Yield: 6 espresso s’mores cupcakes // Total Time: 1 hr. 45 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.
Graham cracker crust, moist espresso chocolate cupcakes, and a swiss meringue buttercream.
small batch espresso s’mores cupcakes
Would it even be summer without some s’mores recipes?! These cupcakes are s’mores in a delicious cupcake. With a graham cracker crust on the bottom, a super moist espresso chocolate cupcake, and a marshmallow-y swiss meringue buttercream. For garnish, add on some chocolate, espresso beans and crushed graham cracker, and a little homemade shortbread cookie! This recipe is small batch, because we don’t always need a lot of cupcakes and bakes, but can easily be scaled up.
papanicholas coffee
I’ve partnered again with my all-time favorite coffee brand: papanicholas coffee for these espresso s’mores cupcakes. I use their coffee beans every day and am so happy to be able to partner with them to spread the love of their coffee. In this recipe I used their mocha java espresso beans which is super smooth and slightly sweet with notes of cocoa. I definitely highly recommend trying some of their coffee, they have so many delicious flavors and are always the coffee I use in my recipes (and for my daily caffeine dose!). You can find their website by clicking here. Also, if you do end up purchasing their coffee be sure to use code FRESH20 for 20% off your coffee order!
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
mix the batter carefully
It is super important to not overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing the batter leads to more gluten development which will make the cupcakes super tough and chewy. Only mix just until the last bit of flour is incorporated.
bloom your cocoa powder
The secret to getting more chocolate flavor into your chocolate cake? Bloom your cocoa powder! Blooming your cocoa powder just means that you’re mixing the cocoa with a hot liquid. In these espresso s’mores cupcakes, we’re using espresso because it also compliments the chocolate flavor (but you can use hot water instead if needed.) Doing so releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. It’s a super simple way to add more flavor into your chocolate bakes!
room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. Take out the egg and sour cream at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. Here’s how to get room temperature ingredients FAST if you’re in a time crunch or forgot to take the ingredients out (like I often do):
- Egg: place the egg in a bowl and run hot water over it for 1 continuous minute, or let it sit in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Sour cream: microwave in 5-second intervals until it is no longer cold, but is not warm (room temp!)
keep an eye on those cupcakes!
Cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. Start checking at 15 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out wet, check them again in 2 minutes and so on until only a few moist crumbs stick to the toothpick.
how to fix soupy swiss meringue buttercream
If the mixture seems thin and soupy, place it in the fridge for 20 minutes and whip it back up – it should be perfect! You may need to refrigerate it longer but do not put it in for more than 20-minute intervals or the butter will solidify. If it seems a bit curdled, just keep on beating it until it eventually smooths out.
ingredients and substitutions
For the graham cracker crust:
Graham crackers: the base of any good graham cracker crust!
Unsalted butter: binds the crust together. Salted or your favorite non-dairy butter stick will work perfectly here as well.
Granulated sugar: for a bit of sweetness.
For the espresso s’mores cupcakes:
All purpose flour: the structure of the cupcakes
Baking powder: for leavening and giving that “cakey” texture.
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness
Dutch process cocoa powder: gives the cupcakes a deep, rich chocolate flavor. You can use natural cocoa powder here as well, just note that the cupcakes will be much lighter in color.
Espresso: a shot of hot espresso poured over the cocoa helps bring out that ultra-chocolatey flavor. You can use freshly brewed espresso from a machine or instant espresso mixed with the appropriate amount of hot water. Hot coffee will also work well here too. If you are avoiding espresso or coffee, you can just use hot water in it’s place!
Vegetable oil: tenderizes the cupcakes. Any neutral oil, such as canola, will also work here.
Granulated sugar: sweetens the cupcakes and helps lock in the moisture.
Egg: contributes moisture to the cupcakes and helps bind the batter together
Sour cream: tenderizes and adds moisture to the cupcakes. I recommend using full-fat sour cream for the best texture.
For the shortbread cookie garnish:
All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness.
Unsalted butter: for tenderness and flavor.
Light brown sugar: for flavor and sweetness.
Graham cracker: for texture & flavor.
For the swiss meringue buttercream:
Egg whites: the base of the meringue in swiss meringue buttercream.
Granulated sugar: for sweetening and helping the egg whites whip up.
Unsalted butter: adds flavor to and thickens up the buttercream. You can use salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the buttercream.
Vanilla: for flavor. I use and love this vanilla extract!
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the buttercream.
how to make espresso s’mores cupcakes
Here’s just a quick little visual on the process of making these small batch espresso s’mores cupcakes. The full recipe is at the end of this blog post!
espresso s’mores cupcakes q&a
can I double this recipe?
Of course! Obviously they will not be small batch anymore but small batch isn’t always what we need! Simply double all of the ingredients in the recipe to make 12 delicious cupcakes. I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.
can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Definitely! I would recommend making the cupcakes no more than two days ahead of time. Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. I’d recommend waiting to make the buttercream until the day you want to serve them.
how to store the cupcakes
Like most baked goods, these cupcakes will definitely taste the best on the day that they are baked. You can store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You’ll want to transfer the cupcakes to the fridge if you’re going to keep them for over 2 days just to be safe with the swiss meringue buttercream.
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale
a note on oven temperature
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and aren’t always at the temperature they claim to be. I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
did you make these small batch espresso s’mores cupcakes?
If you made these espresso s’mores cupcakes I would love to see and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Espresso S’mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 22 g graham crackers (1 ½ sheets)
- ½ tbsp. butter
- ½ tbsp. granulated sugar
Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes
- 90 g all purpose flour (¾ c.)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 32 g dutch process cocoa powder (⅓ c.)
- 60 g freshly brewed espresso (2 oz.)
- 75 g vegetable oil (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 75 g sour cream room temperature (⅓ c.)
Shortbread Cookie Garnish*
- 28 g unsalted butter room temperature (2 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 40 g all purpose flour (⅓ c.)
- 2 tsp. crushed graham crackers
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 2 egg whites
- 135 g granulated sugar (½ c. + 3 tbsp.)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 113 g unsalted butter (8 tbsp.)
- ½ tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a muffin tin with 6 parchment liners.
- Crush the graham crackers or pulse them in a food processor until they are very finely crushed.
- Melt the butter, then mix the butter and sugar into the crushed graham crackers.
- Place 1 tbsp. of the graham cracker mixture into each parchment liner, and press it down.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes. In the meantime, make the cupcake batter.
Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and freshly brewed coffee.
- To the cocoa-espresso mixture, whisk in the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, and sour cream until well combined.
- Add in the flour mixture, and whisk together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Distribute the cupcake batter evenly between the 12 liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Shortbread Cookie Garnish
- In a small bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until just combined.
- Add in the flour and crushed graham crackers and beat until the mixture becomes a cohesive dough.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is ¼” thick. Cut out 1½” cookies, then re-roll out the dough and cut out more cookies.
- Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Then, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, constantly whisk together the egg whites and sugar until the mixture reaches 160°F / 71°C.
- Once the mixture is hot enough, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture on medium-high speed until it reaches soft peaks.
- While the egg whites are whipping up, remove the butter from the fridge and slice it into 1 tbsp. slices.
- Once the egg whites reach soft peaks, keep the mixer running. Add in the butter 1 tbsp. at a time, waiting at least 20 seconds before adding in the next slice. Continue until you have used all of the butter and the mixture is cohesive.
- Beat in the salt and vanilla. If the buttercream seems runny, put it in the fridge in 10-minute intervals, beating the mixture after each interval until it’s firm enough to be piped on to the cupcakes.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your piping tip of choice. Pipe the frosting on to each cupcake, then garnish with a shortbread cookie, melted chocolate, crushed graham crackers and espresso beans. Serve and enjoy
Kimberly Hashagen says
Made these today minus the coffee lol and they were scrumptious!!
Erin says
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you liked them! 🙂
Kimberly Hashagen says
I know this a crazy question but love s’mores hate coffee can I just use hot water or milk for espresso substitute?
Erin says
Not crazy at all! You can substitute in an equal amount of hot water and it will be just as delicious! 🙂