S’mores are typical North American and Canadian treats or sandwiches, beloved during camping and barbecues, especially by children.
The name derives from the contraction of “some more”, meaning “one more”, due to the irresistible urge to keep eating them.
The first written recipe appeared in 1927 in a manual of the American Girl Scouts, where it is attributed to Loretta Scott Crew.
More than sandwiches, S’mores are true sweet snacks: two Graham Crackers enclose a small square of chocolate (usually Hershey Company’s chocolate, an American chocolate manufacturer) and a hot, melted marshmallow, freshly toasted over the fire.
An extremely easy recipe, the only challenge is finding Graham Crackers in Italy, thin rectangular (cracker-shaped) biscuits made with whole wheat flour, marketed only in the United States and replaceable with Digestive biscuits or whole wheat crackers.
Or you can try making them yourself. Find the recipe:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2Pieces
- Cooking methods: Grill, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4 Graham crackers (or Digestive biscuits or crackers)
- 1.75 oz chocolate (1.5 cm thick)
- as needed white marshmallows
Preparation
Skewer the marshmallows and toast them until they are golden and soft, preferably on a barbecue grill or open flame. Alternatively, you can use a hot non-stick pan.
Assemble the s’more in the following order:
one Graham Cracker (or other dry biscuit)
a thick chocolate square (at least 0.6 inches)
the grilled marshmallow
and another cracker to close.
Press lightly to melt the chocolate and serve immediately.
If you want a stronger chocolate melt, you can quickly heat the assembled s’more on the grill or in the pan for a few seconds per side.
* What are Graham Crackers?
The Graham Crackers as we know them today were marketed in 1925 under the name Sugar Honey Grahams. Over the years, the name has changed several times and the recipe has undergone other variations and incarnations, such as the cinnamon version.
They are named after Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister who promoted the use of whole grains. Graham, in his time, was revolutionary from a nutritional standpoint because he was vegetarian.
They are named after Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister who promoted the use of whole grains. Graham, in his time, was revolutionary from a nutritional standpoint because he was vegetarian.
Can Digestive biscuits be an alternative to Graham Crackers?
You can replace Graham Crackers with McVitie’s Original Digestive Biscuits also available online, a type of semi-sweet biscuit originating from the UK.
Tips:
Use half marshmallows if too large.
You can slightly warm the biscuits before assembling to soften them.
Also consider McVitie’s Digestive Thin if you want something more similar to Graham in thickness.
Or you can also use:
Petit beurre or dry biscuits like Oro Saiwa, if you want something more neutral and crunchy.What type of Marshmallow is suitable for s’mores?
For authentic s’mores, the best marshmallows to use are:
Classic white, cylindrical
Standard size (not mini, nor jumbo): about 1–1.2 inches in diameter.
They are perfect for skewering, toasting, and squishing between crackers or biscuits.
Ingredients to check (if buying in Italy):
Avoid those with different flavors or colors (like strawberry or colored vanilla).
Choose those without external sugar coating.
Be mindful of gelatin if you have dietary restrictions (some contain animal gelatin, so better check for vegetarians/vegans).
Alternatives:
If you can’t find the American ones (like Kraft Jet-Puffed), Haribo white marshmallows cut in half work just fine.Haribo
Alternatively, you can make them at home (you’ll need sugar, glucose or honey, egg white, and gelatin), but it’s more laborious.What other desserts are inspired by s’mores?
The success of s’mores has inspired many desserts that incorporate the key ingredients: marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers (or similar cookies).
Here are the most popular s’mores-inspired desserts:
S’mores brownies or blondies – Chocolate brownies with a biscuit base, topped with toasted marshmallows.
Cookies – Cookies with dough that includes marshmallow pieces, chocolate, and crushed crackers.
S’mores bars – Layered bars: a biscuit base, chocolate layer, melted marshmallow, and crushed biscuit.
Cupcakes – Chocolate cupcakes with a marshmallow core or marshmallow cream and biscuit crumble on top.
S’mores pie – Tart with a cracker base, chocolate ganache filling, and marshmallow topping.
S’mores dip – A pan of melted chocolate and marshmallows for dipping with biscuits.
S’mores ice cream – Ice cream with chocolate, marshmallow, and biscuit crumble swirls.
S’mores rice krispies treats – A version of classic treats with puffed rice, enriched with chocolate and graham cracker.
S’mores cheesecake – Cheesecake with graham base, cream cheese filling, and toasted marshmallow topping.
S’mores milkshake – Shake with ice cream, chocolate, marshmallow, and crushed biscuits.What is the recipe for S’mores rice krispies treats?
Classic ingredients for the American version:
3 tablespoons of butter
1 pack (about 300 g) of mini marshmallows
6 cups of Rice Krispies (puffed rice)
1 cup of chocolate pieces (like milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
1 cup of roughly crushed graham crackers
Basic procedure:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted and smooth.
Remove from heat, stir in the puffed rice, and mix well.
Add the chocolate and graham crackers (you can save some for decoration on top).
Spread the mixture into a buttered pan and press firmly with a spatula.
Let cool and cut into squares.
Note: The chocolate can also be added on top, melted, for more of a “s’mores” effect.
The photo shows a version also enriched with nuts.
