s’mores cheesecakes with toasted marshmallow meringue

S’mores Cheesecake with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue tastes like summer in a dessert! Toasted marshmallow and silky chocolate cheesecake batters are swirled together atop a crisp graham cracker crust, and is topped off with a toasted marshmallow meringue. You’ll feel like you’re sitting around the campfire! 

this recipe

---

---

Why you’ll love this S’mores Cheesecake:

• Toasted Marshmallow & Chocolate Cheesecake Batters – The batter gets divided and flavored partly with toasted marshmallows and partly with chocolate, for a complete s’mores experience!
• Graham Cracker Crust – The cheesecake is baked on a crisp graham crust.
• Toasted Marshmallow Topping – Homemade marshmallow topping is the final step – toasted, of course!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Cream Cheese – Use full fat cream cheese, in the block style. This needs to come to room temperature before you bake.
• Granulated Sugar – We’re using just enough sugar to sweeten the cheesecake, while still keeping the classic, slightly tangy, cream cheese flavor at the forefront.
• Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
• Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream, at room temperature.
• Corn Starch – Just a hint of corn starch helps the cheesecake hold its shape, while staying super creamy.
• Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
• Salt – A tiny pinch of salt always balances the flavors in any baked good!

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Gluten-free – Use gluten-free graham crackers to make this recipe gluten-free!
• Graham Crackers – I think digestive biscuits or something similar would be the comparable option to graham crackers if you don’t live in the U.S.

How to Make this S’mores Cheesecake Recipe:

Step 1: Make & Bake the Crust. Stir together melted butter & graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9-inch springform pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Make the Cheesecake Batter. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl to ensure no lumps. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined.

Mix in the sour cream, corn starch, vanilla, and salt. Divide the batter into two portions.

Step 3: Toast Marshmallows & Add to Batter. Toast marshmallows under the oven broiler or with a blow torch. Beat into one portion of the batter.

Step 4: Make the Chocolate Batter. Mix melted chocolate and cocoa powder into the other portion of batter.

Step 5: Assemble & Bake. Alternate adding spoonfuls of each of the two batters into your crust. Swirl the batters with a butter knife (I forgot to get a photo of this, sorry!).

Bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Step 6: Cool & Chill Cheesecake. Once baked, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in with the door open for one hour. Then cool on a rack until the cheesecake is just warm. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight.

Step 7: Make the Ganache. Heat heavy cream to a simmer, then pour over a bowl of chopped semi-sweet and milk chocolate. Pour this over the chilled cheesecake.

Step 8: Make the Marshmallow Meringue. Heat together egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt to 175 degrees. Beat in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until you have a stiff, stable meringue.

Top the cooled cheesecake and toast the meringue! Learn all about how to make super stable swiss meringue in my dedicated blog post.

Serving + Storing:

Once the S’mores Cheesecake is chilled and topped with the ganache and meringue, slice and enjoy! Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days, and as long as your meringue was made properly, it will hold up on the leftover dessert.

Expert Baking Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Don’t Over Mix – Over mixing the cheesecake batter when you’re adding the eggs can cause the cheesecake to buckle when cooled, or, it might puff up like a soufflé in the oven which we definitely don’t want!
• Don’t Over Bake – Follow the doneness cues given in the recipe card below to avoid over baking the cheesecake. Don’t panic if it browns the slightest bit on top – that can happen without it being overbaked.
• Stand Mixer – This recipe works well with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment!

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Springform Pan – This recipe uses a 9-inch springform pan.
• Roasting Pan – You’ll need a roasting pan (with the rack removed) for the water bath.
• 10-Inch Cake Pan – A 10-inch cake pan creates a no fail barrier between the cheesecake and water bath. If you don’t want to purchase this, you can wrap the cheesecake very well in aluminum foil, but it will take many layers – most people say 8 to 10 to ensure no water gets through. When I used to do 2 layers in the past, water always got in. You can also use any pan you already own that fits around the 9-inch springform, and fits inside the roasting pan.

More S’mores Recipes to Love:

• Gooey Caramel S’more Bars
• No Bake S’mores Pie
• Marshmallow Stuffed S’mores Cookies
• Gooey S’mores Brownies
• S’mores Stuffed Skillet Cookie
• Skillet S’mores Dip
• S’mores Pop Tarts

---

---