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This s'mores crème brûlée consists of a chocolate custard topped with crushed graham crackers and toasted marshmallows, bringing back those wonderful campfire memories.
I'm a sucker for s'mores and try to find a new way to eat my favorite combination of chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows - from s'mores cupcakes to s'mores ice cream.
And my latest creation is s'mores-themed crème brûlée. I was inspired by a restaurant my wife went to while visiting Roanoke, VA - Lucky. We were in town for her birthday and her favorite dessert happened to be on the menu - crème brûlée. But it was a s'mores version which had me super excited.
After one bite, I knew this was something I had to recreate. While crème brûlée may seem fancy, it is actually quite easy to prepare. Best of all, it is a dessert you can make ahead of time and torch just before serving.
Now a tradition crème brûlée tastes like vanilla, but where is the fun in that. With this s'mores crème brûlée, you not only get that custardy base and crunch from the torched sugar, but you get extra crunch from the graham crackers and torched marshmallows.
I mean, honestly, is your mouth not watering right now? So if you want to impress your spouse or guests, this dessert should be at the top of the list!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Heavy cream - has the right fat to create that creamy custard.
- Chocolate - I use semi-sweet but dark or milk chocolate works.
- Vanilla extract - enhances the flavor.
- Instant espresso - gives a rich chocolate flavor.
- Eggs - provides structure.
- Granulated sugar - adds sweetness to custard and used for torched topping.
- Graham crackers - an additional crunchy topping.
- Unsalted butter - mixed with graham crackers to create a crumble.
- Marshmallows - mini are best.
- Chocolate candy bar - use your favorite but Hershey's is my go-to.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add cream to medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate, extract and instant espresso.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl.
- Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture until everything is combined.
- Place 6 (4 oz) ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven and pour the hottest tap water so they come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 300°F, until the custards are set on the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Spread sugar on top of each custard. Heat the sugar with a kitchen blowtorch until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.
- In small bowl, mix together the graham crackers and butter.
- Top each ramekin with the graham cracker mixture.
- Add some marshmallows and broil with kitchen blowtorch until browned. Top with some pieces of chocolate and serve immediately.
Kitchen Torch or Oven Broiler?
For caramelizing, you need high heat, which is why a kitchen torch works great. It is my preferred method and is easier to work with. Plus you can torch the marshmallows with it.
However if you don't, just move your oven rack to the top and turn on the broiler. Add the sugar to the custards and place on a tray in the oven and broil for 1-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it though as it can burn quickly.
FAQs
Crème brûlée literally means burnt cream. While its origins are a little shaky, it consists of a rich custard base topped with caramelized sugar.
This recipe is made for 4 oz ramekins but if you want to use 6 oz ramekins, you'll need 4 and the bake time will probably be 45-50 minutes.
You want the crème brûlée to still have a slight jiggle in the middle but be set on the outside. If you cook it took long, it might taste a little eggy.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- It is important to temper your egg yolks by slowly adding some of the hot cream and whisking before adding the rest, or you'll have cooked eggs.
- While straining isn't necessary, you can strain the custard with a sieve before baking.
- The type/size of ramekins determine the length of the bake. If you use shallow oval ramekins, the bake time will be less than what is called for in the recipe.
- Don't skip the water bath or you'll have rubbery crème brûlée with cracked surfaces.
- Cover the entire cooled custard with sugar or the torch will curdle it.
Other Dessert Recipes
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
- Chocolate Caramel Tart
- Pumpkin Lava Cake
- Dark Chocolate Fondue
If you’ve tried this s'mores crème brûlée or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
S'mores Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp instant espresso
- 6 egg yolks
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar, plus extra for topping
- ⅔ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 milk chocolate candy bar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Place cream in medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate, vanilla extract and instant espresso.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in hot chocolate mixture until everything is combined.
- Place 6 (4 oz) ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place the pan in the oven and pour the hottest tap water so they come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set on the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Spread 1-2 tbsp sugar on top of each custard. With a kitchen blowtorch held one inch from the surface of the custard, heat the sugar until it caramelizes evenly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.
- In small bowl, mix together the graham crackers and butter. Top each ramekin with the graham cracker mixture.
- Add some marshmallows and broil with kitchen blowtorch until browned. Top with some pieces of chocolate and serve immediately.
Notes
- It is important to temper your egg yolks by slowly adding some of the hot cream and whisking before adding the rest, or you'll have cooked eggs.
- While straining isn't necessary, you can strain the custard with a sieve before baking.
- The type/size of ramekins determine the length of the bake. If you use shallow oval ramekins, the bake time will be less than what is called for in the recipe.
- Don't skip the water bath or you'll have rubbery crème brûlée with cracked surfaces.
- Cover the entire cooled custard with sugar or the torch will curdle it.
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