We love gathering friends around our backyard fire pit, which means we make a lot of s’mores. That also gives us plenty of chances to experiment with creative twists on the classic recipe. While the traditional s’more will always be a favorite, trying new ingredients and combinations keeps things fun—and often leads to versions we like even better. Below are five of our favorite upgraded s’more ideas to try at your next fire pit night or beach bonfire.
All of these variations are simple to make and still include the best part: roasting over an open flame. You don’t need to be a fancy home chef to pull them off—just bring a few extra ingredients and let guests create their own combinations.
S’more Night Firepit Supplies
A quick note on our fire pit setup and the supplies we keep on hand to make s’more nights effortless. Having the essentials ready makes it easy to bring everything outside in one trip and keeps the evening relaxed and fun.
- Bonfire-style fire pit and a simple lid to cover it when finished
- Comfortable outdoor chairs
- String lights for ambiance
- Firewood and kindling
- Outdoor storage for keeping firewood dry
We keep a small metal caddy with s’mores essentials in the kitchen so it’s easy to carry everything out at once. Inside we store graham crackers, chocolate bars, marshmallows, paper plates and napkins, a lighter, and reusable metal roasting sticks. Pro tip: soak the roasted-stick ends in water overnight to loosen any stuck-on marshmallow before cleaning.
Five S’more Upgrades
Here are the five elevated s’more ideas we rotate through: savory s’mores, chocolate swaps, cracker swaps, adding fresh fruit or spreads, and marshmallow-fluff dips. Each category is easy to customize and great for letting guests build their own creations.
1. Savory S’mores
Imagine a marriage of s’mores and a charcuterie board. Instead of roasting marshmallows, roast bite-sized snacking cheeses over the flame—then pair them with cured meats, jam, or a drizzle of hot honey. Savory s’mores turn a casual snack into a substantial, no-dishes-needed dinner that’s fun for groups.
Offer a few cheeses, sturdy savory crackers, and a variety of toppings so guests can mix and match. Some favorites to include: brie wheels, fontina, herb cheddar bites, or Babybel for an easy-to-roast option. For crackers, rosemary, butter shortbread, or gluten-free options work well. Toppings like salami, prosciutto, fig jam, and hot honey elevate the savory profile.
Keep snacking cheeses chilled until just before roasting. We’ve had success keeping them cold at the fire by freezing a shallow tray of ice and nesting another pan on top to hold the cheeses and meats.
2. Chocolate Swaps
The easiest upgrade is swapping the chocolate. Try thin minty candies, dark peanut butter cups, sea-salt caramel squares, or Kit Kat minis. Smaller, thinner bars tend to melt nicely between a toasted marshmallow and a cracker. One unexpected favorite is cream-de-menthe mints paired with a toasty marshmallow—refreshing and delicious.
3. Cracker Swaps
Swap graham crackers for sturdier or more flavorful bases—saltines, chocolate chip cookies, Ritz, stroopwafels, pretzel thins, shortbread, or Oreo Thins. Saltines with a mint chocolate and a toasted marshmallow are a surprising favorite thanks to the sweet-and-salty contrast.
4. Add Fresh Fruit or Spreads
Fresh fruit adds brightness and texture. Thin slices of strawberries, bananas, green apples, peaches, nectarines, or pears work especially well, and whole berries are great for smaller bites. Fruit can be used alongside chocolate or as a replacement.
If you want fruit flavor with less prep, use spreads like peanut butter, Nutella, cookie butter, lemon curd, honey, or jam. For example, shortbread + fresh strawberries + toasted marshmallow gives a delightful strawberry-shortcake vibe.
5. Fluff Dips
Skip individual marshmallows and use marshmallow fluff as a dip. Roast an ingredient on your stick—strawberries, peach or apple slices, pineapple chunks, balls of edible cookie dough, or mini peanut butter cups—then dip it into the fluff, toast briefly, and enjoy. You can eat it straight or sandwich it between crackers. A whole strawberry dipped in toasted fluff becomes warm and gooey like a mini pie.
Our Favorite Combos
To help you get started, here are a few of our go-to combinations:
John’s Top 3 S’mores
- Traditional s’more with sliced strawberries on graham crackers
- Savory s’more with fig jam, prosciutto, and fontina on a rosemary cracker
- Lemon curd with toasted marshmallow (no chocolate) on saltines
Sherry’s Top 3 S’mores
- Traditional s’more using a mint chocolate on a Ritz cracker
- Savory s’more with hot honey, salami, and Babybel on a Ritz cracker
- Whole strawberry dipped in toasted marshmallow fluff (no cracker)
Happy s’mores-ing! Try mixing categories—chocolate swaps with fresh fruit or a savory element—to discover your new favorite combination. We’ll keep experimenting and sharing what works best around the fire.
Other Posts You Might Enjoy
If you’re interested in backyard inspiration beyond s’more nights, we’ve documented projects like expanding our backyard and adding an outdoor movie setup—ideas that pair perfectly with cozy fire pit evenings.
*Some product names and examples are mentioned for inspiration and are not endorsements or paid placements.