We love gathering friends around our backyard fire pit, which means we make a lot of s’mores. Over time we’ve tried plenty of variations on the classic treat, and experimenting with new ingredients keeps things fun. While the traditional s’more is always a winner, some of these upgrades have become favorites that we reach for again and again. Below are five easy and delicious ways to elevate your next fire pit or beach bonfire s’more night.
Each idea is simple to pull off and still includes the best part: roasting over an open flame. You don’t need to be a skilled cook or spend hours prepping—these are accessible, fun tweaks anyone can try.
S’more Night Firepit Supplies
Before the recipes, a quick note about our fire pit setup and the items we regularly use. Having the right basics makes hosting effortless.
- Bonfire-style fire pit with a lid for safety and ease.
- Comfortable outdoor seating like Adirondack chairs.
- LED string lights to set the mood.
- Firewood and kindling; we buy firewood locally and use small sticks from the yard as kindling.
- Outdoor storage box to keep wood and supplies dry.
We keep a metal caddy stocked with s’mores essentials in a nearby cabinet so everything can be carried out in one trip. In our kit you’ll find the standard graham crackers, chocolate bars and marshmallows, plus small paper plates, napkins, a lighter, and reusable metal roasting sticks. Little hacks like soaking roasted stick ends in water overnight make cleanup much easier the next day.
Five S’more Upgrades
Here are the five categories of upgraded s’mores we recommend trying:
- Savory s’mores
- Chocolate swaps
- Cracker swaps
- Fresh fruit or spreads
- Fluff dips
1. Savory S’mores
Imagine a mash-up of s’mores and a charcuterie board. For savory s’mores, roast small bites of snacking cheese over the fire instead of marshmallows. Replace the chocolate with cured meats like salami or prosciutto and add a jam, honey, or even hot honey for a sweet-spicy counterpoint. This idea gives you a whole new flavor profile while keeping the communal, hands-on fun of making s’mores.
Set up a small spread with three categories: cheeses, crackers, and toppings. Popular snacking cheeses include brie wheels, fontina, herb cheddar bites, and Babybel. For crackers, rosemary crackers and buttery shortbreads add nice texture and flavor, and for toppings try charcuterie meats, fig jam, or hot honey. We’ve found Babybel to be a crowd favorite for roasting—bite-sized and creamy when warmed.
To keep chilled cheeses cool while enjoying the fire, we freeze a layer of ice in a disposable baking pan and nest another pan on top to corral the ingredients. Savory s’mores can serve as dinner—zero dishes, lots of variety, and dessert s’mores can follow later.
2. Chocolate Swaps
Swapping the classic chocolate bar for different chocolate treats is the easiest upgrade. Try thin minty chocolates, dark peanut butter cups, sea salt caramel squares, or Kit Kat minis. Thinner chocolates tend to melt more quickly and evenly, but experiment to find what you like best. Our favorite unexpected winner is a mint chocolate—we prefer it even to the standard Hershey’s bar.
3. Cracker Swaps
Change the base of your s’more for a surprising flavor shift. Use sturdy alternatives that can support fillings: saltines, chocolate chip cookies, Ritz crackers, stroopwafels, pretzel thins, butter shortbreads, or thin Oreos. The saltine in particular adds a bright salty contrast that pairs beautifully with a toasty marshmallow and mint chocolate.
4. Add Fresh Fruit or Spreads
Fresh fruit brightens a s’more and adds a fresh, juicy element. Thin slices of strawberries, bananas, apples, peaches, nectarines, pears, or whole berries all work well. If you want less prep, swap in spreads like peanut butter, Nutella, cookie butter, lemon curd, or any fruit jam for instant flavor variations. A shortbread cookie with sliced strawberries and a toasted marshmallow can taste like strawberry shortcake—definitely worth trying.
5. Fluff Dips
Instead of roasting a marshmallow, try dipping an ingredient into marshmallow fluff, spooning it on evenly, then toasting the whole thing. Great items to dip include whole strawberries, peach or apple slices, pineapple chunks, edible cookie dough balls, or mini peanut butter cups. After toasting, enjoy directly or press between crackers. A whole strawberry dipped in fluff and toasted becomes warm and gooey—an unexpectedly indulgent bite.
Our Favorite Combos
To help you get started, here are our current top three combinations from each of us:
John’s Top 3 S’mores
- Traditional s’more with sliced strawberries on graham crackers
- Savory s’more: fig jam, prosciutto, and fontina on a rosemary cracker
- Lemon curd and toasted marshmallow on saltines (no chocolate)
Sherry’s Top 3 S’mores
- Traditional s’more using mint chocolate on a Ritz cracker
- Savory s’more with hot honey, salami, and Babybel on a Ritz cracker
- Whole strawberry dipped in marshmallow fluff
Have fun mixing and matching these ideas to create your own signature s’more. Happy s’mores-ing—keep experimenting and discovering new favorites!
Other Posts You Might Enjoy
If you’re inspired to upgrade your outdoor space, consider exploring ideas for expanding a backyard, adding a pool, hosting outdoor movie nights, or creating cozy firepit areas. These projects make gathering outdoors even more enjoyable.