The combination of graham crackers, chocolate, and gooey marshmallows is a classic summertime treat for a reason. With this recipe, we have transformed the dessert into pie form, ideal for serving a crowd of people a summer dinner party or as part of a BBQ dessert spread. The crunchy graham cracker crust contrasts the cool chocolate pudding filling. But the gooey marshmallows—toasted under the broiler not a campfire, in this case—will have you coming back for more.
How to Make a S’mores Pie
This riff on Simply Recipes’ classic chocolate cream pie starts with the graham cracker crust, which can either be store bought or homemade graham cracker crust. The next step is a modified version of our microwave chocolate pudding. I used standard cocoa powder and semi-sweet (56%) chocolate in this recipe (because that’s what was available at my grocery store), but feel free to go with a higher cocoa percentage for a richer filling. If you’re feeling a bit skeptical about making pudding in the microwave (I was at first, because in my mind, microwaves are meant for reheating and not cooking!), you’ll love this recipe – it’s very easy and fool proof. The only part of this entire recipe that you really need to take into consideration is the amount of time it takes for the pudding to set. As such, I’d recommend filling the pie crust the night before you plan to serve it the afternoon of the next day, or first thing in the morning if you plan to serve it that night.
Top With Marshmallows!
To finish the pie, top the pie with some marshmallows and place it under the broiler until it gets nice and toasty on top. You’ll want to keep a keen eye on this as it can go from beautiful to burned very quickly. Alternatively, you can freehand it with a kitchen torch if you happen to have one in your arsenal. For extra flourish, I topped the pie with some broken graham crackers and chocolate curls, the latter of which I made by simply running a vegetable peeler along a bar of chocolate.
Messy Pie Means Delicious Pie
Now comes the hard part: slicing. It’s going to be messy. The combination of a crumbly crust, pudding, and marshmallows does not make for picture-perfect slices. However, if you coat your knife with nonstick spray it really helps to cut through the marshmallow layer so that you get less of a mess. It also helps if you angle your slices so they go between adjacent marshmallows instead of through them. The crust will soften the longer it sits because the chocolate pudding is so moist, so I’d recommend eating this pie within 12 or so hours after making it for the best results. It still tastes great scooped into a bowl for a couple days after, but it becomes more parfait than pie at that point. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire under the stars or at your dining room table, this is a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s great for the summer (or any other time of year).
More Summery Desserts!
S’mores Cookies Blueberry Crumb Bars Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles Sweet Cherry Cobbler Strawberry Ice Cream
Partially cover again and microwave for 2 more minutes. Remove and whisk again. Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring the pudding between each increment. The pudding should start to thicken slightly somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes. The pudding is ready when you see the mixture bubbling around the edges and it has thickened enough for the whisk to leave a light trail, or ribbon, through the pudding. It’s okay if it seems a little loose at this point; the pudding will thicken further as it cools. Total cooking time will be 6 to 8 minutes. (My microwave took 7 minutes 30 seconds.) When fully set, the pudding will no longer jiggle and a paring knife inserted into the pie should emerge with just a little chocolate on it (not totally gooey). There may be some cracks in the top of the pie, but don’t fret because it will soon get covered with marshmallows.
