This One Silky Addition Turns S'mores From Boring To Bougie

While no kid or kid at heart would call s'mores unexciting, those who prefer more sophisticated desserts may pass up on the sticky-sweet combo of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. To make sure everyone can enjoy this campfire treat, customize your s'mores with elegant ingredients that make the flavor more grown-up. Silky, sweet, salty caramel sauce is one of the best choices for the job.

Salted caramel sauce adds complex notes of rich burnt sugar to s'mores, and the hint of saltiness enhances the sweet and simple flavors perfectly. Plus, the smooth and gooey texture adds extra creamy decadence to the melty marshmallows and chocolate. Caramel sauce is also one of the best luxury ingredient additions for s'mores because it doesn't overcomplicate the easy dessert. Using fancy chocolate is a mistake when roasting s'mores because premium dark chocolate bars don't melt fast enough, but caramel sauce is perfectly soft and flowing right out of the jar — no extra pains taken.

Homemade salted caramel sauce will obviously provide the best flavor, but to keep your s'mores as effortless as possible, store-bought caramel sauce brands have your back. Sauces that aren't already salted can be doctored up with a scant sprinkle of your favorite sea salt. From there, just spread it on the graham crackers before assembling and toasting your s'mores, and prepare to be transported to salty, sugary, crunchy, chocolatey bliss. If you fall in love with this flavor combo, try tweaking other parts of your s'mores to complement the caramel.

Swapping out the graham crackers is a fun way to fancy up salted caramel s'mores while keeping the dessert recognizable. Caramel and warm spices like cinnamon are best buds, so try using speculoos cookies, lightly spicy biscuits with a distinct caramelized taste. For unorthodox s'mores with even more caramel flavor, use easy soft caramel cookies to sandwich the fillings. And if you find that dash of salt to be totally irresistible, swap in Ritz crackers for sweet and salty s'mores with a crisp yet tender crunch.

Marshmallows are one part of the s'mores formula that is rarely tinkered with, so putting a twist on them can wow your guests (and your tastebuds). Try flavoring homemade marshmallows with chocolate, cinnamon, brown sugar, or even instant coffee, all of which pair splendidly with caramel. You can also grab some great flavored marshmallows at the store, or roll plain mallows in a spice mix, cocoa powder, or cinnamon sugar. Try lightly moistening the outside of the candies with water first to help the coating stick.

As for extra fillings, apple is a no-brainer pairing for caramel, and a very thin slice or two tucked into your s'mores adds a burst of refreshing, fruity sweet-tartness. Soft and creamy sliced bananas would make for s'mores reminiscent of fancy bananas foster. Toasted coconut flakes, crushed nuts, or peanut butter chips can also be pressed into the layer of caramel sauce before toasting, creating delectable treats that will satisfy even the biggest dessert snobs.