27 Amazing Ways To Make S’Mores

During the summer months, s’mores could almost be considered a food group in our family.  We have a massive stash of chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows that we break out at any occasion that’s even remotely special.  It’s just about the easiest dessert that you can put together AND it also involves an activity so it keeps the kids entertained as well. 

While we used to just reserve s’mores for camping, now that we have a backyard firepit, we are constantly looking for excuses to eat s’more with kids all the time!

We used to be good and just eat s’mores while we were camping.  I know, I know, I’m a hypocrite.  I tell families all the time that if they want their kids to sleep better while camping, that they should probably skip the s’mores, yet here I am, making campfire s’mores with the kids as soon as we get a fire going on our family camping trip.  In my defense, I do work EXTRA HARD making my kids tired on our family campouts in hopes that sheer fatigue will outweigh the large amounts of sugar we feed them right before bedtime.  

Things didn’t used to be this way.  In fact, there was a period of time, where I’d conveniently “forget” to pack all the ingredients for camping s’mores.  The reason?  I was in a rut.  The simple combination of Graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate no longer excited me.  S’mores were a boring dessert (I seriously can’t even believe I ever thought this).

Thankfully, a camping trip with some friends remedied this situation for me.  They brought and entire s’mores bar for us to choose our toppings from, and my life was literally CHANGED!  There were Reese’s cups, Nutella, multiple kinds of graham crackers, and even fruit.  This was all it took to cure me of my camping s’mores avoidance.

Soon, we learned that a s’more was something to be celebrated with, and not just thrown out at the end of the day.  

How Can I Simplify S’more Making With Kids

The easiest s’mores to make with young kids are Fudge Ripple S’mores.  SImply roast a marshmallow and sandwich it between two fudge stripe cookies.  No waiting for the chocolate to melt, no breaking apart chunks of graham cracker and chocolate – just grab the cookies for s’mores and GO.  This is so easy that my 3-year-old can make his own, so it’s a serious win in my book.  

This is the easy s’more combination that I grab when we’re in a rush, or we’re just heading camping for a night or two and want to make really simple s’mores.  

Truth be told, I’m also very guilty of giving these to my younger kids, putting them to bed, and then saving the more gourmet s’more ingredients for the older kids and adults.  Actually, there’s no guilt involved.  When I take kids camping, I work REALLY HARD, so I look at this as my little reward at the end of the day!

Looking for more campfire dessert ideas? READ: 15 Camping Desserts Kids Can Make On Their Own

What Are The Best Roasting Sticks For Making S’mores

Growing up, making s’mores meant taking our pocket knife into the woods, and cutting a green stick off a tree for roasting marshmallows.  And while I’m all about teaching kids to use a knife well, it isn’t always practical or sustainable, and we try to only use sticks in an emergency (like when mom forgets the marshmallow roasting sticks – that’s an emergency). 

When we had kids, we bought a few of these giant marshmallow roasters for super cheap at Walmart.  They’re ridiculously sturdy, and have an extra long reach so that the kids were a safe distance away from the fire while roasting marshmallows.  The only problem with them is that they’re really long and can be kind of awkward to pack.

Then my mind got completely blown when we found these telescoping marshmallow roasters.  They fold down crazy small, but also extend just as far as my beloved Walmart roasters.  GAME CHANGER!  They also come in a big variety of colors, so each kid has their own color and now I know exactly who left a sticky roaster in the dirt. Now, these are the best marshmallow roasting sticks that we always want to use while camping.  

What Chocolate Works Best For S’mores

The best chocolate for s’mores is milk chocolate.  Dark chocolate doesn’t melt well, so unless you’re going for a specific flavor combination (like our Death By Chocolate S’more), then opt for milk chocolate for s’mores.  

Which Marshmallows Work Best For S’mores

While it may be tempting to get giant oversized marshmallows for kids camping s’mores, resist the urge.  While those marshmallows are great for roasting alone, they’re just too big to balance the rest of the ingredients in a s’more.  To make a s’more, just get regular large sized marshmallows, though my kids are convinced that Jet Puff marshmallows are the best marshmallows for making s’mores.  

Well, actually the truth is that we usually give the kids simple s’mores (or take the shortcut by just using these cookies and marshmallows), and then save the fancy s’mores just for the grownups after the kids are in bed. We consider it our reward for all the energy that’s required to camp with kids AND get them to fall asleep in the tent (no easy feat some nights).

On special occasions, or as a bribe for hiking extra far (they had all just hiked 10 miles in this photo), we bust out the fancy s’mores recipes listed below.

If you really want to take your s’mores up a notch, make sure to invest in some gourmet marshmallows. I didn’t know what all the hype was about until I tried some last year, and now I’m totally SOLD. They are seriously SO GOOD (Our favorite are these mint chocolate chip marshmallows – and yes, I do hide them from my kids so I can eat them ALL).

Before you head out on your camping trip, make sure to get yourself some good roasting sticks – the longer the better. Sure, we all grew up cutting sticks off nearby bushes, but if you’re making a gourmet s’more, the last thing you want is for it to taste like tree bark. These marshmallow roasting sticks are a great deal and they are telescoping so they don’t take up much room in the car either.

Best Gourmet S’mores Combinations

Are you looking to put together the best s’mores combinations on your next camping trip? You’ll want to try these gourmet s’mores. They take a fun twist on the classic recipe and suddenly make you feel like channeling your inner foodie o this camping trip.

Classic S’mores

Graham Cracker – Milk Chocolate – Marshmallow

Grasshopper S’mores

Graham Crackers – Peppermint Patty or Andes Mint Chocolate – Marshmallow

Moose Tracks S’mores

Chocolate Graham Crackers – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – Caramel Square – Marshmallow

Nutty Buddy S’mores

Graham Crackers – Peanut Butter Cup – Marshmallow

Strawberry Cheesecake S’mores

Graham Crackers – Whipped Cream Cheese – Strawberry Jam – Marshmallow

Salted Caramel S’mores

Graham Crackers – Milk Chocolate – Caramel Square – Sea Salt – Marshmallow

Samoa S’mores

Graham Cracker – Milk Chocolate – Caramel Square – Toasted Coconut – Marshmallow

Caramel Apple S’mores

Graham Crackers – Granny Smith Apple Slices – Caramel Squares – Marshmallow

Fudge Ripple S’mores

Fudge Stripe Cookies – Chocolate – Marshmallow

German Chocolate S’mores

Graham Cracker – Mounds Candy Bar – Marshmallow

Peanut Butter Lover S’mores

Graham Cracker – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – Peanut Butter – Nutella – Marshmallow

Pina Colada S’mores

Graham Cracker – White Chocolate – Grilled Pineapple – Toasted Coconut – Marshmallow

Chocolate Chip S’mores

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Milk Chocolate – Marshmallow

Healthy S’mores

Are you looking for some delicious healthy s’mores alternatives? Okay, I wouldn’t call these HEALTHY, but at least healthier!

The best way to make your s’mores healthier is to substitute one or two of the traditional ingredients. Instead of a caramel apple s’more, instead, just toast the apple slices over the grill with the caramel on top. Instead of a regular s’more, try graham crackers with strawberries and Nutella.

More S’mores Recipes

Looking for the best s’mores recipes for your next camping trip? We’ve got you covered! Whether you’re looking for more s’mores recipes to cook over the campfire, or a s’mores themed snack to have on your hike, these recipes are sure to hit the spot.