S’mores Icebox Cake is the best way to bring the classic campfire dessert indoors; no oven needed! This easy no-bake recipe is full of crunchy graham crackers, soft and sticky homemade marshmallow fluff, and silky smooth chocolate ganache, all layered and chilled to create the ultimate sweet treat for summer.
Indoors S’mores Icebox Cake
A S’mores Icebox Cake is an easy-to-assemble, mouth-watering mash-up of the traditional s’mores tastes of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. But, they are transformed into a cold treat with a cake-like texture.
This simple recipe is the perfect way to serve a slice of the campfire classic, complete with torched toasted marshmallow and nostalgic flavor, especially when the weather makes it too warm to turn on the oven and heat up the house.
I love making a cake that I don’t have to bake; just layer the creamy filling and cookies in a pan and set it in the “icebox,” aka refrigerator, to chill. After a few hours, the graham crackers absorb the moisture from the marshmallow fluff and chocolate and create the most delicious flavored s’mores dessert in cake form.
Looking for s’more icebox cake recipes? My Strawberry Icebox Cake, Peanut Butter Oreo Icebox Cake, Lemon Icebox Cake, and Berry Icebox Cake are the coolest cakes that you don’t have to bake.
Why We Love This S’mores Icebox Cake Recipe
- Quick and easy to make, especially because it’s no-bake.
- Uses simple ingredients to create the same classic s’mores taste.
- All the fun flavors of s’mores, none of the camping, fire, or mess.
- Fool-proof recipe filled with alternating layers of graham crackers, marshmallow, and chocolate.
- Delicious make-ahead dessert to feed a crowd.
- Perfect dessert for summer when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Water
- Brown sugar: Regular granulated sugar can be used instead.
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla extract may be used instead, simply increase the amount used to 1 ½ tsp.
- Heavy cream
- Chocolate chips
- Graham crackers
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can choose between milk or dark chocolate. Milk chocolate adds that classic s’mores taste, but dark chocolate adds an element of refinement to this dessert. You can even use chocolate pudding or Nutella instead of making a chocolate ganache.
- Tasty Toppings: Top your cake with mini marshmallows, pieces of chocolate, and extra graham cracker crumbles. It’s fun to toast your topping with a kitchen torch for a fun “open flame” effect.
Recommended Tools
- Medium saucepan
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring tools
- 9×13 pan
- Rubber spatula
- Kitchen torch (optional)
How to Make S’mores Icebox Cake
This S’mores Icebox Cake is an easy no-bake sweet treat for summer, simply made with layers of graham crackers, homemade marshmallow fluff, and chocolate ganache. It’s a fun twist on the traditional campfire treat served as a slice and made without a stick!
Make The Marshmallow Fluff: (Tip: you can use store-bought to save time)
- Heat the sugar, corn syrup, water, and brown sugar to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and boil into a clear syrup.
- Whip the egg whites with a stand mixer until a microfoam has formed. Add the cream of tartar and salt and whip until soft peaks have formed.
- Slowly mix the syrup into the egg whites. Mix on medium high until stiff peaks are formed.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks have formed.
Make The Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it set for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Mix the two together until smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Place about graham crackers in the bottom of a prepared 9×13 pan. Spread marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers, top with a layer of graham crackers, spread more marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers, and then spread ½ of the chocolate mixture onto the marshmallow fluff. Continue layering until the final graham crackers are placed on top. Spread the remaining marshmallow fluff over the surface.
Chill: Cover the cake and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Serve: Before serving, use a kitchen torch (Optional) to toast the marshmallow fluff on top until golden or to your preference. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Tips
- Don’t skip the chilling time! Chilling the cake in the refrigerator is what transforms this dish from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a soft icebox cake.
- If you do not wish to make marshmallow fluff, you can use premade, store bought marshmallow fluff instead.
- It is perfectly fine if you use more graham crackers than indicated in the recipe. The amount of graham crackers may change based on the shape of your pan.
- Feel free to change up the assembly of the layers to create an icebox cake all your own.
Storage Tips
- To Store: This icebox cake may be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply stated, an icebox cake is a layered dessert of crispy cookies and fluffy whipped filling. When placed in the fridge to firm up, it transforms into something truly magical and complex, as the cookies absorb the cream, softening into something cake-like and luscious.
Letting the cake chill in the refrigerator is a must because it transforms this treat from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a cake, as the crackers soak up the marshmallow fluff and chocolate and soften. If you immediately transfer the icebox cake to the freezer, instead of soaking up the creamy filling, it freezes, and so when you defrost it, it will still be a bit crunchy.
This cake is not a great candidate for freezing and thawing. There is too much dairy in it that it can become grainy and watery.
Other Easy S’more Recipes
- S’mores Hand Pies
- S’mores Cookies
- S’mores Dip
- S’mores Cookie Cups
- S’mores Bars
- S’mores Cheesecake Bars
- Layered S’mores Pops
S’mores Icebox Cake
Ingredients
Marshmallow fluff:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Chocolate:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Graham crackers:
- 31 cookies for layering
Instructions
- Start by making the marshmallow fluff. Add the sugar, corn syrup, water and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat. Stir the mixture to combine it then do not stir anymore. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the sugar mixture boil into a clear syrup for about 6-7 minutes.
- While the syrup is simmering, whip the egg whites. Add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed for 1 minute or until a microfoam has formed. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping for 5-6 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. By this point, the syrup should have reached 240 F. With the mixer still going, slowly stream the syrup into the egg whites. Once all of the syrup is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium high. Whip to medium stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla bean paste and continue whisking for 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed.
- To make the chocolate, place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Once heated, pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let set for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Mix the two together until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the cake, start by placing about 4 graham crackers in an even layer in the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. Next, use a rubber spatula to spread roughly ⅕ of the marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers. Top with a layer of graham crackers, about 7 ½. Spread another ⅕ of the marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers then spread ½ of the chocolate mixture onto the marshmallow fluff. Top with about 10 ¼ graham crackers followed by ⅕ marshmallow fluff. Layer 7 ¼ graham crackers on top followed by ⅕ marshmallow fluff then the remaining chocolate mixture. Place 9 graham crackers on top then spread the remaining marshmallow fluff over the surface.
- Once the cake is assembled, cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Once you are ready to serve it, remove the covering. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow fluff on top until golden or to your preference. Slice and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- Don’t skip the chilling time! Chilling the cake in the refrigerator is what transforms this dish from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a soft icebox cake.
- If you do not wish to make marshmallow fluff, you can use premade, store bought marshmallow fluff instead.
- It is perfectly fine if you use more graham crackers than indicated in the recipe. The amount of graham crackers may change based on the shape of your pan.
Feel free to change up the assembly of the layers to create an icebox cake all your own.
