I love to go camping and hiking, so I decided to make some s'mores at home to bring camping memories inside! Well, s'mores donuts, that is! These fluffy homemade donuts are filled with marshmallow buttercream, dunked in chocolate ganache, and sprinkled with graham cracker pieces!
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My boyfriend and I 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 campfire donuts bring me right back to that trip, and if you love s'mores as much as us, I know you will love these!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The easy step-by-step instructions make these yeasted, cream filled donuts a piece of cake!
- Once you learn the technique, you'll be able to make a myriad of donut flavors.
- You can't go wrong with traditional s'mores flavors of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate.
- It's a fun challenge to make these fried donuts as opposed to simple baked ones, like my chocolate baked donuts and maple chai donuts!
Ingredients
- Active dry yeast - this helps your dough rise and gives your s'mores doughnuts that classic, yeasted taste. Yeast is a living organism, and active dry yeast is "woken up" by mixing it with warm liquid. Find it in the baking aisle of your local grocery store.
- Graham cracker crumbs - these are critical in getting that classic s'mores flavor. You can make your own crumbs by crushing graham crackers in a gallon Ziploc bag or pulsing in a food processor, or you can purchase pre-ground graham cracker crumbs.
- Marshmallow fluff - you can make your own marshmallow fluff, but to me, the classic in the jar is just perfect and a nice shortcut to making these marshmallow donuts.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap out crushed Oreos in place of the graham crackers and omit the cinnamon for a cookies and cream version of these donuts.
- Next time, try using a different variety of graham crackers, such as chocolate, for a quick twist on this recipe.
- Add mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips to the top of the chocolate ganache glaze for extra s'mores flavor.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a small saucepan on the stove, heat whole milk to 110°F. Remove from the stove and add the active dry yeast, allowing it to foam, about 5-10 minutes. This can also be done in the microwave instead.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon with the paddle attachment. Add the milk and yeast mixture and then the eggs until combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment, and mix on medium high until the dough doesn't stick to your finger or the sides of the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Step 3: Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and roll out to about ½ inch with a rolling pin. Cut out donuts and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.
Step 4: Fry donuts in 365°F hot oil, flipping to ensure they are golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 5: To make the marshmallow frosting, mix marshmallow cream, softened butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until light and fluffy. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag with a metal tip, and fill cooled donuts.
Step 6: Make the chocolate ganache by covering the chocolate chips with scalded cream. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then stir until fully combined. Dunk the tops of the filled donuts into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers on top.
Expert Tips
Tip #1 - 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 by using a thermometer. If it's too hot, it'll kill the yeast, preventing the dough to rise.
Tip #2 - You also want to be careful while adding the flour to get the right consistency in your dough. 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!
Tip #3 - To cut the donuts, you can use a donut or biscuit cutter, or I like to use the mouth of a pint glass!
Tip #4 - Please be careful while working with the hot oil! I recommend wearing long sleeves and an apron (maybe even safety goggles, too). Place the dough in it very gently so that it doesn't splatter on your clothes or in your eyes.
Recipe FAQs
I haven't tested this recipe in an air fryer, but a reader has successfully made these with this method!
No. Because these two types of yeasts are made using different processes, instant yeast will bloom and activate far faster than active dry yeast. This recipe benefits from the slower activation of active dry yeast to ensure the dough rises correctly.
If the yeast bubbles in the warm milk, it's active! If it doesn't, start over with new yeast. I like to store my active dry yeast in a jar in the freezer to keep it fresh longer.
Storage
These donuts are best eaten the same day but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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📖 Recipe
Marshmallow Cream Filled 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 (236.59 ml) whole milk
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) (15.75 g) active dry yeast
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113.5 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) cinnamon
- 2 large (2 large) eggs
- 3¾-4¼ cups (468-531 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts (1.89 l) vegetable oil (or a neutral oil of your choice, for frying)
Graham Cracker Sprinkle
- 2 whole (28 g) graham crackers crushed (~½ cup graham cracker crumbs)
Marshmallow Buttercream Filling
- 7 oz (7 oz) marshmallow fluff
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (170 g) 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.
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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!
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!!