National S’mores Day

A crackling campfire, the smell of pine and smoke, and a circle of friends and family passing a bag of marshmallows and a bar of chocolate — these are the ingredients for s’mores. Roasting marshmallows over an open flame is a rite of summer. The perfect marshmallow is held over glowing embers until its outside is caramelized and crisp while its inside turns molten. Press it between two graham crackers with a square of chocolate and the heat melts the chocolate into the marshmallow. Take a bite and the sandwich squishes into gooey bliss. The name s’more is a contraction of some more, because one is never enough. The first known printed recipe appears in the 1927 Girl Scouts guide Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts under the name Some More. The recipe called for 16 graham crackers, 8 squares of chocolate and 16 marshmallows and instructed readers to toast the marshmallow, place it on a chocolate square on a cracker, then cover with another cracker. The treat likely predates the cookbook, as campfire cooks improvising with graham crackers (first made in the early 1800s as a wholesome snack), Hershey’s chocolate (introduced in 1900) and marshmallows (commercially available from the late nineteenth century) would have discovered the combination’s magic.

National S’mores Day on August 10 celebrates this quintessential American treat and the culture of campfires that goes with it. To celebrate, build a safe fire in a fire pit, fireplace or grill. Slide a marshmallow onto a skewer or stick and hold it over the coals, rotating until evenly toasted. For variations, thread the marshmallow onto a twig along with a square of caramel or peanut butter cup. Place the hot marshmallow onto a graham cracker topped with chocolate and press another cracker on top. Wait a second for the heat to soften the chocolate, then enjoy as gooey marshmallow oozes out the sides. If you’re not near a fire, you can make s’mores indoors: toast marshmallows over a gas stove flame, use a kitchen torch, or bake a tray of s’mores in the oven. Get creative with flavors. Use dark chocolate, white chocolate or flavored candy bars; substitute cookies for graham crackers; add a smear of Nutella or almond butter; use flavored marshmallows.

S’mores have become a cultural icon. You’ll find s’mores‑flavored ice cream, cereal and Pop‑Tarts; restaurants serve s’mores cocktails and deconstructed s’mores desserts with homemade marshmallow fluff and artisanal chocolate. At its heart, though, the s’more remains a simple pleasure. It’s the messy joy of sticky fingers and melted chocolate on your chin, the warmth of a fire and the sweetness of shared stories under the stars. On National S’mores Day, gather your people, light a fire (or a burner) and make memories. Each time you sandwich a toasted marshmallow with chocolate and graham cracker, you’re taking part in a tradition nearly a century old. And when someone asks for another, you’ll know exactly why they call it a s’more.