S’more Pudding Cups
These S’more Pudding Cups have a graham cracker crumble, topped with silky homemade chocolate pudding, and finished with toasty marshmallow meringue. What s’more could you ask for?!
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These no-bake S’more Pudding Cups are the perfect summer treat. Crunchy, buttery graham cracker crumbles topped with thick, rich chocolate pudding and finished with a mound of toasted marshmallow meringue. All the flavors of a classic s’more without the campfire or even turning on your oven!
How to Make S’more Pudding Cups
Graham Crumble
These start with a crumbly graham cracker layer that gives these pudding cups a nice crunch. It’s super simple and made with only two ingredients – graham crackers and butter. The graham crackers are crushed into fine pieces and melted butter is mixed in until the mixture is well combined. Then the graham crumble is portioned into individual serving cups.
Chocolate Pudding
Creamy, rich homemade chocolate pudding is made by combining sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch then slowly streaming in milk. It cooks on the stove over low heat for about 10 minutes until it thickens then butter and vanilla are added. The mixture is strained and chilled in the fridge until completely cool. Once cool, the pudding is piped onto the graham crumble layer.
Marshmallow Meringue
The meringue starts by combining egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl. This is heated up over a pot of simmering water until the sugar dissolves, or the mixture reaches 165°F. Vanilla extract is added then the egg white mixture is whipped up on high speed until stiff peaks form. The marshmallow meringue is piped in a big dollop right on top of the pudding and then toasted using a kitchen torch for the perfect finish.
S’more Pudding FAQs
What is the best way to store these?
These pudding cups are best enjoyed immediately, once they are topped with the meringue and torched. If needed, you can keep them in the fridge for another day or two but the meringue may start to weep and make the pudding cups a bit watery.
Can the pudding cups be made in advance?
The chocolate pudding can be made in advance, as well as the graham crumble but these are best assembled right before serving. Store the pudding in an airtight container in the fridge and the graham cracker crumble can be stored in a zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature.
What size of individual glass or jar do I need?
I used 4-ounce jelly jars and got 8 servings for my s’more pudding cups. You can use any size or shape you’d like but keep in mind that if you go with larger glasses, you’ll end up with fewer servings.
What tips do you use to pipe the pudding and meringue?
For the pudding, I simply cut off the end of the piping bag – no tip is needed! For the meringue, I like to use a large round tip (Ateco 808). You could also use a star tip or a French tip for a pretty presentation.
What can I use instead of meringue?
If you’re short on time, you can easily add a few marshmallows to the top of the pudding and torch them, instead of the meringue. Although, I highly recommend trying the meringue at least once – it’s delicious and whips up in no time!
Tips for Making the Marshmallow Meringue
- Use fresh egg whites. Always use fresh eggs when making a meringue and skip the ones that come in a carton. Although they may seem more convenient, they usually do not whip up properly and end up costing you more time in the end. Fresh is always best.
- Avoid fat in the egg whites. Be careful not to get any yolk in the whites when separating the eggs. Also, ensure that the bowl and whisk you are using a completely clean and dry. Any small bit of fat or grease that gets into the egg whites can prevent them from whipping up.
- Heat the egg whites and sugar. This style of meringue is known as Swiss meringue, so the egg whites and sugar are heated together over a double boiler to dissolve the sugar. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before whipping up the meringue. You can rub some of the mixture between your fingers to test if the sugar granules are dissolved.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Mint Cream Pie
- Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Espresso Truffles
- Lemon Gingersnap Tiramisu
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy s’mores making!
S’more Pudding Cups
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crumble
- 6 full sheets (95g) graham crackers
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Chocolate Pudding
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (46g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (40g) cornstarch
- 2 ½ cups (600g) whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Marshmallow Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chocolate Pudding: Add the sugar to a medium saucepan, then sift in the cocoa powder and cornstarch. Whisk together. Slowly stream in about half of the milk while whisking to smooth out any lumps then add the remaining milk and mix until fully combined.
- Cook the pudding mixture on the stove over medium-low heat and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and starts to boil, about 10 minutes. Once the pudding boils, cook for 1 minute more while whisking.
- Remove from heat and immediately add the butter and vanilla extract. Stir together until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Strain the mixture with a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to catch any remaining lumps. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours.
- Graham Cracker Crumble: Add the graham crackers to a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Add the graham crumbs to a bowl, then add the melted butter, and mix until fully combined. Scoop the graham cracker crumble into the bottom of 8 (4-ounce) glass jars, adding about 1½ Tablespoons to each one. With the back of the tablespoon, lightly press down the crumble to form an even layer. Set aside.
- Marshmallow Meringue: Add about an inch of water to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Check to ensure that the pot is big enough so that the bottom of the metal or glass bowl of a stand mixer fits on top and does not touch the water.
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl. Heat the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved (test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers) or the temperature reaches 165°F with a digital thermometer, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and wipe off any excess water from the bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and transfer the mixing bowl onto a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high until the meringue gets glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. When you pull the whisk out of the bowl and hold it upright, the meringue should be stiff and keep its shape.
- Assembly: Fill a piping bag with the chilled pudding (or use a cookie scoop) and portion the pudding into the jars onto the graham cracker layer, filling each jar about ¾ full. Fill another piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip, with the marshmallow meringue. Pipe a generous dollop on top of the pudding in each of the cups. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, being careful not to hold it too long in one spot to avoid burning it.
- Serve the pudding cups right away and enjoy!
