5 Ways To Upgrade S’mores – Including Savory

We enjoy having friends over to our backyard fire pit, which means we eat A LOT of s’mores. It also means we have A LOT of opportunities to try unique twists on the traditional recipe. There is nothing wrong with a tried-and-true s’more, but test-testing new ingredients and combos keeps things lively – and we have certainly hit on some combos that we think are even more delicious than the original! So here are 5 of our go-to “upgraded” s’more ideas for your next backyard fire pit gathering (or beach bonfire!).

5 Upgrades Smores Hacks Shown On Table With Lively Ingredients

All of these are plain to execute and still involve the lively “roasting over an open flame” part. So do not feel like you need to do a lot of extra work or be a fancy home chef to pull them off (we certainly are not!).

S’more Night Firepit Supplies

Before we dive into the “recipes,” let us cover some basics about our backyard fire pit set-up. Here are the exact items we have & enjoy (nothing sponsored, all purchased with our own money).

Solo Stove Bonfire Firepit (with this Lid – which is all we use to cover it)
Polywood Adirondack Chairs
LED String Lights
Firewood (purchased locally) and kindling (sticks from yard)
Outdoor storage box (to keep our firewood dry)

Solo Stove firepit area with black Adirondack Chairs

We also have a metal storage caddy (we linked a similar one since ours is 5+ years old) with basic s’mores supplies in the cabinet above our fridge. This makes it MUCH EASIER to bring everything out to the fire in one trip. Here is what is in ours:

Standard s’mores ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate bars, & marshmallows
Small paper plates
Paper napkins
Lighter
Resuable metal roasting sticks (we ENJOY these – they also make a strong gift)

Smores Supply Kit In Metal Tin With Ingredients Lighter Plates Napkins And Metal Roasting Sticks

Swift pointer for the metal roasting sticks: They frequently have crispy burnt marshmallow bits left on them at the end of the night. Soak that end in water overnight to make cleaning much easier in the morning!

Five S’more Upgrades

Ok, we have made it to the lively part. Here are the 5 “fancy” s’mores we will cover today:

Savory s’mores
Chocolate swaps
Cracker swaps
Adding fruits or spreads
Fluff dips

1. Savory S’mores

What if s’mores had a baby with a charcuterie board? That is the idea here (which made the rounds on TikTok about a year ago and inspired us to give it a try). The gist is: instead of a marshmallow, you are roasting bite-size cheeses over an open a flame. And then you swap the chocolate for something like salami, add some fancy jam, and any other savory ingredients you’d like (we ENJOY hot honey on them).

Upraded Savory Smores With Cheeses Bri Crackers Proscuitto Salami and Honey

Like any meat & cheese platter, it is lively to have a spread of options for guests to try. Simply be sure to have 3 basic categories covered – cheeses, crackers, and toppings. Here are some of our go-tos:

Snacking Cheeses:

Brie Bite Wheels
Fontina Snacking Cheese
Italian Herb Cheddar Bites
Babybel Original

Savory Crackers:

Carr’s Rosemary Crackers
Breton Original Crackers
Gluten-Free Option for any guests who might need one

Toppings:

Charcuterie meats like salami, proscuitto, etc. We typically buy a variety pack.
Jam(s). This is our go-to spread.
Honey or hot honey (it truly is DELICIOUS when you add it to the mix)

Upgraded Savory Smores With Rosemary Cracker Italian Herb Cheddar Proscuitto and Fig Jam

As much as we enjoy the look of the fancy cheeses like brie, we have found the Babybel to be a crowd go-to!

Roasting Babybell Cheese Over Firepit Flame for Savory Smores

We are still working on our “presentation” of savory s’mores because, unlike a fancy cheese platter, we like to keep the snack cheeses wrapped & chilled until they are ready. We have had luck keeping them cold while they sit outside with us near the fire by freezing a layer of ice in a dispoable baking pan and then nesting another pan on top to corral our ingredients.

Bite Sized Cheese Options for Savory Smores

The absolute best part? You can have savory s’mores for dinner and then follow up with dessert s’mores later the same evening! Nobody has to be back in the kitchen preparing food while others hang outside. Zero dishes to wash. Absolutely a lively Hands-on dinner for everyone involved.

2. Chocolate Swaps

Upraded Smores With Chocolate Alternatives Like Andes Mints And Dark Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Things

The easiest way to mix-up your classic s’more recipe is to sub out the standard Hershey’s bar for other chocolate candies. Simply like the savory s’more spread above, it is a plain & lively way to let your kids or guests experiment. Simply pick up a few bars or bags of other chocolate-based treats. Here are our go-tos:

Andes Creme De Menthe Thins (we all think these beat traditional s’mores!)
Dark Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Thins
Ghiradelli Sea Salt Caramel Squares
Kit Kat Minis

Upgraded Smores With Andes Mints and Reeses Thin Dark Peanut Butter Cup

You can use simply about any snack or mini size chocolate bar (Snickers, Mr. Goodbar, etc). In our experience, the thinnner the better. But it is all personal preference, so we suggest experimenting! Sherry and I both agree the Andes mint version is underappreciated in the s’mores world and like them better than the original Hershey’s bar.

3. Cracker Swaps

Upraded Smores With Graham Cracker Alternatives Like Cookies and Saltines

Similarly, you can also trade out your classic graham cracker base for a new twist on a s’more. Simply be careful whatever you are using it large & sturdy sufficient to support your other ingredients. Here are some cracker alternatives to try:

Saltines (these with andes mints = our fav twist on a s’more ever)
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Tate’s are a strong size)
Ritz Crackers
Stroopwafels
Pretzel Thins
Butter Shortbread Cookies
Oreo Thins

Upgraded Smores With Saltines Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies

You might be surprised by how much these alterations can change the whole flavor of your s’more. And shockingly, the Saltine is one of our go-to swaps. That little hint of salt is *chef’s kiss*. Truly, try it with a toasty marshmallow and Andes mints instead of Hershey’s chocolate. We are awaiting our Michelin Star, it is that good.

4. Add Fresh Fruit or Spreads

Upraded Smores With Fruits and Spreads Like Strawberries Bananas Peanut Butter and Lemon Curd

One of our go-to recent discoveries is adding a hit of fresh fruit to our s’mores. It does take a smidge more prep, but regular s’mores now seem nearly boring by comparison. These ingredients can be used in addition to OR in place of chocolate:

Strawberries, sliced thin
Bananas, sliced thin
Green applies, sliced thin
Peach wedges
Nectarine wedges
Pear wedges
Whole blackberries or raspberries

Upgraded Smores With Banana And Peanut Butter Strawberry Slices and Chocolate Hot Honey on Saltines

Another way to get that fruit flavor but with less prep is using a fruit spread or jam, which we do Frequently! It tastes so good, and makes it truly lively and customizable for your family and guests. Simply spread one (or two!) of these on your base cracker first:

Peanut butter
Nutella
Cookie butter
Lemon curd
Honey or hot honey
Other fruit jams or jellies

Be creative with your combinations of these various categories to create a truly custom s’more. For instance, a shortbread cookie + fresh strawberries + toasted marshmallow can give you an nearly strawberry shortcake-like flavor.

5. Fluff Dips

Upraded Smores With Marshmallow Fluff Dips with Peaches Cookie Dough and Reeses Peanut Butter

Skip traditional marshmallow and grab a container of marshmallow fluff instead. Simply put one of the base ingredients below onto your roasting stick and dip it directly into the fluff. You may need a spoon to assist apply the fluff evenly. Then toast the whole thing over your flame.

Whole strawberries (with the cap took out)
Peach or apple slices
Pineapple chunks
Balls of edible cookie dough
Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Toasted Marshmallow Fluff With Whole Strawberry Over Firepit

After you are done toasting, you can eat it off a plate with your fingers or a fork – or squish it between two crackers for a traditional sandwich-style s’more. Also consider adding a drizzle of melted chocolate or honey on top! Do not sleep on a whole strawberry + marshmallow fluff (seen in the photo above). We lately tried them with friends and could not get sufficient. The fluff gets this toasty crunchy char on the outside and the inside of the strawberry is warm and goey like pie.