Our S’mores Lush Dessert is a heavenly treat with a graham cracker crust, chocolate pudding, marshmallow layer, and Cool Whip. Easy to make with classic S’mores components on top.
S’mores Lush
Our S mores Lush Dessert recipe is a tasty twist on the traditional handheld treat, easily made in a baking dish and layered lasagna-style, like an icebox cake.
We start by baking a buttery homemade graham cracker crust; it sits in the bottom of a baking pan to support the layers of pudding, no-bake cheesecake and whipped topping piled on top.
Topped with mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, and Hershey bar pieces, this 12-serving summertime staple recipe has never been so simple to prepare — making smores in a single pan is the best way to serve s’mores in bulk.
What Is A Lush Dessert
A lush dessert is a no-bake layered cake made in a 9×13 casserole dish. Although this lush recipe requires the crust to be baked, the rest of the components need no cooking!
Each layer comes together quickly and when served, each forkful is filled with the traditional s’mores tastes and textures.
Most lush desserts consist of a graham cracker or cookie crust, a layer of no-bake cheesecake, pudding, and whipped cream. Whether you call it a dessert lasagna, an icebox dessert, or a layered pudding dessert, it’s delicious!
Why We Love S’mores Lush Desserts
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- There’s nothing better than combining the nostalgia of an outdoor treat with the ease of an indoor indulgence.
- A family-friendly dessert that can be enjoyed all year round.
- No campfire is needed to recreate the flavors of a s’mores sandwich.
- Perfect for parties, potlucks, backyard BBQs, or feeding a crowd.
S’mores Lush Dessert Ingredients
- Graham crackers
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Frozen whipped topping
- Mallow cream
- Chocolate instant pudding mix
- Milk
- Mini marshmallows
- Hershey bars
- Chocolate sauce
Substitutions and Additions
- Create Your Crust: You can use any graham cracker for the crust. If you don’t have honey graham crackers, try using cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers for a slightly different flavor. Or you can make a crust with another cookie, like Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, or shortbread cookies.
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can top your s’mores dessert with the classic Hershey’s chocolate bars, chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips. Try it with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Grab Your Garnish: For a pretty presentation, add canned whipped topping, chocolate sauce, and a broken off piece of a Hershey bar to each slice of s’mores cake.
Recommended Tools
- 9×13 baking dish
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
How to Make S’mores Lush Dessert
- Cook The Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press flat in the bottom of the baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 11-12 minutes.
Pro Tip: The crumbs should appear and feel like wet sand. - Make The Cream Cheese Mixture: Cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in the whipped topping and mallow cream.
- Prepare The Pudding: Mix together the pudding mix and milk.
- Assemble: Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust, top with the pudding, and cover with whipped topping. Garnish with mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and Hershey bar pieces.
- Chill: Cover and chill inside the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight before serving.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making S’mores Lush Dessert
- Use a food processor to create fine graham cracker crumbs for the crust. You want these as small as possible to get the best crust results. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily place your graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Allow your crust to cool completely before use. Otherwise the next layer could break the crust. Also be sure the crust is cooked thoroughly. If it still seems soft, return to the oven for 2 minutes.
- Be sure to mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar before anything else. This will help the cream cheese break down and mix with the other ingredients. Otherwise, it will clump.
- Be sure to purchase instant pudding and not cook and serve pudding. Otherwise the mixture will not reach the consistency you need it to in order to set.
How to Store S’mores Lush Dessert
- To Store: Leftovers can be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Dessert Lasagna Recipes
Other S’more Dessert Recipes
S’mores Lush Cake
Serves — 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 32 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 8 ounces block cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) tubs frozen whipped topping thawed at room temperature, divided
- ½ cup mallow cream
- 5.9 ounces package of chocolate instant pudding mix
- 3 cups cold milk
- 1½ – 2 cups mini marshmallows for garnishing
- ½ – 1 cup graham cracker crumbs for garnishing
- 2 Hershey bars chopped, for garnishing
- Additional whipped topping & chocolate sauce for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small mixing bowl. This should appear and feel like wet sand.
- Place crumbs in the bottom of the 9×13 baking sheet and press firmly and flat with the palms of your hands.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes. When done, allow to come to room temperature before use.
- After the crust has cooled, use a large mixing bowl to cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar using an electric hand or stand mixer. Mix until smooth.
- Add 1 tub of whipped topping and the mallow cream. Mix again until smooth and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine pudding mix and cold milk. Mix until well blended. The pudding will start to set soon after.
- Using a rubber spatula, add the cream cheese mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Top with the pudding mixture, spreading evenly around the entire dish. Top with the final tub of whipped topping, spreading evenly over top.
- Top cake with mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and Hershey bar pieces.
- Cover and place the cake inside the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Leftovers can be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Use a food processor to create fine graham cracker crumbs for the crust. You want these as small as possible to get the best crust results. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily place your graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Allow your crust to cool completely before use. Otherwise the next layer could break the crust. Also be sure the crust is cooked thoroughly. If it still seems soft, return to the oven for 2 minutes.
- Be sure to mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar before anything else. This will actually help the cream cheese break down and mix with the other ingredients. Otherwise, it will clump.
- Be sure to purchase instant pudding and not cook and serve pudding. Otherwise the mixture will not reach the consistency in which you need it to in order to set.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 2mg
I made this for a Fourth of July BBQ. I accidentally mixed one cool whip with the pudding and I put that first instead of the cheesecake layer. I think it will still be delicious!!
Definitely needs more butter. 10tbsp works better than 4! Yummy!