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Nothing says summer for a lot of folks quite like s’mores. Way back in the 1920s, a “Some More” recipe appeared in a Girl Scout handbook, giving us the campfire combination of toasted marshmallows, melted chocolate, and graham crackers that has been a summer dessert staple ever since. National s’mores day is recognized on August 10 every year in the USA so I felt that was worth celebrating with this easy and delicious take on the classic.

I wanted to turn all of that nostalgic s’mores goodness into an easy sheet cake, and my Better Boxed Cake was the perfect place to start.

About my better boxed cake method

If you’ve tried my original Better Boxed Vegan Cake⁠, recipe you already might know why it went viral. After testing more than a dozen boxed mixes, I figured out a combination of vegan ingredients that elevated a boxed cake mix to the soft, moist texture we all remember but without eggs and dairy. My additions really do work and I’ve had many tell me they finally enjoy a vegan boxed cake again.

For my s’mores version, I took my base cake recipe and mixed it up with a cookie crust, dairy-free chocolate chips folded into the batter, fluffy whipped canned frosting (I said this was easy), and added some extra cookie crumbs on top to evoke the taste of a s’mores but without the campfire.

About the Cookie Crust

I didn’t want this to just be a chocolate cake with marshmallows on top. The bottom needed some s’mores attention too, so I crushed up some vegan cookies and mixed them with melted vegan butter (coconut oil should work too), then pressed the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan before adding the cake batter. For my version, I used Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookies (classic Biscoff are a great choice as well), and that warm caramel-and-spice flavor is so good with chocolate. It isn’t technically the traditional s’mores choice, but I loved the richer flavor it brought to the cake.

If you want to keep things classic, you can certainly use graham crackers instead. If you’re looking for a vegan graham cracker (a lot contain honey), standard Nabisco graham crackers (in the red box) are made without honey, so they’re accidentally vegan-friendly. As always, check the ingredients labels at your local supermarkets as some store brands might be vegan friendly as well.

A twist on canned frosting

I made my Better Boxed Cake recipe using a vegan friendly chocolate cake mix (I used Dolly Parton’s mix for Duncan Hines) with my usual additions but I also folded a generous handful of vegan chocolate chips directly into the batter. Because we’re making a s’mores cake, I felt there should be little pockets of chocolate throughout it. The cake bakes right on top of the cookie crust (no par-baking necessary), so you get a layer of buttery, crunchy cookie underneath an incredibly moist chocolate cake.

Try whipping your canned frosting. This canned frosting hack has been making the rounds on social media for a while and I finally tried it and now understand the hype. You take a tub of vegan friendly frosting (I used Dolly Parton’s buttercream frosting to stay on theme) and then whip it with a hand or stand mixer for several minutes before spreading it on the cake. That’s it! You aren’t adding anything but are incorporating air, and the difference is surprisingly dramatic. The dense frosting becomes lighter, fluffier and much more like homemade. For this cake, that texture works especially well because it’s reminiscent of soft marshmallow fluff.

The finishing touches

After frosting, I sprinkled the top with more crushed Speculoos cookies and added a few toasted vegan mini marshmallows because they make the s’mores connection more obvious but you don’t really need the marshmallows. In fact, if you’re making this for a crowd, I’d probably skip them. A generous scattering of crushed cookies gives you plenty of visual tie in and crunch and looks just as good without getting out a kitchen torch or broiling them. The marshmallows are fun if you want that extra campfire touch, but are not really necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions

I typically use Duncan Hines cake mixes, but other brands work well. Always check the ingredient label to make sure the mix you’re using is vegan friendly.

Absolutely. Graham crackers are classic and will give you a more traditional s’mores flavor, while Speculoos adds a delicious caramelized spice note. Both work beautifully with the chocolate cake.

No, but I highly recommend it. Whipping incorporates air into the frosting and makes it dramatically lighter and fluffier. It’s one of those little tricks that takes almost no effort but makes a big difference.

Possibly. I have not tested a gluten-free mix with my better boxed cake recipe but in theory, it should work. You’d have to use a gluten-free cookie for the crust and make sure the frosting has no gluten either.

My Better Boxed S’mores Cake takes everything you love about a summer s’more and turns it into an easy, crowd-friendly sheet cake. You’ve got a crisp cookie crust, a soft and moist cake with chocolate chips, fluffy whipped frosting and plenty of cookie crunch on top. It looks impressive, but the actual work is minimal, which is exactly what I want from a summer dessert.

And if you haven’t tried my original Better Boxed Vegan Cake yet, that’s where I’d start. It went viral for good reason and those little additions and swaps really do make a difference, and once you’ve got the method down, you can use it as the starting point for all kinds of cakes. See some of my favorite variations below!

Tried this recipe? DM me or tag your photo on Instagram @bigboxvegan and don’t forget to rate and review!

Easy Vegan S’mores Sheet Cake

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: Desserts, Easy Eats, RecipesCuisine: CakeDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A rich, chocolatey vegan sheet cake with a cookie crust, melty chocolate chips, and fluffy whipped frosting that brings all the best parts of a s’more to every bite.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

Cookie Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed cookie crumbs (graham crackers or speculoos cookies – see notes)
1/2 cup melted vegan butter (save some to brush the sides of the baking dish)
Cake
1 boxed chocolate cake mix (see notes)
2/3 cup vegan yogurt (5 oz) or vegan sour cream
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup vegan milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice, apple cider or white vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (see notes)
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Frosting
1 standard can of vanilla frosting
Crushed cookies and/or toasted vegan mini marshmallows on top for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Make the crust by combining the crushed cookies and melted vegan butter. Using a food processor makes quick work of this. Press the crumbs into the bottom a 9×13 baking pan and brush some of the melted residual vegan butter from the bowl or container you melted it in on the sides of the baking pan to grease it. Whisk the lemon juice or vinegar into the vegan milk and set aside to curdle and thicken slightly for a few minutes.
Place the boxed mix in a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix with a hand or stand mixer for 1-2 minutes until completely combined scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and level out evenly with a spoon or knife (this will make it look nicer when baked). Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Whipped Frosting
Place the contents on the can of frosting into a medium sized bowl and using a hand or stand mixer, beat it until light and fluffy. This will take a minute or two.
Frost the cooled cake then add some additional cookie crumbs on top if desired.
Store leftovers in the fridge or freeze well wrapped.

Notes

Use a standard boxed cake mix that typically calls for 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil and 1 cup water. I prefer Duncan Hines brand (their Dolly Parton mixes are my favorite) and found those to work the best in my testing, but I also tried Pillsbury and many store brands that worked as well.
Use your favorite vegan yogurt or sour cream but a thicker variety will yield better results.
Use a plain vegan milk but vanilla would work too.
Cornstarch was best in my opinion but can be substituted with arrowroot powder or potato starch. You could use finely ground flax meal or a powdered egg replacer as well.
I used speculoos (or Biscoff brand) cookies but regular graham crackers are the classic choice for s’mores. Other plain cookies like vanilla wafers or even a chocolate graham could be used as well.
Most canned vanilla frostings are vegan friendly just lookout for any milk ingredients on the label.