How to turn any dessert into a s'more

This week’s Bake of the Week is S’more Granola Bars, a gooey, chocolatey, chewy treat inspired by the campfire classic that’s perfect for kids (or kids at heart).

But really, s’mores are more than just a campfire dessert. They’re a state of mind. A sun-soaked, firefly-catching, star-gazing, bonfire-smelling state of mind that embodies the unhurried dog days of summer.

Which means that a s’more can be anything you want it to be. It can be a cake, a pie, an ice cream sandwich, and more. With the trifecta — nutty graham crackers, rich chocolate, and sticky toasted marshmallows — here’s how to turn any dessert into this nostalgic classic.

Photograph by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne

How to s’more anything

(Can “s’more” be a verb? Yes! To s'more: the act of combining graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow into something better than the sum of its parts.)

The equation is simple: All you need to do is combine a graham cracker element + chocolate element + marshmallow element = a s’more dessert.

Think about the components that make up your dessert, like crust and filling or cake and frosting. Then build accordingly, like this:

Let’s break these down further:

To make a s’more cake

Bake up a chocolate cake base (Simple and Rich Chocolate Cake is a great choice). For the marshmallow element, Seven-Minute Frosting is the way to go: Made with whipped meringue, it’s very similar to Marshmallow Fluff. To complete things, sprinkle chopped Graham Crackers between the layers and on top of the frosted cake, which also provides a nice crunchy element.

John Sherman

To make a s’more pie

The graham cracker element is easy: Graham Cracker Crust, of course. For the filling, you can choose from a few different chocolate options. The filling for this Chocolate Midnight Pie is deep, dark, and ultra-rich; for a lighter choice, you could also use the filling from this Chocolate Cream Pie or make Chocolate Icebox Pie.

To finish the pie, spread the top with Homemade Marshmallow Spread. (A small offset spatula is incredibly handy.) You can then garnish with chocolate curls or crushed graham crackers for a final flourish. Or to really take it over the top, toast the topping with a kitchen blowtorch or under the broiler for a few minutes in the oven to emulate the kiss of a campfire.

Erica Allen

To make a s’more ice cream sandwich

The crossover event of the summer! This ice cream sandwich is made by churning up some Marshmallow Swirl Ice Cream, then sandwiching it between graham crackers and dipping each sandwich in fudge coating.

Find complete instructions in the “Tips” section at the bottom of the Marshmallow Swirl Ice Cream recipe page.

Shilpa Iyer

To make s’more cupcakes

Developed by PJ Hamel, these S’more Cupcakes feature a chocolatey base, a Biscoff spread (also known as “cookie butter”) filling, and a crown of gooey toasted marshmallows.

(For a flipped version of this — with a graham cracker cake base and melty chocolate filling — try these Mini S’more Cakes made as cupcakes, as explained in the "Tips" at the bottom of the recipe page.)

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

To make a s’more icebox cake

A simple formula of crunchy cookies + whipped cream, the icebox cake was meant to be riffed on. You can follow the basic recipe for Icebox Cake, then make a s’more-inspired version by using graham crackers as the cookie layer (either store-bought or homemade) and folding chopped chocolate and mini marshmallows into the whipped cream.

To take things even further, try drizzling chocolate fudge sauce atop each graham cracker layer as you assemble the cake.

To make s’more bars

To make, you can follow the recipe for Mallow Bars and simply swap out the shortbread cookie base for a homemade graham cracker base. Topped with a layer of thick, creamy marshmallow and indulgent chocolate ganache, these sliceable bars are like portable, less-messy s’mores.

For more summer baking inspiration, see our Classic Summer Desserts recipe collection.

Cover photo (S’more Granola Bars) by Rick Holbrook, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.