05 Sep How to Make the Ultimate S’mores
S’mores are an American classic and a staple of any camping trip, whether you’re visiting a campground in the Lake George area or Lake Tahoe. There’s just something about the combination of toasted marshmallows, melted chocolate, graham crackers, and a roaring fire that signifies camping. Fun fact: the term s’more was first found in the 1938 guide “Recreational Programs for Summer Camps” by William Henry Gibson.
S’mores are thought to have gotten their name from frequent requests for “some more” whenever they were made. The perfect s’more requires the proper ingredients and equipment, and we’re here to make sure you have it all. Happy marshmallow roasting!
Ingredients
For a traditional s’more, you only need a few simple ingredients: graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. If you want to get fancy, you can add things like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, coconut flakes, Oreos, caramel sauce, or Nutella. They even make jumbo marshmallows, marshmallows stuffed with chocolate, and flavored marshmallows (we’ve seen mint chocolate, birthday cake, cookies, and cream) for a truly unique s’mores experience.
Shake things up further with cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers, or forego the graham cracker altogether and use shortbread, chocolate chip cookies, or even pop tarts instead for your exterior. The sky is the limit! Feel free to get creative with additions and toppings to create your own ultimate s’more experience.
Equipment & Technique
For a traditional campfire s’mores experience, all you will need as far as equipment goes is an open flame and some wooden sticks (bonus points if you forage your own sticks from the campground you are standing at) or metal skewers for marshmallow roasting. And lots and lots of napkins because all that melty goodness can get extremely messy! By the way, we do have firepits on-site at Lake George Campsites, and we also sell firewood, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers at our Camp Store…so we’ve got you covered when you camp with us.
If you don’t have access to a fire, you can use your grill to make s’mores. Heat your grill to about medium heat. Then, assemble your s’mores and wrap them in aluminum foil. Once you place these on the grill, they’ll be ready in just four to five minutes. A toaster oven makes a great alternative as well and requires similar instructions to grilling. Simply wrap your s’more in foil and toast for a few minutes until it gets nice and gooey.
There are also all sorts of s’mores machines and makers for both indoor and outdoor use on the market. They have ones for the microwave, ones with electric heaters built in, ones for the grill, and more. Check out this list to see which s’mores maker will work best for you and your family.
Tips & Tricks
The dirty pillow is a trick where you insert a piece of chocolate inside that marshmallow before roasting it. Roast the marshmallow until it is golden brown on the outside, then tuck it between two graham crackers and watch the warm chocolate ooze out. If you want to get really crazy, use a Rollo instead of a normal piece of chocolate, and you’ll get that gooey caramel as well. Like mint? Stuff your marshmallow with an Andes mint for a mint-chocolate s’more.
Spread a layer of peanut butter on each graham cracker before you top it with chocolate and marshmallows. You won’t regret it. Use crunchy peanut butter for an added texture.
If peanut butter isn’t your thing, try spreading a layer of jam on your graham crackers before you assemble your s’more. Strawberry, blueberry, raspberry – the combinations are endless! You could even use fresh fruit if that’s what you have on hand.
If you like a salty element to your desserts, try using Ritz crackers instead of graham crackers. Ritz are rich, buttery, and have the perfect amount of salt, making them an excellent vehicle for marshmallows and chocolate.
Add a scoop of ice cream to your s’more on a particularly hot summer day.
Ready to book your 2023 camping and s’mores-making experience?
You have the option to camp in a tent, park your RV, or stay in one of our cozy cottages at Lake George Campsites. Our Lake George campground is loaded with amenities for you and your family and is located within walking distance of many popular Lake George attractions. AND we have a campfire and s’mores at our community firepit every Friday evening so you can make new friends while you enjoy your favorite camping dessert.