S’mores Chocolate Mousse Tart with Crystallized Ginger Meringue

This s’mores chocolate mousse tart makes a delicious and decadent dessert. The buttery graham cracker crust is flavored with pumpkin spice and filled with a creamy chocolate mousse. The tart is topped with a pillowy torched meringue that’s flavored with finely chopped crystallized ginger.

For more s’mores flavors, check out these 10-Minute Pumpkin Spice S’mores Trifles.

How to make it:

Make the crust:

This recipe starts with the crust and just like any graham cracker crust dough, this one is too brittle to roll out and transfer into the tart pan, instead you need to press it in with your fingers.

Step 1. In a bowl, whisk together:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice

Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whip together 8 tablespoons softened, unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light-brown sugar and 1 tablespoon honey.

Whip the dry ingredients into the butter mix and continue to whip until the dough becomes crumbly.

Step 2. Transfer the dough into a 9-inch greased tart pan with removable bottom. It will look like a whole lot of dough at first but once you press it in, it will fill a 9-inch tart pan perfectly.

RECIPE TIP: I recommend using a fluted, non-stick tart pan with removable bottom for this s’mores tart because that will make it very easy to get the tart out of the pan.

Step 3. Start pressing the dough into the pan using the bottom of a cup measure.

Step 4. Finish pressing the crust into the pan using your fingers, then chill the tart pan in the fridge for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and bake the crust until it turns golden-brown (8 to 12 minutes). Let the crust cool completely.

Make the filling:

Step 5. The chocolate mousse filling is easily made with melted bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream and I added pumpkin spice here as well but if you don’t like that, you can just leave it out.

Add 5 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice to a small bowl. Bring ¾ cup heavy cream to a boil, pour over the chocolate and let the mix sit for a minute.

Step 6. Whisk the mix into a smooth ganache and set aside.

Step 7. Whip 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to stiff peaks.

Step 8. Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream.

Step 9. Spoon the mousse into the tart shell and spread out with an offset spatula.

Step 10. Chill the tart in the fridge for 1 ½ hours.

Make the topping:*

*RECIPE NOTE: Make the meringue topping right before serving the tart. Once the topping is on, it cannot sit around for very long.

Step 11. When you’re ready to make the meringue topping, whip 4 egg whites until they start to foam, then slowly whip in ¼ cup granulated sugar, followed by ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar.

Step 12. Fold ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger into the meringue, then dollop it onto the tart.

RECIPE TIP: You want to make sure to have the individual pieces of crystallized ginger separated out, rather than in one big clump. That way you can easily fold them in.

Step 13. Finish the tart with a quick blow of the kitchen torch and serve immediately after that.

How to serve it:

Serve the tart immediately after finishing the meringue topping.

How to make the tart ahead:

You can freeze the mousse tart (before topping it with the meringue) for at least a week, if you want to make it ahead. Let the tart thaw on the kitchen counter for about 1 hour, then top it with the meringue and serve.

Can I make this tart without the meringue topping?

Yes! This tart is quite delicious even without the meringue topping. If you want to make it without the topping, I recommend serving it with whipped cream and/or cherry or raspberry preserves.

More delicious fall dessert recipes:

• Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut Cookies
• Spiced Irish Coffee
• Stovetop Apple Crisp
• Chinese 5-Spice Chocolate Truffles with Crystallized Ginger

Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!

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5 from 2 votes

S’mores Chocolate Mousse Tart with Crystallized Ginger Meringue

This s’mores chocolate mousse tart is topped with a crystallized ginger meringue and makes a delicious and impressive dessert. The crust for this tart is adapted from Martha Stewart.

Prep Time:1 hr

Cook Time:12 mins

Chill Time:1 hr 30 mins

Total Time:2 hrs 42 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate mousse tart, s’mores tart

Servings: 6

Calories (estimated): 822kcal

Author: Nicole B.

Ingredients:

For the graham cracker crust:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup light-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey

For the chocolate filling:

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped*
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 ¾ cup heavy cream (divided into ¾ cup and 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the meringue topping:

• 4 egg whites
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
• ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger**

Instructions:

For the graham cracker crust:

• Whisk the flours, wheat germ, salt and pumpkin spice together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Whip butter, sugar and honey for a few minutes until fluffy.
• Whip in the dry ingredients.
• Transfer the dough into a 9-inch greased tart pan.*** (It will look like a lot at first but it will compress greatly when you start to press it in).
• Press the dough into the tart pan, using a cup measure and then your fingers. 
• Place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the tart crust until golden-brown (8–12 minutes).
• Let cool completely.

For the chocolate filling:

• Add chocolate and pumpkin spice to a bowl.
• Bring ¾ cup heavy cream to a boil, then pour over the chocolate/spice mix and let sit for a minute.
• Whisk to combine cream and chocolate into a smooth ganache. Set aside.
• Whip 1 cup heavy cream with the sugar to stiff peaks.
• Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream.
• Transfer the mousse into the cold crust, spread out evenly with an offset spatula, then chill in the fridge for 1 ½ hours.

For the meringue topping:

• Whip the egg whites until they start to foam, then, with the mixer running, gradually add the granulated sugar until you get glossy peaks.
• Again with the mixer running, gradually add the powdered sugar.
• Fold in the crystallized ginger.
• Spread the topping onto the chocolate mousse tart and briefly burn with a torch. Serve immediately.

Notes:

*Don’t use chocolate morsels; morsels have stabilizers in them that actually prevent them from melting.

**Make sure you have the individual pieces more or less separated and not in one large clump to make it easier to fold them into the meringue.

***I recommend using a fluted, non-stick tart pan with removable bottom for this tart because that will make it very easy to get the tart out of the pan.