I've been missing the camping life so I decided to make some s'mores at home! Well, s'mores donuts, that is! These fluffy homemade donuts are filled with marshmallow buttercream, dunked in chocolate ganache, and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs!
Pre-pandemic, my boyfriend and I booked flights to California for a week of camping and hiking in Yosemite National Park, but it was cancelled. We went on our first camping trip to Zion National Park in October 2019 and it was such a blast! S'mores were a nightly treat we enjoyed by the campfire surrounded by cliffs and mule deer! These donuts definitely help make up for our postponed trip to Yosemite.
Yeast donuts may seem intimidating, but they're actually pretty simple to make! The key is to make sure your milk is the right temperature in the first step. If it's too hot, it'll kill the yeast, preventing the dough to rise. You also want to be careful while adding the flour. After adding about 3.5 cups, gradually sprinkle a little bit in at a time while mixing. You'll know the dough is ready when it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. I like to test it by gently pushing on it with a finger. If it feels moist but doesn't stick, it's good to go!
After proving, roll out the dough to ½ an inch and cut out circles using a donut cutter or a pint glass. Then, after a second proof, it's time to fry! This is my least favorite part because hot oil is scary! BE CAREFUL! I have a designated old sweatshirt and apron that I always wear during this step in case any oil splatters on me. It's also important to keep the oil's temperature around 365°F so the donuts fry properly. Check this every once in a while with a thermometer.
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Once the frying is over, it's time to fill and dunk them! Sure, they're a bit more work than twirling a marshmallow over a fire, but they're so worth it! I mean, look at the marshmallow cream oozing out of that pillowy donut covered in a blanket of chocolate! Next time I go camping, I'm bringing these with me!
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S'mores Donuts
Equipment
- Stand mixer with hook attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Small pan
- Dutch oven or medium-large pot
- Cooling rack
- Thermometer
- Towel
- Donut cutter or pint glass
- Food chopper
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 3¾-4¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts vegetable oil (or a neutral oil of your choice, for frying)
Graham Cracker Sprinkle
- 2 whole graham crackers crushed (~½ cup graham cracker crumbs)
Marshmallow Buttercream Filling
- 7 oz marshmallow fluff
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Dough
- In the microwave or over the stove, bring the milk to 110°F.
- Gently mix 2¼ teaspoon yeast into the milk and let it sit & foam for 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Add the milk/yeast, and then mix in the eggs one at a time.
- While mixing with a hook attachment, gradually add ~1 cup of flour at a time until you've added ~3½ cups. Continue adding a small amount of flour until the dough is no longer super sticky and it pulls away from the sides of the bowl (scrape the sides as necessary).
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit and rise in a warm place for ~1 hour.
- When the dough is about double its original size, roll it out on a floured surface so it's about ½ inch thick.
- Cut circles out of the dough and place them on a lightly floured baking sheet with at least 1 inch between each other. (If you don't have a donut cutter, I like to use a pint glass or anything somewhat equivalent in size. Flour the edges before each cut so the dough doesn't stick.)
- Cover the donuts with a towel and let them rise again in a warm place for ~30 minutes this time.
- While the donuts are rising, heat 2 quarts of oil on the stove (~2 inches deep). I like to use my dutch oven or a medium-sized pot.
Frying
- Heat the oil to 360-370°F. Check the temperature throughout the frying process using a thermometer to make sure the oil is maintaining this temperature.
- When the oil and donuts are ready, carefully (be very gentle so you don't splash oil!) place one donut into the oil.
- Fry for 45-60 seconds and then flip and fry for another 45-60 seconds. Carefully take it out of the oil and place on a cooling rack covered with paper towels (donut should be tan all around). I like to use a spatula to place them in the oil and then a tongs to flip and remove from the oil.
- Continue frying one donut at a time until they're all puffy and tan.
Graham Cracker Sprinkle
- Break up 2 graham crackers into a food processor and chop until the pieces are almost grainy like sand.
Marshmallow Cream Filling
- Mix together the butter, marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until smooth.
- Add the filling into a bag with a sturdy piping tip, and fill each donut. (I like to use a butter knife or chopstick to poke around in the donut to make room for the filling prior to doing so.)
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- In a small/medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil, then remove it from the heat.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until they're fully melted.
- Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.
Jade Anderson says
These are absolutely delicious! My entire family loved them. Super simple recipe to follow!
Kayla says
Thank you Jade, I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed them!!
Sana khan says
Can i bake them instead of frying?
Kayla says
I haven't tested them this way but I wouldn't recommend it, sorry!