Give Crème Brûlée The S'mores Treatment And It'll Be Your New Favorite Dessert

Crème brûlée is one of the most show-stopping desserts you can make, yet despite its fancy reputation, it's not very complicated to pull off. That simplicity makes room for frills like extra toppings and flavorings, or even creative hybrid desserts. For a nostalgic, truly delectable variation, you must try combining crème brûlée with ooey-gooey s'mores.

This mashup of an upscale French dessert and a humble campfire treat may sound out-there, but it makes sense if you think about it: Crème brûlée and s'mores both rely on creamy ingredients — custard for the former, melted marshmallows for the latter — with a crackly, almost burnt outer coating. The vanilla and caramel flavors in classic crème brûlée also pair perfectly with melted chocolate and barely sweet graham crackers, creating an indulgent treat.

In our list of ways to elevate your crème brûlée, pastry chef Jess Lewis told us to make a chocolate crème brûlée as a base for a s'mores variation. This can be as simple as whisking melted chocolate into the custard base. Normally, it's a mistake to use fancy chocolate when roasting s'mores, but there's no worries about melting the pieces over a fire in this case, so get as bougie as you want. Lewis recommended topping the baked custards with marshmallow whipped cream, torching the top, then using graham crackers to scoop up the dessert or crumbling them over top. It would be hard to beat this crowd-pleasing treat, but you can try tons of other ways to add s'mores elements to crème brûlée.

If you miss the layer of crispy caramelized sugar on a crème brûlée, it's easy to add it back into a s'mores-inspired version. Instead of whipped cream, which would completely melt instead of browning under a kitchen torch, top the custard with good old marshmallows. Sprinkle sugar on the mallows, then torch until golden and bubbly. Firmly-whipped, marshmallow-like meringue is another popular crème brûlée topping that would toast up beautifully under the sugar shell.

Don't want chunks of graham crackers on top of your crème brûlée? Borrow a page from cheesecake and give it a graham cracker bottom crust. Just combine finely-crushed crackers with melted butter and press it into the ramekins before pouring in the custard. For a visually stunning treat, bake the crust with plain crème brûlée on top in transparent glass dishes, then pour on a layer of chocolate ganache before adding your marshmallow-y topping of choice.

Adding bonus flavors can make your s'mores crème brûlée even more spectacular. For a coffee-infused, grown-up twist, use a mocha crème brûlée as your base and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder and drizzle of Kahlúa. Ina Garten upgrades her s'mores with homemade coconut marshmallows, which would be right at home on top of crème brûlée with an extra shower of coconut flakes. A finishing spoonful of caramel, a few raspberries or slices of banana, or a pinch of cinnamon and chili in the chocolate custard would also upgrade your mashup dessert without making things too fussy.