Sheet Pan

S'mores Ice Cream

by:
May 23, 2013
5
5 Ratings
S'mores Ice Cream
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is sort of an apology to my kids for never ever taking them camping. I tell them, "Well, at least you get to eat s'mores ice cream all the time!" This is a really fun recipe to make with kids as long as they're hardcore aware of the dangers of the broiler and hot marshmallows. You will have extra s'mores chunks and they store beautifully in the freezer. —Phyllis Grant

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • S'mores Chunks
  • 12 graham crackers (honey or plain, but not cinnamon)
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • Burnt Marshmallow Ice Cream Custard
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
  1. For the S'mores Chunks: Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 6 graham crackers down in 2 rows of 3, touching completely with no spaces in between. Cover evenly with marshmallows. To prevent burning, make sure none of the graham crackers are peeking through. Broil. Don't walk away. Rotate the sheet pan around for even broiling. Remove when marshmallows are just starting to burn.
  2. Immediately cover the marshmallows with the other 6 graham crackers. Press down firmly so they stick together like sandwiches.
  3. Break apart or chop chocolate. Melt over low heat or in a double boiler. Pour melted chocolate over the graham cracker sandwiches. Spread chocolate all over and let it drip down over the edges. Freeze.
  4. Chop into bite-sized pieces. It will fall apart. That's okay. This leads to all kinds of wonderful textures and flavors in the ice cream. Freeze in a jar or a freezer bag.
  5. For the Burnt Marshmallow Ice Cream Custard: Set up an ice bath by placing several cups of ice in a large bowl. Place a smaller bowl inside the larger bowl. Rest a fine strainer on top of the smaller bowl. Set aside.
  6. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the yolks, half and half, and salt. Set aside.
  7. Preheat broiler. Spread marshmallows evenly on the bottom of a medium-sized ovenproof pot. Broil until tops of marshmallows are nicely browned and just about to burn (be careful, because too many burned marshmallows will make a bitter ice cream).
  8. Over medium heat, pour heavy cream over broiled marshmallows. Whisking the whole time, bring it to just under the boil. Slowly whisk hot marshmallow cream into yolk/half and half mixture. Pour back in pot and cook over medium heat, stirring the whole time with a wooden spoon. The custard is done when you drag your finger across the back of the spoon and a trail lingers.
  9. Pour custard through strainer and into smaller bowl. Fill larger bowl up with water until it rises to the level of the custard. Once cool, cover and place custard in fridge overnight.
  10. Place a serving bowl in the freezer. The cold ice cream custard will be very thick. That's normal. Churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Scoop into bowl and fold in at least 2 cups of the s'mores chunks. Freeze for a few hours or overnight. Eat!
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Phyllis Grant
Phyllis Grant is an IACP finalist for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing and a three-time Saveur Food Blog Awards finalist for her blog, Dash and Bella. Her essays and recipes have been published in a dozen anthologies and cookbooks including Best Food Writing 2015 and 2016. Her work has been featured both in print and online for various outlets, including Oprah, The New York Times, Food52, Saveur, The Huffington Post, Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Table and Salon. Her memoir with recipes, Everything Is Out of Control, is coming out April 2020 from Farrar Straus & Giroux. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband and two children.

Popular on Food52

19 Reviews

Chris M.
Chris M. March 25, 2020
Thinking about making this but also at the end of the cycle for my machine I will swirl in marshmellow fluff?
 
Kathleen V.
Kathleen V. June 23, 2018
If I didn’t want to use the heavy cream, what would you suggest for a substitute....more 1/2&1/2 or whole milk?
 
Pam K.
Pam K. October 21, 2016
This a question: Can you still make this without an ice cream maker or will it not set up?
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. October 21, 2016
It will set up but it will too firm and icy. You could look into making a semifreddo and then maybe add the s'mores chunks?
 
barbyoung
barbyoung October 30, 2014
The s'mores chunks are delicious, but the ice cream base is a dud. I browned the marshmallows but didn't get either a marshmallow flavor or any sweetness. If I make this again, I'll use my go-to vanilla ice cream base from David Lebovitz, and the s'mores chunks from this recipe.
 
amp156
amp156 August 19, 2013
Just made this and it's excellent, guests loved it, especially topped with extra frozen s'more bits. It says serves 4, but it makes a full quart, so those are generous servings! Next time I would like to bump up the toasted marshmallow flavor in the ice cream, so may add more. I may also try cutting the giant s'more with an electric knife to see if it will cut more cleanly.
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. August 19, 2013
yes. i really struggled with how to bring in more marshmallow flavor. you can go a little darker with the marshmallows in the custard base but be careful because it can get bitter. what surprised me is that marshmallows really don't have much flavor unless they're burnt. so it's a tricky balance. maybe try making your own marshmallows? i did this the other day and it's so easy. i agree that if you serve 4, these are very generous servings. on my blog sometimes i write that an ice cream recipe "serves from 1 to 6 people." you never know! and i love the electric knife idea. i asked around and no one seems to have them anymore. i wonder where my grandmother's went! let me know if you make it again and what you learn.
 
amp156
amp156 August 25, 2013
Made the ice cream again this weekend. Tried to use the electric knife but it did not work at all- broke up the giant s'more just as much. Made a few adjustments to the ice cream, such as adding a little (less than 1/4 C) of sugar and some vanilla. I also used a spatula to carefully flip the bruleed marshmallows over and browned the other sided. It wasn't pretty as the marshmallows were soft, but I think it added to the flavor without risking burning them. Thanks for a great recipe!
 
MStubbee
MStubbee July 4, 2013
I'm making my second batch today. The first was shared with three girlfriends a few weeks ago and...WOW! The chunks would make a satisfying treat on their own. I did the whole recipe in an afternoon --the ice cream was a little soft out of the freezer but hardened nicely. It all might be better if you take 24 hours but it was tremendous with a much shorter time frame. This recipe is a keeper.
 
Ellen E.
Ellen E. July 3, 2013
I made this ice cream a few weeks ago and people are still taking about it. One of my work mates tasted it and started to get teary-eyed as she recalled memories of her childhood. It is one of the best recipes I have made in a long time and is going into the personal recipe vault. I want my kids to remember me for this kind of treat. Thank you so much.
 
jmessim1
jmessim1 June 24, 2013
I've been wanting to make this for weeks, and even after the build up, it did not disappoint. Burnt marshmallow ice cream good enough to make on it's own, but the chunks of bittersweet chocolate and graham cracker send this over the top. Definitely going in the recipe rotation summer gatherings. A wow recipe if you want to impress, even for adults who want a bit of nostalgia.
 
bridgetbakes
bridgetbakes June 3, 2013
love this! am currently making my 2nd batch for my son's first birthday party-Sndwiching the ice cream between two graham crackers for little hands to hold
( yes, this is the 2nd batch as I ate most of the first batch myself:)
 
purpleorchard11
purpleorchard11 June 8, 2013
How long does it take to make this recipe--from start to finish?
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. June 8, 2013
about 24 hours. you need time for the custard to chill, the chunks to freeze, and the ice cream to firm up once it's churned.
 
Peachylovecakes
Peachylovecakes June 2, 2013
I made this and LOVED it. The recipe totally captured the campfire goodness of a s'more.
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. June 3, 2013
thanks for reporting back! so glad you liked it. makes me smile.
 
em-i-lis
em-i-lis May 26, 2013
this looks absolutely wonderful!!
 
Gibson2011
Gibson2011 May 23, 2013
I don't think I have a good pot for broiling the marshmallows for the ice cream. Could I use small food torch?
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. May 24, 2013
absolutely! my torch is broken. need a new one. thanks for asking.