S'mores: Elevate the Campfire Classic

S’mores are a Girl Scout original, and a desert that’s as American as apple pie. These summer deserts of my childhood have followed me throughout my life all the way into adulthood, because they never get old. They’re just as good sitting around a bonfire at the beach, a firepit in the backyard, or a campfire in the woods. While the classic s’more calls for toasted marshmallows (roasted on a stick over an open flame), graham crackers, and a square of chocolate, and is always delicious, I’ve taken to elevating this campfire classic with a few specific upgrades.

Let’s start with the basics:

Always add nut butter.

Usually peanut butter, which I always have on hand and which is easy to scoop out and spread on a graham cracker. This is the first way to upgrade your s’more.

If you’re allergic to peanuts, sunflower, almond, or cashew butters are all great options that taste just as good if not better.

Halfway there:

If you’re going one step beyond adding nut or seed butter to a classic s’more, try using a nut or seed butter cup. Peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower butter cups can all be found in vegan versions at many major grocery store chains, local food businesses, and online retailers.

If you’re really looking to upgrade a s’more (Elite status):

Swap out the graham cracker for a chocolate chip (or other kind of) cookie. If you can find them (they’re hard to track down, but can be found online and in some major retailers), Tate’s Bake Shop makes a vegan version of their classic chocolate chip cookie that tastes like the packaged chocolate chip cookies of my childhood in the best possible way. You can also try other brands of packaged chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, or plant-based cookie of your choice.

If you’re going one step further, why not make fresh-baked cookies to really step up your game? If you can find it (Whole Foods and Safeway often have a gluten free and vegan version of ready-made cookie dough, and other major retailers may too), you can find pre-made cookie dough that’s simple to break apart and bake. And if you’re really feeling motivated and prepared, you can make cookie dough from scratch to go along with the nut butter cup and toasted marshmallows to elevate your s’mores to the next level.

Here are a few cookie options we recommend for your elevated s’mores:

• Classic: Chocolate Chip

• Sweet: Sugar

• Cozy: Snickerdoodle

• Adventurous: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut

• Just for Fun (and birthdays): Funfetti

• Romantic: Valentine’s Pink Shortbread Hearts

Add a marshmallow to these chocolate ganache sandwich cookies for an unexpected

Valentine’s Day treat.

For s’mores with shortbread cookies during the rest of the year, or when you’re not

gifting these to a romantic paramour, remove the beetroot powder and use a circular or

rectangular form to cut out the cookies.

White chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie s'mores with sunflower seed butter cups and vegan marshmallows