How to Make S’mores Without a Campfire

S’mores are a classic American dessert featuring toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate wedged between two graham cracker halves.

While the exact date that s’mores were invented remains a mystery, the pairing of chocolate with marshmallow goes all the way back to the Victorian era, when the combination could be found in a traditional funeral cake.

First sold in 1913, Mallomars are one of the most popular pre-cursors to s’mores. The sweet treat, which resembles an inverted s’more, combines cookies and marshmallows covered in a thin chocolate coating.

The first recorded mention of s’mores goes back to 1927, when a recipe attributed to troop leader Loretta Scott Crew appeared in the Girl Scouts’ handbook, Tramping and Trailing With the Girl Scouts. The recipe for s’mores remains unchanged, unlike its name: the campfire treat was originally named “Some More.”

There are only three ingredients in a traditional s’more: Graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and a few squares from a milk chocolate bar. However, the s'more recipe lends itself to a number of additions:

• Peanut butter: The only thing missing from a basic s’more is a salty component like peanut butter. Spread a spoonful of peanut butter onto the graham crackers for a well-balanced tasty treat.
• Dark chocolate: Rather than milk chocolate, substitute a more complex chocolate bar. Add a few squares of bittersweet dark chocolate, or milk chocolate with nuts or toffee into your s’more to off-set the sweetness of the marshmallow, or add textural dimension.
• Rice cereal: Add rice cereal to a mixture of chocolate chips, graham crackers bits, and cooked marshmallows for this playful take on the original s’mores recipe. Spread in a baking tin and let set.

You don’t need a roaring campfire to make s’mores. Using these methods, you can create s’mores from the comfort of your own kitchen.

• Oven-made s’mores: Preheat the oven to broil, or its highest setting. Place the oven rack on the top rung, leaving a little space between the broiler coils but ensuring direct exposure to the heat. Evenly space out graham cracker halves on a baking sheet and top with a square or two of chocolate. Balance a marshmallow on top, and set under the broiler for 30 seconds, or until charred and melty. Remove and top with another graham cracker half.
• Microwaved s’mores: For an equally chewy, less-charred s’more, you can use a microwave. Place one graham cracker on a microwave-safe plate, and top with chocolate squares and marshmallow. The marshmallow will expand very quickly, so keep an eye on it and be ready to pull it out in about 15–20 seconds. Top with another graham cracker and enjoy.
• Stovetop s’mores: If you have a gas range stovetop, you can roast the marshmallows over the stove like you would a campfire. Just be sure to be careful if the marshmallow gets too hot as they can ignite, and to turn the stove off when you’re done.