Top 10 S’mores Recipes from an Expert Camp Cook
I’d like to think of myself as the queen of campground s’mores, but my path to self-proclaimed culinary greatness didn’t start out so strong.
On my very first camping trip as an adult, I was mystified by the s’mores kits which lined the camp store shelves. They contained marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate bars, graham crackers—and that was it. How, I pondered, would things get warm and melty without some aluminum foil to wrap the sandwiched contents before nestling them next to the fire? That’s when I learned that I had been doing s’mores wrong my entire life… or was I?
Turns out, there’s more than one way to make s’mores. I think my childhood Girl Guide leaders were onto something by sidestepping flammable sticks and sticky-fingered children in favour of tidier, more melted, wrapped s’mores, but I’ve since opened my eyes to every method imaginable: classic roasting, no-heat needed, camp stove toasting… you name it. And when it comes to ingredients, I’ve never restricted myself to the campground holy trinity. There are no unbreakable rules when it comes to s’mores
The convention that s’mores must contain graham crackers, chocolate and a roasted marshmallow and nothing more has always been a rather elastic standard. The first official recipe for a “Some More” first appeared in the 1927 Girl Scout guidebook, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. Yes, it did call for just the classic three, but the book as a whole emphasized creativity. (I personally love that the next culinary suggestion in the book, appearing immediately after Some More, is to take clusters of white elderberry flowers, dip them in batter, and fry them like a fritter. I mean, who among us doesn’t love a campground-fresh elderberry flower fritter?)
Unsurprisingly, inventive s’mores variations soon followed, with apple slices subbing in for graham crackers and peanut butter stepping in for chocolate. As such, as much as I love the time-honoured combination of ingredients, I think the best definition of s’mores is that it makes your fellow campers yell for “some more,” just like those early Girl Scouts. Here are 10 of my favourite iterations.
1. Easy Fire-Free S’mores
Fire bans often hamper s’mores making. I love a no-bake, fire-free version that starts at home with your favourite Rice Krispies or cereal bar recipe. I recommend adding some extra marshmallows (gooey!) to your squares and subbing out about a quarter cup of cereal for crushed graham crackers. As soon as the mixture hits your pan, pour a generous amount of chocolate chips on the top of the still-warm squares and press them in. They travel great and taste great.
2. Biscoff Cookies with Nutella and Marshmallow
Graham crackers sure are versatile, but they’re also a bit… dare I say it? Boring. Using Biscoff cookies is a great alternative, as is swapping in Nutella or a similarly thick chocolate spread in lieu of an unyielding chocolate bar.
3. Poundcake with Chocolate and Strawberries
Looking to go gourmet and up the smoky flavour? Throw thick slices of poundcake on your camping grill. When they’re nicely toasted, coat them with chocolate sauce or Nutella, layer on sliced strawberries and top with roasted marshmallows.
4. Stroopwafel and Skor
Not everyone is a choc-o-holic, and that’s okay. Caramel-filled stroopwafel cookies pair perfectly with melty marshmallows. Cover the top with crushed Skor bars (or Skor baking bits) for an extra caramel-y experience.
5. Apricots and White Chocolate
Just who would be so over the top that they’d bring fragile fresh apricots on a camping trip? Hi—that would be me. And believe me, everyone will be impressed when you split them in half and top them with a roasted marshmallow and some white chocolate shavings. (For a more backpack-friendly version, bring dried apricots, the largest you can find.)
7. Peanut Butter and Jam Digestives
Lather one graham cracker with peanut butter and the other with your favourite jam. The toasted marshmallow in the middle is the perfect addition to bring everything together. I love doing this with chocolate-coated digestive cookies instead of graham crackers for that extra hit of flavour.
8. Salty Bacon S’mores
Who says s’mores can’t be savoury? Keep aside a few extra slices of crispy bacon from breakfast and put them on your graham crackers along with some maple butter, crushed potato chips or pretzels and a gooey marshmallow.
9. Mini Mozza Stick Magic
Once you roast mozzarella sticks over an open fire (in lieu of marshmallows), your camping will never be the same again. Add mini naan bread and pizza sauce, and you will have what might just be your best camping snack ever.
10. Baby Brie with Chilli Crisp
I know what some of you are thinking. Brie? Chilli Crisp? “Is nothing sacred?” you (probably) cry. Trust me, this might just be the most delicious item on the list. Baby brie (sold at any grocery store with a robust cheese counter) are about the size of a big marshmallow, and they toast up just as beautifully over a gentle campfire or even a camp stove. Add the brie to a graham cracker or flatbread and top with pepper jelly, honey or, my personal favourite, chilli crisp. Wait. You say it’s not s’mores without chocolate? Some dark chocolate shavings would work wonderfully here. I bet even my Girl Guide leaders would love this combo.
