This no-bake s'mores tart is the perfect alternative to campfire s'mores with its graham 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.
How to make a s'mores tart
This s'mores tart starts with a classic graham cracker crust. There's no need to bake this crust, just make sure you:
- crush your graham crackers very finely, like a rough sand
- use enough butter so that the graham crumbs are wet enough to hold together loosely when you squeeze a handful together
- pack it down firmly into the tart pan by pressing it into all the corners and edges with your fingers
- refrigerate the graham crust so that the butter solidifies and holds the tart shell together
Next comes the dark chocolate ganache filling. This filling is crazy rich and decadent. It's a step up from the melty chocolate square you pop into a s'more.
All you need is chocolate of your choice (I used dark chocolate) and heavy cream (whipping cream also works). After you pour the simmering cream over the chocolate, let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes before stirring it. This is the best way to ensure all the chocolate melts evenly and you're not left with chunks of chocolate in your ganache.
Lastly, top your s'mores tart off with toasted marshmallow meringue. This meringue is lighter and fluffier than regular marshmallows but it still adds that fun toasty, gooey-ness that you get in a s'more.
The meringue is slightly more involved than the graham crust and ganache because it involves heating the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler but it only takes a few minutes and you don't need a thermometer or anything.
You'll need a glass or ceramic bowl that fits perfectly into a small pot that's filled with an inch of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not be able to touch the surface of the water. The double boiler allows you to dissolve all the sugar into the egg whites without cooking the eggs. After that, you can just whip up the meringue like normal.
Pipe it onto your tart with a fun piping tip or just dollop it on into an organic mound like a classic lemon meringue pie and toast it with a blowtorch.
Why you'll love this no-bake s'mores tart
- No baking, duh! You'll have to use your stovetop but only briefly for each component. And you could easily reuse the same pot for all of them.
- It's a chocolate lover's dream. It's soooo creamy and indulgent but it's not overly sweet thanks to the dark chocolate.
- It's a beautiful way to serve a s'mores dessert as a classy and elegant tart.
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
No-Bake S'mores Tart
Ingredients
Graham Crust
- 250 g graham crackers, finely crushed
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 300 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 300 g heavy cream
Marshmallow Meringue
- 2 large egg whites
- 100 g granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Graham Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix together crushed graham crackers, melted butter, and brown sugar until it resembles wet sand and holds together loosely when squeezed.
- Dump the graham crust mixture into a 6" fluted deep tart pan. Press the graham crumbs down and into the sides of the tart pan until it's tightly packed. Let the graham crust chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside.
- In a small pot, heat the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes, slowly start stirring the mixture until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache becomes thick and smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, pour the ganache into the tart pan lined with the graham crust. Smooth over the surface of the ganache with an offset spatula, if needed. Refrigerate tart for at least 2 hours or until the ganache has set.
Marshmallow Meringue
- 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.
- Stir constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 4 minutes. Rub a bit of egg white between your fingers and it should not feel grainy at all.
- 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 until frothy. Increase to high speed and 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.
- Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip such as a Wilton #2D. Holding the piping bag vertically, pipe small "kisses" on top of the ganache, starting from the outside and working towards the middle of the tart.
- 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 until ready to serve.
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