Upgrade Your Campfire S'mores By Swapping Graham Crackers For Cookies

Camping aficionados will tell you there's no reason to mess with the combination of nutty graham crackers, milk chocolate, and toasty marshmallows in a classic s'more. There's no denying that this fireside treat is delicious as-is, but you need not refrain from experimenting. If you've always found the use of graham crackers to be a little boring, the entire cookie aisle at the supermarket is your oyster. Use your favorite cookies and you might even find that it's an improvement on the original.

For a crisp texture similar for a graham cracker, go for thin and crunchy cookies like vanilla wafers, shortbread, ginger snaps, or even oatmeal cookies. The latter two add more spicy notes to your s'mores, but these all make a great partner for a marshmallow toasted to your preferred doneness, whether they're merely warmed up or totally burnt, as Martha Stewart likes them. Incidentally, you don't need to light up a bunch of sticks to enjoy these treats. Your air fryer is key to cooking s'mores without a campfire, though you can also roast your mallows by holding them over the burner on the stove. No matter how you cook them, you'll craft a s'more that is anything but ordinary.

Pretty much any cookies — crunchy, chewy, or soft — will be delicious in s'mores. Just avoid anything that is brittle and very thin, as it can cause the s'more to fall apart; oblong cookies like Biscoff cookies or sugar wafers also aren't the best shape to hold the chocolate and marshmallow. If you want to knock out the chocolate and cookie with one stone (or just double down on the chocolate!), choose cookies that already have chocolate included, like fudge-striped, chocolate chip, or double chocolate chunk. You can even make homemade chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for peak fall vibes and the coziest s'mores ever. 

Not a fan of chocolate? Lemon, cinnamon, coconut, or peanut butter cookies would all be great. Use a square of white chocolate for an extra-sweet take. Sandwich cookies are another option, but you'll want to split them up first. Classic Oreos, vanilla sandwich cookies, or Nutter Butters can be pulled apart and used to make a delicious treat.

For a group of kids or a party of fun-loving adults, you can even make deconstructed s'mores in a bag. Buy some small bags of miniature cookies; animal crackers or even pretzels would also be great. Let guests open their bags and spoon in chocolate chips, plus extras like toasted nuts or bite-sized peanut butter cups. Top it all off with melty toasted marshmallows and use a spoon to eat this super fun version of cookie s'mores!