The Unconventional S’mores Variations You Need to Try on Your Next Camping Trip

Whether you’re a glamper or you like to rough it with the bare necessities, whether you drive your car up to the campground or you hike your way there, I think there’s one thing that we all agree on: The best part of camping is the s’mores. I don’t care if you’re not even a big sweets person on a day-to-day basis. After spending all day outdoors, there’s nothing better than starting a fire and roasting marshmallows, drinking a beer and spending time with people you love. 

But unfortunately, s’mores sometimes fall victim to tradition. For most of us, camping is a novelty, so we might not put too much thought into switching up our s’mores game. Why dream up something new when s’mores in their original form are so delicious, and perhaps more importantly, so nostalgic?

We can do better than a milk chocolate Hershey’s bar, stale graham crackers and store-brand marshmallows. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite s’mores variations, so you can break free from the restrictive camping dessert mold. Give one or more of these ideas a try the next time you go camping.

1. Replace plain chocolate with Reese’s cups.

Hershey’s milk chocolate is, objectively, not that good. It’s far too sweet, and it doesn’t have that silky richness you might expect from a better brand. So why bother putting it on your s’mores? If you’re looking for an easy alternative, you should try swapping the plain chocolate with a Reese’s cup. As the world’s best mass-produced candy, a Reese’s cup, with its thin layer of chocolate and depths of salty peanut butter, makes for an unforgettable s’mores experience.

2. Add salted nut butter to your s’mores.

Maybe you already have some milk chocolate (or, preferably, dark chocolate) in the house and don’t want to run out for another ingredient. One way to invoke that same Reese’s vibe is by simply adding some salted nut butter to your s’mores. Peanut butter is an obvious choice here, but we actually prefer cashew butter. It’s richer, it’s creamier and it pairs exceptionally well with marshmallows.

3. Use cookies instead of graham crackers.

When you’re craving a sweet baked good, we’ll bet that graham crackers aren’t the first snack that comes to mind. Divorced from the other s’mores components, graham crackers are usually dry and crumbly, so why bother including them in your campfire dessert? I like using cookies instead. Oreos are an obvious choice, but chocolate chip cookies make this already rich dessert even more indulgent.

4. Stack your s’mores with gummy worms.

If you really want to stoke that feeling of childhood nostalgia, you may want to consider adding gummy worms to your s’mores. Their bright, fruity flavors contrast with the rest of the ultra-chocolatey dessert, giving you a more balanced bite (well, more balanced on the flavor front; we’re not making any health claims here). Gummy bears offer the same flavor and texture, but I find that it’s harder to keep them in place when you go in to take a bite.

5. Try using cheesecake in place of the marshmallows.

For many people, marshmallows are the least pleasant part of s’mores. Often, they just taste too sweet, and they sometimes have a grainy texture to them that makes them off putting to some of us. I’m giving you permission to ditch the marshmallows completely and to instead use cheesecake in its place. Yes, you have to figure out a way to keep the cheesecake cool before you’re ready to use it, and no, you probably won’t want to roast your cheesecake over an open fire. But believe me when I say that a small piece of cheesecake could change the way that you eat s’mores forever.

6. Add jam or fruit for a fresher touch.

If you want something to break up the flavor of all that chocolate and marshmallow, bring some jam or fruit along with you. This is an easy way to add some freshness and acidity to your dessert. You can either use the fruit or jam as a replacement for the chocolate or just use it as another layer of flavor in your traditional s’mores. If you want to give you s’mores a lemon meringue twist, use lemon curd instead of jam.

7. Use a peppermint patty instead of a regular candy bar.

Mint lovers, rejoice. Peppermint patty s’mores are what you’ve been unknowingly craving your entire life. You can either use the peppermint patties to replace the graham crackers (messy and melty but delicious) or the bar of chocolate (crunchier and more practical).

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.