There’s nothing wrong with the classic combination of graham crackers, toasted marshmallows and chocolate. It’s warm, gooey, messy and pretty close to perfect. But sometimes you’ve got to let the graham crackers sit this one out. From glazed doughnuts and peanut butter cups to cookies, brownies and salty potato chips, these creative s’mores take everyone’s favorite campfire treat into deliciously ridiculous new territory. Light the fire—or turn on the oven—and prepare to make life a little more awesome.

1. Chocolate-Chip Cookie S’mores

Replace the graham crackers with two soft chocolate-chip cookies. Add a toasted marshmallow and a square of milk chocolate for an extra-rich version of the original. For maximum awesomeness, warm the cookies slightly before assembling.

2. Peanut Butter Cup S’mores

Forget the plain chocolate bar and add a peanut butter cup instead. The warm marshmallow softens the chocolate and peanut butter into one gloriously gooey layer.

3. Glazed Doughnut S’mores

Slice a glazed doughnut in half and toast the cut sides lightly. Sandwich a toasted marshmallow and chocolate between the halves. It’s excessive. It’s sticky. It’s magnificent.

4. Oreo S’mores

Carefully separate an Oreo and place a toasted mini marshmallow between the cookies. You can leave the original filling intact or add a small square of chocolate. These are small enough that eating three still counts as one serving. We don’t make the rules.

5. Brownie S’mores

Use two small brownie squares in place of graham crackers. Add your toasted marshmallow and skip the extra chocolate—or include it because you’ve already committed to the brownie lifestyle.

6. Salted Caramel S’mores

Drizzle warm caramel sauce over the toasted marshmallow and finish with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. The sweet-and-salty combination makes this simple variation feel surprisingly fancy.

7. Chocolate-Covered Pretzel S’mores

Use chocolate-covered pretzels as the outside layers. Add a toasted marshmallow between them for a crunchy, salty and wonderfully messy bite. Pretzel crisps also work well and are slightly easier to hold.

8. Strawberry Shortcake S’mores

Use sliced shortcake or pound cake instead of graham crackers. Add a toasted marshmallow, sliced strawberries and white chocolate. It’s like strawberry shortcake went camping.

9. Cinnamon Roll S’mores

Slice a small cinnamon roll horizontally, toast the inside surfaces and add chocolate and marshmallow. Leave the icing on. Obviously.

10. Bacon S’mores

Add a strip of crispy bacon between the chocolate and toasted marshmallow. The smoky, salty bacon cuts through the sweetness surprisingly well.

11. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie S’mores

Use two peanut butter cookies with a toasted marshmallow and dark chocolate. The slightly bitter chocolate balances the sweet cookies and marshmallow.

12. Lemon S’mores

Sandwich a toasted marshmallow and white chocolate between two lemon cookies. Add a tiny spoonful of lemon curd for even more citrus flavor. Bright, sweet and completely different from traditional s’mores.

13. Apple Pie S’mores

Use cinnamon cookies and add a thin layer of apple pie filling beneath the marshmallow. White chocolate or caramel makes an excellent finishing touch. Keep the apple layer small unless you want the entire thing sliding into your lap.

14. Chocolate Waffle S’mores

Toast two miniature waffles and use them as your sandwich. Add chocolate-hazelnut spread and a toasted marshmallow. These work for dessert, breakfast or any meal where responsible decision-making has been temporarily suspended.

15. Rice Krispies Treat S’mores

Slice a Rice Krispies treat into two thinner pieces and use them in place of graham crackers. Add chocolate and a lightly toasted marshmallow. Yes, it involves putting a marshmallow between two things already made from marshmallows. That’s called commitment.

16. Banana Split S’mores

Use vanilla cookies or sliced pound cake with chocolate, marshmallow and thinly sliced banana. Add strawberry sauce for the full banana-split experience.

17. Mint Chocolate S’mores

Replace milk chocolate with a chocolate-covered mint or mint-flavored chocolate square. Pair it with chocolate cookies and a toasted marshmallow. It tastes a little like a warm campfire version of mint-chocolate ice cream.

18. Chocolate-Hazelnut S’mores

Spread chocolate-hazelnut spread on two cookies, then sandwich a toasted marshmallow between them. Add sliced banana or strawberries if you want to pretend fruit makes this healthier.

19. Coconut S’mores

Use coconut cookies with white chocolate and toasted marshmallow. Sprinkle toasted coconut over the warm marshmallow before closing the sandwich.

20. Potato Chip S’mores

Place sturdy, kettle-cooked potato chips inside a traditional s’more—or use chocolate-covered potato chips as the outer layers. The crunch and salt make this much better than it has any right to be.

21. S’mores Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Place a small scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream between two cookies. Add marshmallow spread and mini chocolate chips. These aren’t campfire-friendly, but they’re perfect for brutally hot summer afternoons.

22. S’mores Nachos

Spread chocolate pieces, miniature marshmallows and broken cookies across a cast-iron skillet or foil pan. Heat everything until the chocolate softens and the marshmallows turn golden. Set the pan in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.

23. S’mores Dip

Place a layer of chocolate in an oven-safe skillet and cover it with marshmallows. Bake until melted and golden, then serve with cookies, pretzels, strawberries, apple slices or doughnut pieces. This is one of the easiest ways to make s’mores for a crowd.

24. S’mores-Stuffed Croissants

Add chocolate and miniature marshmallows to refrigerated crescent-roll dough. Roll and bake according to the package instructions. The result is flaky, buttery and dangerously easy to eat.

25. The Ultimate DOOZY S’more

Start with two warm chocolate-chip cookies. Add a peanut butter cup, a toasted marshmallow, crispy bacon and a drizzle of salted caramel. Is it sensible? Absolutely not. Is it awesome? Hell yes.

No Campfire? No Problem

You don’t need an open fire to make great s’mores.

Oven

Place your marshmallows on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil them briefly. Watch constantly because they can go from golden to charcoal remarkably quickly.

Air fryer

Heat assembled open-faced s’mores at approximately 350°F for two to four minutes. Cooking times vary, so check them frequently.

Microwave

Place one marshmallow on your chosen base and microwave it for approximately 10–15 seconds. Add the chocolate and top immediately.

The microwave won’t provide that toasted campfire flavor, but it will deliver the necessary gooey chaos.

Build Your Own S’mores Bar

A s’mores bar is an easy addition to a cookout, birthday party or backyard movie night. Set out several choices from each category and let everyone create a custom combination.

Try offering:

• Chocolate-chip, peanut butter, lemon and sandwich cookies
• Milk, dark, white, mint and caramel-filled chocolates
• Traditional, chocolate and flavored marshmallows
• Peanut butter, chocolate-hazelnut spread and caramel sauce
• Strawberries, bananas, bacon, pretzels and potato chips

Just be prepared for someone to construct a six-inch dessert monstrosity and insist it’s structurally sound.

Final Bite

The classic s’more will always deserve a place beside the campfire. But once you replace the graham crackers with warm cookies, glazed doughnuts or brownies, it becomes clear that we’ve only scratched the surface of what melted chocolate and toasted marshmallows can accomplish. So gather your favorite ingredients, light the fire and create something deliciously ridiculous. After all, making life awesome occasionally requires making a complete mess.