both sides of the pan and use your thumbs to gently push down the edges of the pan while your fingers push the center disc upwards. Work your way around all sides until it loosens enough to slide right off.

Ganache filling - After adding the hot cream to the chopped chocolate, it’s very important to let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes so that all the chocolate can soften and melt through. Let the ganache cool slightly before pouring it into the tart crust so that it doesn’t melt the butter in the crust. The 1:1 cream to chocolate ratio in this ganache sets up very firm in the fridge and softens to a creamy and luscious filling at room temperature, which is my preferred way to eat it. After it has set in the fridge, be sure to let it sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.

Frequently asked questions

Other Summer dessert recipes

• S'mores Cupcakes with Caramel Filling
• No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Chunks
• Boba Milk Tea Popsicles
• Strawberry Lemon Curd Tartlets

Recipe