When I was young, my family often took rather long drives to my grandparents’ house. They had a barn, but didn’t have a farm. It was just a wide open space where I could run around to my heart’s content and never really got bored.

Almost every night, the grown-ups would gather lawn chairs and set them in a circle around the fire pit in the middle of the backyard.

We’d get out the bug spray and some s’mores making supplies and spend hours telling (well, I mostly listened) to family stories, eating s’mores and watching the fire dance. Sometimes, my grandma would throw in an aluminum wrapper from a Hershey’s bar, and we’d watch the flame change colors a bit. You can’t do that with the current chocolate bar wrappers. 

Both of my sons are in Boy Scouts. My youngest son learned how to make a s’mores variation that we used when his older brother went to a weekend-long camp. 

The traditional s’mores recipe is graham crackers, chocolate and roasted marshmallows. We learned from one group that using Fudge Stripe cookies or something similar is tasty and easy to put together.

The first official recipe for a s’more came out in the 1927 Girl Scout guidebook “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.”

The book, like many scouting guidebooks, was meant to give advice on how to be a good Girl Scout. Originally intending to feed 16 hungry scouts, the recipe was later credited to a troop leader named Loretta Scott Crew. It calls for 16 graham crackers, eight bars of plain chocolate and 16 marshmallows. Next, it says to toast the marshmallows to a “crispy, gooey state.” Then, put the marshmallow on top of a chocolate bar and in between two graham crackers.

It’s unclear when the name was shortened to simply “s’more,” but various Girl Scout publications kept referring to the treat as “Some More” until at least 1971.

Boy Scout holds a s’more made inside an ice cream cone.
S’mores made in an ice cream cone.

Ice cream cone s’mores

During another camp, we learned about ice-cream cone s’mores. 

This version calls for large waffle cones, mini marshmallows, whatever flavor chips you want and sprinkles. Really you want dessert items that can melt in your ice cream cone, so no hot fudge or whipped cream until after you unwrap your s’mores.

First you get a piece of aluminum foil big enough to completely wrap the cone in. Secondly, you make sure the fire is low heat, with just coals. We used a charcoal grill that had grey charcoal in it.

Stuff the waffle cone with marshmallows at the bottom. Pack them in tight. Then add the chips and the sprinkles. After thoroughly stuffing the cone, wrap it completely in foil and put in over the fire coals.

Wait for about five minutes, turning it about halfway through. Carefully pull the wrapped cone out of the fire using tongs, preferably top side up. Serve at whatever temperature you can stand peeling the foil off the cone.

I made one out of marshmallows, chocolate chips, pecan pieces and mint chips once in the fall. We had some messy cones due to things melting and spilling out of the top, but overall, it was a clean and neat way to enjoy the s’mores.

A teenage roasts a marshmallow in a bonfire.
A person roasts marshmallows at a bonfire.

S’more buffet

During a recent bonfire held by the local school district’s fundraising foundation, my youngest son and I learned about s’more buffet. They help you feed large crowds and offer a variety of flavors.

Our was set out on a cutting board where we selected each thing we wanted. Besides the marshmallow, some toppings to consider are:

  • Reese’ peanut butter cups
  • Flavored candy bars that are thin like Lindt, Ghirardelli
  • Chocolate chip cookies
  • flavored graham crackers like cinnamon and chocolate
  • Use marshmallows that are “stuffed” with different flavors

We hope you have fun around the campfire. Send other suggestions for s’mores in the comments or send a message.

We’ll see you on the next adventure!