I Tried And Ranked 10 S'mores-Flavored Treats And Candies

S'mores are so nostalgic for me. They remind me of camping as a kid, since they were always relegated to an outdoor-only treat. Lo and behold, the chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow combination has expanded into something you can eat anytime and anywhere — not just when you're spending the night on a cold, hard ground in a tent. With that in mind, I set out to find as many s'mores sweets and treat options as I could to pit them against each other for the ultimate ranking.

I wanted to find items that were delicious, yet also reminded me of a real s'more. It didn't have to be exact; however, I wanted the essence of s'mores to be there. Additionally, it was important that the item delivered what it advertised, with a favorable execution and delivery. While my top pick reflects exactly that, the rest are a mishmash of qualities I was looking for (and the lowest-ranking option had many problems).

If you want to reimagine your s'mores night, I have a few fantastic options for you. You'll want to add some of these to your next shopping list, since there's no need to buy marshmallows, grahams, and chocolate bars separately any longer.

To find the best, we must first trudge through the worst, and this Honey Maid offering was the most unpleasant out of anything I tried. To start, the dip is quite unappealing. The artificial flavoring overwhelms the taste buds immediately. It's hard to distinguish what the flavor is supposed to be; it just tastes cloying, sweeter than just eating a spoonful of sugar. I can get a whiff of cocoa, but it doesn't taste like s'mores, chocolate, or marshmallows. It tastes like a sweet frosting with a slightly gritty texture.

Worse yet, there's a layer of oil over the top of the dip, so you have to dig into it or mix it up to get rid of it. On the plus side, the Honey Maid grahams are delicious. I ate them all and chucked the dip. However, you're meant to snap them in half lengthwise on the perforated line, but mine kept breaking in the wrong direction when I applied pressure (as shown in the above photo). So skip the Honey Maid Graham Handi-Snacks Crackers 'N S'mores Flavored Dip Snack Packs, and just buy the brand's graham crackers. Perhaps you can whip up your own gooey s'mores dip to pair them with instead.

Usually Trader Joe's fares pretty well in my rankings, but this simply didn't deliver in terms of flavor or general execution. The limited-time S'mores Bars have a brownie base, as well as a graham bottom and a marshmallow layer on top. Ultimately, it has a good enough flavor, but it just tastes like a brownie. The flavor is not impressive enough for me to want to purchase it again. Since the brownie is considerably thicker than the other elements, all you can taste is chocolate brownie.

The graham layer is a little thin and underwhelming, and the marshmallow creme topping, while appetizing on its own, doesn't offer much against the cocoa brownie base. Plus, once it hits room temp (you're supposed to thaw it for two hours), the marshmallow creme starts separating from the brownie. So this doesn't really deliver on its promises; it just tastes like an average brownie with added sweetener. It could be fun if you want to mix things up, but it isn't the best Trader Joe dessert by any means. Thankfully, it's much better than the Handi-Snacks pack, though.

I'll admit this Favorite Day product is a bit better than I expected. It uses actual milk chocolate, not some sort of funky chocolate candy, so there's cocoa, cocoa butter, and milk to give it a smooth, creamy mouthfeel. However, I feel like the toppings are severely lacking compared to how much chocolate there is. It tastes like a thick, broken-up milk chocolate bar with an occasional mini marshmallow or slightly stale mini graham cracker — the former of which is very lacking — hence the lower spot.

There aren't enough toppings to add flavor or textural dimension because I can only taste chocolate. Using a too-thick chocolate bar is a top mistake when making s'mores, and that's still a factor in this bark. The best part is when there's an occasional graham strewn into the actual bar coupled with one on top; this feels like the most appropriate balance and offers a much more dynamic flavor-texture combination.

In my opinion, I like the milk chocolate and all the ingredients, but it lacks enough toppings to rank higher. If it had a better execution, it could rank several spots better. As it is, it doesn't quite live up to what it advertises; however, if you think of it as a chocolate bar, it's good enough. Milk chocolate is not my favorite, but I appreciate the authentic chocolate taste. However, there are several other options that I find more enticing to consume.

The Organic S'mores Graham Sandwiches from Annie's are quite interesting by appearances alone because they reimagine the classic s'mores treat we know and love. Rather than sandwiching chocolate pieces and a marshmallow between graham crackers, we have a cocoa and a graham-like cookie sandwiched between a creamy marshmallow-flavored center. The center element reminds me of Oreos with a sweet, slightly vanilla touch; I wouldn't say it tastes very marshmallow-y, though. 

The sandwich cookie is good enough, and I can appreciate the equal bites of cocoa and graham cookies, as well as the organic ingredients and natural flavors. That means there's no funky aftertaste. I absolutely think it's a good choice to bring to a camp night, because it incorporates classic s'mores elements. While I don't have any major complaints, it wasn't the most flavorful out of everything I tried. I'd like to see more chocolate rather than a likely cocoa-y cookie. The ingredients list shows semi sweet chocolate chips, but I don't notice any. I'll leave this one at number seven because there are still several better s'mores-flavored options.

I quite like the convenience of a premade cookie dough, and I can taste the quality in these BAKR S'mores Chocolate Chip Frozen Cookie Dough treats. It has the best flavor out of anything thus far, but they don't deliver much of a s'mores flavor — otherwise, they could have ranked higher.

The unbaked cookie dough itself delivers that s'mores element I'm looking for, because the marshmallows are still whole and intact. After baking, most of it just kind of melts into the cookie and almost disappears entirely. These offer a slightly caramelized, sweetened flavor but nothing too marshmallow-esque. Perhaps cooking it for less time would rectify this slightly, but I followed the timing on the instructions.

I certainly think this is a convenient and interesting premade option, and it's a genuinely good premade cookie. I also liked that the cookies are small, so they feel a little different from some of the larger varieties you'll find in the refrigerated aisle. It's flavorful with a buttery face and delectable chocolate chunks, but it's more like a chocolate chip cookie with marshmallows. There's nothing too graham-like, so it's not a standout for s'mores. Therefore, it finds itself toward the lower-middle end of the spectrum.

Honestly, the Fancypants Baking Co. Cookies Crispy S'mores is somewhat similar to the BAKR cookie. This time around, though, we don't have to do any baking. While there are no actual pieces of marshmallow — it features white chocolate instead — I feel like there's a more prominent graham cracker-like flavor that pairs well with the chocolate. The combination makes it seem a little more s'mores-adjacent than the previous cookie to achieve a slight lead in the ranking.

These are small and quite crisp, so I could see that texture profile might not appeal to everyone. I like the size of the chocolate chips but could do without the white chocolate morsels since they don't really add much to the s'mores element (savor for added sweetness). It boasts natural marshmallow flavor on the ingredients list, but I don't really pick up on that profile.

I enjoyed eating a couple of the cookies — they're so small, after all — because they taste somewhat like a s'more with a fantastic cookie dough foundation. Still, I don't think they're the most dynamic, have the best flavor, or are the most authentic to s'mores, so they'll just kind of remain in the middle.

Fannie May S'mores Chocolatier's Mix Candy Snack Mix is very similar to Favorite Day's bark, but I think the execution is much more balanced. It ranks toward the higher end of the spectrum purely because it delivers a really good flavor and s'mores experience. There's milk chocolate, the little graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow.

Fannie May is very literal in terms of the base ingredients, and it's just like eating a s'more in a different format. Rather than the Favorite Day bark with toppings, the marshmallow and graham cracker are encased in milk chocolate. There's an excellent distribution of milk chocolate because each piece has something inside, whereas the Favorite Day had a lot of creamy chocolate without any toppings. Remember how I said Favorite Day would rank higher if there were more grahams and 'mallows? Well, it'd rank next to this Fannie May offering if the recipe changed.

That said, Fannie May delivers a better ratio and a much better experience overall. I would absolutely choose it over the cookies (or any of the lower-ranking treats) for its flavor and overall execution, even if I preferred the top three items. It's easy to eat a handful of the petite sweets. You really can't go wrong, and if you're seeking the most true s'mores-like flavor, this is the best option among everything I tried.

I'm familiar with Pop-Tarts, but the Frosted S'mores Pastries were still a surprise for me. I didn't think they would be too tasty, but I found myself going back for more nibbles. It has a graham-flavored pastry base that sets it apart from your average Pop-Tart — dare I say, it's way better and more flavorful. It's incredibly delicious and genuinely reminds me of a graham cracker. Then, you have the chocolate-frosted layer, followed by the marshmallow- and chocolate-inspired interior.

Now, I wouldn't say the marshmallow is particularly authentic, which is what kept it from cracking the top two. It's more like sweetened marshmallow-flavored goo, though it gets the job done. It's appetizing and novel enough that I wanted to finish one tart and then start noshing on the other — after all, there are two pastries in one foil packet.

I also liked how the pastry transformed after toasting. When warmed up, the graham cracker crust gets a little crispier and toastier, further enhancing the graham cracker-like flavor. Of course, the interior becomes nice and gooey, too, which really replicates the experience of a s'more, though it's just as edible untoasted. If you do toast it, let it cool to get the extra-crispy complexity of the toasted exterior and slightly warmed insides. You could use them as the base for ice cream sandwiches or perhaps even actual s'mores, too.

Okay, hear me out on this one. While these Drizzilicious bites don't taste exactly like s'mores, it still has the vibe. It has a unique, graham-like flavoring, and the sweet chocolate drizzle gets it as close to a s'more as a mini rice cake can be. I didn't really pick up marshmallow, but there's something vanilla-like in the recipe. Ultimately, it doesn't matter because these are so easy to devour that they earned second place. 

The crunchiness of the rice cakes is reminiscent of a graham cracker, while the chocolate drizzle melts as you chew. The enjoyability (and overall tastiness) is a big reason it ranks so high. Despite looking somewhat basic, these are flavorful, have a compelling texture, and don't feel too heavy. The Pop-Tarts are tasty and s'mores-inspired, but I felt myself going back to the Drizzilicious bag.

As an added bonus, these are gluten-free and vegan, which makes them more widely available to customers with various dietary needs. I ranked the S'mores flavor pretty high in my ranking of Drizzilicious rice cake flavors, too, and am pleased to see it holds up well among other s'mores-flavored treats. If you prefer something lighter, then this is the best option on this list. Still, the top–ranked sweet is considerably more indulgent and has a captivating blend of flavors that makes it one of the most unique spins on s'mores.

The Ben & Jerry's Gimme S'more Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream is a unique take on the campfire classic, bending the rules of what to expect. It has a toasted marshmallow ice cream base with swirls of chocolate cookie and graham cracker. Then you get these delectable pieces of fudge that are somewhat chocolate-chunk-like but not quite as firm. The flavors are decadent and memorable yet still totally familiar. Unlike some lower-ranking options that lacked a good balance of flavors, all the ingredients work well together in this treat, so it takes the top spot.

When you get the graham cracker swirl, it tastes complex, honeyed, almost malt-like; it has a slight grit that distinguishes it from the ice cream. The fudge flakes are pure bliss, perfectly flecked throughout the ice cream. I think the toasted marshmallow ice cream isn't as noticeable simply because of the plethora of additions. Either way, it's like s'mores with all the elements, but it still reinvents itself so it's not so literal.

This variety would be the perfect addition to a s'mores milkshake, adding further s'mores-like intensity to the blended dessert. I think the Ben & Jerry's ice cream delivers a more authentic s'mores experience than the Drizzilicious, and it's the most delicious out of all the items I ate ensuring its first-place ranking.

I ranked these by taste, meaning they had to be flavorful but also needed to remind me of s'mores in some way. They needed to hit on the graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow combination that makes the treat so memorable. Lower-ranking sweets had flavor issues or simply didn't deliver the s'mores experience. Higher-ranking treats better executed the s'mores nostalgia and also offered incredible, rich, complex flavors that were more enjoyable.

I purchased nearly everything from Target, and one from Trader Joe's. I tried nibbles of everything one afternoon to compare them, but also tasted them again over a few days to better catch some of the nuances of flavor. Most options are good enough and don't have major flavors (save for the last-place pick), so you can happily enjoy them. But since I was judging them against each other, my top three have the best flavors and/or deliver a better reimagined s'more.