10 Ways to Try the Smores Dessert That You'll Wish You Tried Sooner

Everything you ever wanted to know about the campfire s’mores dessert – from where it began to incredible new combinations to try. Here is your list of smores recipes and the ultimate guide to enjoying the über popular camping snack that kids literally dream about.

Just say the word s’more…what image do you conjure up? If you’re anything like me, I start envisioning sitting by a campfire with my kids and roasting mini marshmallows on skewer in an open fire.

I can almost see the lightning bugs and hear the crickets now!

10 S’mores Recipes That You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner

Traditionally, the S’more is a popular camping snack enjoyed by kids (and their parents) for decades. Although many variations of S’mores have been developed over the years, the traditional S’mores dessert is basically a sandwich of roasted, gooey toasted marshmallows and warm chocolate in between two regular graham crackers.

This sweet, warm, ooey-gooey, delicious treat always leaves kids wanting more. In fact, that’s probably how they got their name. S’more is thought to be a contraction of the phrase, “some more”.

Isn’t it strange how these three simple ingredients instantly transform into something altogether magical when combined in a perfect union? While we think of S’mores as a campfire dessert staple now, it wasn’t always this way – after all, someone had to come up with the idea, right?

So, if you’ve ever wondered about the history of S’mores, you’re in the right place, and I’ve even got some fun variations of the classic for you to try!

Who Invented S’mores?

Well, the truth is—no one knows for sure who invented the S’more. However, the first published recipe for “some mores” was in a 1927 publication called “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”. The recipe is credited to Loretta Scott Crew, who made them for her Girl Scouts troop on a camping trip.

Beyond that, that’s all we know! We don’t know whether the Girl Scouts were the first to make “some mores” or when the name got shortened to “S’mores”. Recipes for “some mores” appeared in Girl Scout publications until at least 1971.

How To Make Campfire Smores

Now that we know we can enjoy our tasty treats thanks to some clever girls, let’s talk about the best part…making and eating them!

Making the classic S’more is easy – so easy, in fact, that kids delight in doing it themselves!

How to Make the Classic Smores Dessert

Take two graham crackers. Place one small square of a chocolate bar (Hershey’s are GREAT for melting and tasting amazing) on top of one of the graham crackers. That’s your base.
Place a marshmallow at the end of a long wooden stick (or a roasting fork).
Hold the marshmallow above the flames of a fire until you start the see the marshmallow turn golden brown.
Pull the marshmallow away from the fire and place it on top of the chocolate square. The warm marshmallow will start melting the chocolate…it’s divine!
Top the marshmallow with the second graham cracker and enjoy your smores dessert immediately.

Ideas for Adding Variety to Classic Smores Desserts

Classic S’mores always leaving kids (and the kid in you) wanting some more, but every now and then it’s nice to change things up a little bit. Here are some variation ideas to add some diversity to your S’mores when the mood strikes.

What to Replace Graham Crackers with:

Fudge Striped Cookies
Thin Brownies
Chocolate Covered Graham Cracker
Oatmeal Cookies
Sugar Cookies

Try Replacing the Chocolate in S’mores with:

Peanut Butter Cup
Rollos
Chocolate Crisped Rice Bar
Chocolate Bar with Peanuts
Dark Chocolate Bar
White Chocolate Bar
Hazel Nut Chocolate Spread (Nutella)
Milk Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patty
Cookies-n-Cream Candy Bar
Caramel Filled Chocolate Bar

Other Things to Add to S’mores:

Peanut butter
Jams and jellies
Slices of fresh bananas (with or without chocolate)
Slices of fresh strawberries
Cream cheese

Mouthwatering Different S’mores Combinations

You can mix and match whatever s’more combination you would like, but if you want some ideas you can guarantee are good, try these.

1. Campfire S’mores Cones

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy campfire s’mores. It’s practically mess-free and just as tasty!

Use a waffle cone instead of graham crackers and fill it with layers of marshmallow fluff and chocolate chips. Wrap it in foil, and place it at the edge of the coals for a few minutes, until everything gets nice and melty inside.

2. Rollos Smores Dessert

Use Rollos candies instead of the chocolate squares. They are a perfect size for S’mores and add a caramel sauce twist which tastes fantastic with marshmallow.

3. Strawberry Nutella S’mores

If you love hazelnut, you’ll love this twist on the smores dessert. Use Nutella instead of the chocolate squares and add slices of fresh strawberries.

4. Plan Your Next Campout While Eating S’mores

The Camping planner includes not only ALL the checklists you could need to make sure you don’t forget the important necessities, but also a GIANT list of roughly 50 memory-making activities for your kids to enjoy while you are camping including eating more s’mores… and the best thing is it’s only $7!!

5. Reeses and Banana S’mores

Replace the chocolate squares with Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and replace marshmallows with banana slices for a tongue-tingling version.

6. Andes Mints S’mores

Use an Andes Mint instead of a regular piece of chocolate to give you a mint-chocolate S’more.

7. White Chocolate & Jam S’mores

If you or your kids enjoy white chocolate, you’ll love this variation! Use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate and add a layer of your favorite jam. It sounds odd but it’s one of my favorite ways to enjoy campfire smores.

8. Brownie S’mores

Use Brownie Thins instead of chocolate graham crackers to make an extra chocolatey version. If you want, you could replace the milk chocolate with white chocolate here. Or, just embrace the extra chocolate flavor. 🙂

9. Peanut Butter S’mores

Peanut butter and chocolate just go together (think Reese’s). Add another dimension to your S’more experience by adding a layer of peanut butter on your graham cracker. If you’re feeling really adventurous, use crunchy peanut butter for even more dimension to this treat.

10. Strawberry Shortcake S’mores

Oh my, I’m hungry just thinking about this version of the smores dessert! Replace the graham crackers with sliced a biscuit and add strawberry slices.

11. Pretzel S’mores

Replace the graham crackers with pretzels. If you use the regular mini “knot” shaped pretzels, you’re likely to have quite a bit of S’mores ingredients leak through. I recommend using the square “waffle” shaped pretzels for this sweet and salty variation.

In short, let your imagination take you to new territory when it comes to making smores. No matter what campfire S’more combination you try (or create), you can’t go wrong with this camping classic!