15 Ways to Enjoy S'mores, from Basic to Boozy

The simple and cheap combination of graham crackers, chocolate, and a soft, gooey marshmallow is deliciously sweet and satisfying -- somehow more so for being messy, especially when enjoyed in the traditional way: fireside, while camping, with marshmallows toasted by hand on a long stick. But this flavor profile has been applied to everything from cookies and cakes to cocktails. While some of these recipes aren't as delightfully sloppy as the classic fireside treat, they all stack up in terms of flavor.

A campfire isn't absolutely necessary for the perfect s'more. With a little help from the broiler, they can be an easy dessert any night of the week. Place two marshmallows cut in half onto one half of a graham cracker, cut sides down. Broil on high for about 1 minute, or until slightly puffed. Add chocolate (typically from a chocolate bar) to the other half of the cracker and place under the broiler, along with the marshmallow halves, for another 30 to 60 seconds, until the chocolate is glistening and the marshmallows have just turned golden on top. Sandwich together and enjoy while still warm.

This pie is for those who want the flavor of s'mores with the convenience of eating with a fork or spoon. There are a number of s'mores pie recipes out there, but one posted on Tasty Kitchen nicely captures the essence of s'mores, adding just a few baking ingredients to the mix to bring the pie together. The textures are preserved: a bit of crunch along with creamy and sticky marshmallow and plenty of melted chocolate -- so much that some commenters opted to use less than half the eight candy bars prescribed for the filling. (If you like having your fingers in lot of pies, consider some of these easy recipes.)

Change up a classic brownie recipe by adding a marshmallow top and a graham cracker crust to make a winning combination of two favorite treats. The Kitchn has a decadent and dangerously addictive recipe that uses a broiler to get the right toasted char on the marshmallow. It might be a good idea to make these as dessert to bring to a potluck, rather than keep an entire pan of temptation around.

Get the full effect of s'mores in a neat, easy, and more portable package. S'mores cookies from the blog Real Housemoms are loaded with toasted and melty marshmallows, chocolate, and graham flavor to recreate the s'mores experience in an oversize, soft cookie that takes only a half-hour to make.

This cake is sure to be admired and devoured at birthday parties and other celebrations. A recipe from the blog My Baking Addiction makes a dessert more impressive and delicious than cakes that cost much more. The ingredients include graham flour, which provides authentic graham cracker flavor, but regular whole wheat flour can be substituted. The real impact comes from the actual graham crackers, drizzled in chocolate, that crown this cake. (True chocoholics will love these scrumptious cake recipes, too.) 

This sweet frozen dessert from the blog The Gunny Sack will delight people of all ages with its toasted marshmallow flavor and cool creamy texture. In a blender, combine vanilla ice cream, chocolate spread, marshmallow cream, graham crackers, and chopped chocolate bars. The recipe calls for an elaborate garnish of mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, and a whole toasted marshmallow, but any marshmallows and chocolate will do.

This cake from the blog How Sweet It Is is easy to make -- and much cheaper than a store-bought ice cream cake -- but requires some patience. Repeated trips to the freezer to set the crust, chocolate layer, ice cream layer, and topping bring the total time to eight hours (most of it down time). But from the graham cracker crust to the toasted marshmallows on top, it's worth the wait.

When cupcakes met s'mores, it was love at first bite. These layered cupcakes from the blog Life, Love and Sugar magnify the appeal of regular chocolate cupcakes or a simple marshmallow fluff sandwich. They combine all the flavors and soft, luscious texture of s'mores into individual cakes supported with a graham cracker crust.

These treats combine the classic elements of s'mores into tempting bars that will stay fresh for a few days. A recipe posted on Food.com uses a few baking essentials such as vanilla, butter, and eggs to transform s'mores into individual tea and coffee snacks or on-the-go treats in less than an hour of cooking time. A favorite step in the instructions: When arranging a layer of chocolate bars over the dough, "you may be forced to eat a couple pieces" that don't fit.

How can you make a great thing even better? Add peanut butter. To bring s'mores to the next level, try smearing each half of the graham cracker with peanut butter before layering on the marshmallow and chocolate. The peanut butter will melt quickly, so the time spent under the broiler may have to be cut in half. Try a layer of peanut butter in other s'mores recipes, as well, to add an extra nutty touch. Other nut butters, such as almond and cashew, also work.

This family-style, one-pan wonder is a show stopper. BuzzFeed Food demonstrates how to create a communal vessel of melted marshmallow and chocolate to scoop up with graham crackers. Simply dump a bag of semi-sweet morsels into a skillet, cover with a layer of marshmallows, and cook in an oven for 10 minutes or less to prepare an irresistable treat for a large group.

For a ready-to-grab dessert or midday treat, this combination of summer favorites is easy to make ahead and keeps for a few days in the freezer. The recipe from Real Simple needs just about 20 minutes of hands-on time, but the sandwiches must be frozen before and after they're dipped in chocolate.

There's no reason to choose between the nostalgic indulgence of s'mores and the sophisticated elegance of cheesecake. A recipe from the blog Will Cook for Smiles is surprisingly easy to make from cheap baking basics. This decadent dessert adds layers of chocolate and marshmallows to a traditional cheesecake with graham cracker crust.

For a customized treat a step above traditional s'mores, replace plain chocolate with a candy bar of choice. Slices of chocolate-covered coconut, peanut butter cups, or caramel and nougat coated in chocolate inject the classic s'more with extra flavor and texture.

Even mixologists want to work the tantalizing flavor of s'mores into their creations. A s'mores martini from the blog A Cocktail Life uses marshmallow vodka and a chocolate and graham cracker rim to bring the decadence of s'mores to a sweet tipple. Serve these for an adults-only take on the summer-camp treat.