Oozy, perfectly-charred marshmallow. Melty, sweet Hershey’s chocolate, still firm and slightly toothsome. Crispy, crunchy graham crackers. What s’more could you want? S’mores are the ultimate summer dessert, simply iconic and always delicious. But s’mores are so much more than the sum of their parts. They’re about the experience. Crackling campfires, spooky ghost stories, gathering with friends, family, and strangers alike. What word fills a child with more delight than s’mores? Simply put, s’mores are already perfect, no matter how you stack it. And to be completely honest, the taste is the least important part of the experience. Having said that, s’mores are incredibly customizable, and there are hundreds of easy and tasty ways to take your s’mores to another level. To celebrate National S’mores Day (AKA the best day of the year) on August 10, here’s a few of my faves.
A note on marshmallows
A s’more can be many things, but it’s defined by the marshmallow. You can swap out the grahams and the chocolate, but if there’s no marshmallow, it’s s’more no more. And I think we can all agree that the torching of the marshmallow is the most crucial aspect of s’more making.
I firmly believe that you can’t mess up s’mores, as long as you’re having fun. But an undercooked or severely burned marshmallow is obviously not ideal. Here’s my hack for torching a perfectly oozy golden-brown marshmallow, every time.
Find a good long stick, and stab it into your marshmallow (deep enough so it won’t fall off once melty).
1. Position your marshmallow-on-a-stick down low, near the glowing embers at the base of the fire.
2. Rotate slowly until it reaches a perfect golden brown.
3. Assemble your s’more, and enjoy the oozy deliciousness!
Structural changes
These hacks involve sticking with the classic s’mores ingredients — graham crackers, marshmallows, Hershey’s milk chocolate — but altering the standard structure.
Chocolate-stuffed marshmallow
This hack, shared by Tiktok user @sarahiil, is a pretty genius way to ensure melty chocolate with less mess. However, some say you can’t possibly stuff enough chocolate into a marshmallow to get the ratio right. It’s a fair point, but I think this hack is still worth a shot.
Inside-out s’mores
This hack comes from food podcaster Dan Pashman. He suggests radically restructuring your s’mores by putting the chocolate on the outside. Take two squares of chocolate, top each with a torched marshmallow, and smash it all around a single graham cracker. I must admit, I was skeptical at first. Wouldn’t the chocolate melt everywhere? But as Dan points out, the chocolate barely melts in regular s’mores anyway. This variation allows for easier eating, because graham cracker shards aren’t going everywhere. Plus, it drastically improves the chocolate and marshmallow ratios. You’ll just have to eat it fast, which (trust me) shouldn’t be a problem.
Substitutions
These hacks involve swapping out one or more of the classic ingredients for something entirely new and delicious.
The s’moreo
This innovation involves swapping in Oreo cookies for the graham crackers in a classic s’more. I was going to say this sounds kind of messy, but s’mores are already messy, so who cares? Even better, you can use limited-edition S’moreo Oreos for some s’moreo sandwich inception.
Ritz sweet and salty s’mores
I am always an advocate for Ritz crackers. Salty, crispy, crumbly, they’re a classic for a reason. So, I love the idea of replacing graham crackers with Ritz crackers. Architecturally stable? Not at all. Worth it? Completely.
Reese's cup s’mores
This popular s’mores hack replaces Hershey’s chocolate with a Reese's PB cup. Say less.
Minty s’mores
This variation replaces the Hershey’s chocolate with Andes mint. I haven’t tried this, and I think it could be really good but also could be terrible? But some people swear by it, and I’ll try anything once (at least when it comes to dessert).
Ghirardelli square s’mores
Okay, how did it take me 22 years to discover this genius hack? I mean, it’s obvious really. Ghirardelli squares are the best chocolate, and they’re already square-shaped (obviously), making them ideal for use in s’mores. My personal favorite variety is the dark chocolate sea salt caramel, and I’m about to start a bonfire at 10 a.m. so I can try this out ASAP.