3 Campfire Desserts That Are Better Than S’mores

Who doesn’t love s’mores? This classic campfire dessert may be delicious, but it can turn into a sticky mess, leaving kids covered in marshmallow and chocolate. Try these three less-mess versions that have all the flavor of the traditional treat.

 

S’mores have been a camp tradition ever since the recipe first appeared in the 1927 edition of the Girl Scout handbook. And there’s no doubt why it was given its name — short for “some more.”

To date no one seems to know who actually started toasting a marshmallow over a campfire. It was probably some camp counselor who couldn’t stand baking up another can of pork and beans. But it’s in the United States where most are now consumed — 90 million pounds per year, to be exact. The majority of those consumers are, no surprise, under the age of 12. Truth is, parents loathe the making of s’mores on camping trips. The gooey mess gets all over the kids’ clothes, making them bear bait for the rest of the evening. So try these not-so-sticky recipes.

S’MORE CREPES

S’mores are pretty much downgraded versions of a fancy French crepe. Spread chocolate-hazelnut spread on a soft tortilla, sprinkle icing sugar and coconut shavings on top, roll up in a piece of foil and roast in the campfire or a Dutch oven.

MEXICAN S’MORES

Spread a generous amount of peanut butter on a soft tortilla, add a layer of chocolate chips and mini marshmallows and then roll up the tortilla. Wrap it in foil and cook over a fire on a grill for just under five minutes. Unwrap and eat with a spoon.

SQUIRTY S’MORES

Toast a marshmallow over the fire and then, without removing it from the stick, roll it in a pie plate a quarter full of Hershey’s chocolate syrup and crushed graham crackers.

 

the new trailside cookbook cover


The above was excerpted with permission from The New Trailside Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes for the Camp Chef by Kevin Callan and Margaret Howard (Firefly Books; $19.95).

 

Also See:

Top 10 Tips for Cooking on the Campfire