I firmly believe it’s not a successful summer until you’ve had a s’more. But I also acknowledge that some of us (including me!) don’t have ready access to a campfire. While a microwave s’more is fine in a pinch — I’ve done it — there’s a better alternative: Bake a s’mores-inspired dessert.
You can really get creative with the template of chocolate, graham cracker, and toasted marshmallow. In these S’more Cupcakes, that trio takes the form of a moist chocolate cake with a secret cookie butter center and two toasted marshmallows in place of frosting. (They get their fire-kissed finish from the broiler, no need for a blowtorch.)
To make these S’more Granola Bars, bake a buttery oat base, then melt chocolate chips directly on top of the warm crust when it comes out of the oven. Finish with a pile of broiled marshmallows and a handful of reserved crust dough. You can also make these three-layered Mallow Bars, which flip the marshmallows and chocolate so that a thick band of homemade marshmallow hides beneath a blanket of fudgy ganache.
Two of the most inventive s’mores twists on our site are also two unanimous King Arthur favorites. The first is this S’mores Icebox Cake, whose standout feature is the layer of toasted marshmallow whipped cream that binds together layers of graham crackers and fudge sauce. And then there’s our S’mores Rice Krispies Treats, which epitomize everything great about childhood summer snacking. The crisp graham cracker base is covered in a layer of melted chocolate, then topped with marshmallow-coated cereal for a hand-held treat that captures everything you love about the classic campfire dessert.
