Can S’mores be Better? - An Experiment Conducted by Mad Food Scientist Dr. Trembacki
It’s summertime and that means it’s time to get outside and have some fun. Time for boats, restaurant patios, pool days, and bonfires. And what’s a bonfire without the best summer treat, s’mores. But what if they could be better?
Now am I an actual doctor/scientist with a PHd? No. But my brother is, and if you were searching for Dr. Trembacki to find some peer reviewed journal about batteries or electrical capacity models you’re in the wrong place. But that means we have better SEO, so who’s the real winner here?
This little food science experiment was spurred from a tweet I had back in 2014.
Absolutely did numbers on that tweet. But the thought has always intrigued me. Can you make a better s’more combination than the standard graham cracker, marshmallow, and Hershey’s bar? So that’s what I sought out to do, to find out if we can’t switch out that Hershey’s bar for something else.
So let me explain how I did my experiment.
First, I went with the standard name brand grahams and marshmallows (Honey Maid graham crackers and Jet-Puffed marshmallows). When you go to the store during the summer, Honey Maid, Jet-Puffed, and Hershey's are always set up together at the front, so I feel confident that these were the best to use.
Second, I used the standard Hershey’s as a control and started each rating session with the classic combo just to get the palette right. In total I did 9 different combinations over the course of three nights, 3 different combinations a session. I cooked each marshmallow to a perfect golden brown color because I’m a culinary super-star. Now I will admit I did this experiment back during the winter in my fireplace while watching all the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings. But fire is fire!
Finally I graded each combination on a plus minus scale of 5 compared to the standard combo. Hershey’s was a standard (0) and if something was amazingly better it got a (+5) and way worse (-5).
So let’s get to the combos.
1. Hershey’s (0)
I have to start with my thoughts on the standard combo first. Just so you know where I’m coming from with these assessments. First of all, I don’t think the classic needs to be improved upon in any means. I just wanted to have some fun with this and shake it up a bit. It’s a great sweet treat with every part of the dessert sandwich adding its own unique flavor and texture that adds up to an overall great delicacy. The crunchiness of the graham cracker, the sweet gooeyness of the marshmallow, and the chocolatey goodness that compliments it all. For me it’s an overall great blend of flavors. It’s the juxtaposition of them really. The s’more just takes the ingredients’ positions and, I mean, it just JUXs them!
What it has on its side more than anything is the taste of nostalgia. The classic Hershey’s s’more tastes the exact same today as it did when I was a little kid. A lot of great memories of camping and backyard bonfires can be linked back to that taste. Overall, that's going to be the most challenging thing these other mixes will have to compete with.
2. Nutella (-2.3)
Now I’ve never been a huge Nutella fan. I have nothing against it, but it was never a standard jar in our pantry growing up. But I figured this would be a great place to start as it is a popular dessert condiment. And yes look it up, spreads are considered condiments. For me it was a little too nutty and didn’t add enough of the chocolatey flavor that compliments the marshmallow. I’m sure if you like Nutella this might be good, but I still think it wouldn’t beat the classic. Also, s’mores are kind of messy enough and this was way messier.
3. Mint Chocolate (-0.7)
Honestly this was great and one of my favorite combinations, but at the same time it couldn’t beat the taste of nostalgia. And with that I had to put it in the negatives. But this mash-up was very reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream or a grasshopper. The mint and the creamy taste of the marshmallow worked together really well in that aspect. And the mint and crunch of the graham cracker were similar to a Thin Mint®. End of the day, it doesn’t beat the classic. But if you’re a fan of any of those things I related it to, I’d highly recommend trying this one out.
4. Crunch (-1.2)
The substitute that started it all. I had to give it a go and answer that question that’s been plaguing me since 2014. The Nestle chocolate was good, but it just doesn’t taste the same as that nostalgic mix. Like I’ve said, that is the biggest thing these other combos have to compete with. Plus the crunch of the Crunch bar just added too much crunch that was already present with the cruchiness of the graham crackers’ crunch. CRUNCH! Okay, but not worth trying yourself.
5. Reese’s Cup (-0.2)
I’m sure if I didn’t do this one, people would be outraged. A chocolate and peanut butter combo is, on paper, the best substitute for the classic. As I mentioned earlier in this column, stores love to set up s’mores showcases in the summer and sell all the ingredients together at the entrance. Recently, I’ve been seeing some places include Reese's Cups in that gallery, so clearly I’m not the first person to think of replacing the Hershey’s bar. I had very high hopes for this one, and let me tell you, it was very good. If you like Reese’s or Reesus (however you pronounce it) definitely try this out. But once again, it does not beat the nostalgia factor and that’s why it ended up barely in the negatives. Also, even though the classic can be messy, the Reese’s Cup just didn’t melt enough like the classic. It was more of a solid bite, than a crumbled gooey mash.
6. Hershey’s Cookies ‘N Cream (-4.2)
So I wanted to add this one because it is my favorite candy bar of all time. I love Cookies ‘N Cream and figured why not, I need more combinations, let’s try it out. I had no preconceived notions on how this would go. Ohhh it was bad! Kind of a bummer since it still is my favorite bar by itself, but the combination just did not work. It was the worst one by far. It was way too sweet. The Cream just added more sweetness to the marshmallow, ‘N the Cookie just added to the crunch of the cracker. It was pretty much crunchy, sugary milk. Do not recommend!
7. Loaded Sweet Potato (-1.8)
Come Thanksgiving time everyone’s family has gained that one dish they are an expert with. That is the dish you bring year after year. The host is responsible for the Turkey, but you, you have this side. It’s your family's duty to bring it. For us, it’s always been the sweet potato casserole. Sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows? Yeah, we got it. Also, once a Texas Roadhouse got put in by our house, that was the “family night out” restaurant. Sorry TGIF, you just couldn’t keep up. And you know we were getting those loaded sweet potatoes. So it only made sense I’d make the marshmallow connection and try it out. I was excited and figured this might have that edge on the nostalgia factor…Soooo, not great. The flavors did not mix like a traditional loaded sweet/sweet potato casserole. It now makes sense why those are baked for a while. The flavors need time to blend. Also, this was just way too much of a hassle to make.
8. PB&J (+2.7)
Here we go! This is what I was looking for. I know you were getting worried, reader. You might have been concerned all of these were going to be in the negatives, but nah! I highly recommend trying this one out. It’s a new twist on an old favorite as David Ruff would say. I might be a little biased because growing up, sometimes I would add marshmallow fluff to my pb&j’s. I know the “Fluffer-Nutter” (peanut butter and fluff) was more common, but I loved the extra tang of the jelly. So, personally, that might have helped it overcome the nostalgia factor. But still, this was great! The savoriness of the peanut butter and the tanginess of the jam (yeah jam > jelly…but do you know the difference between the two?) really worked as an overall combo, just like the classic. Plus the peanut butter had the melt factor like a Hershey’s bar does. But be warned, this can get a little messy. I don’t think this will become a mainstream thing, but honestly try it out, you will not regret it. Unless you’re allergic to peanuts…then you might.
9. Cheese (Kraft Single) (-3.6)
Why? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a little bit crazy. Maybe I like to live in a state of madness every once and awhile. Maybe I like to put myself in situations that let me know I’m ALIVE!!! Kraft Singles melt like chocolate, so who are you to tell me it’s not a worthy substitute! I’m a free thinker, buddy!!!!
…
But yeah, as you’d expect, not good. But…it wasn’t terrible. A little bit of a surprise there. The sweet creaminess of the marshmallow actually kind of paired well with the cheese. Add the graham cracker on top and it was like a poorly made cheesecake. Would not recommend, but not the worst thing I tried.
10. Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookie (+1.6)
Before I get started with the assessment, I know. I know this is substituting the Hershey’s bar as well as the graham cracker, and maybe it shouldn’t have been included. But very much like the tweet, this was a main influence that made me want to do this taste experiment. I have a very vivid memory of my friend's mom buying these cookies to make s’mores with as a kid. That memory is so vivid, I even remember they were red cookies because they were promoting the newest Toby Maguire Spider-Man movie. But I couldn’t remember how they chalked up to the classic. So I added them to the list…Yeah, they stacked up really well. The additional sweetness of the cookie was not overbearing at all. You still get all the things that make the original great too: the crunch, the chocolate, the goo. Another great component of this mix is that the chocolate is already attached to the cookie. Why is that so great? The chocolate still melts, but it doesn’t cause the whole thing to slide around and become such a mess. This is by far a cleaner way to eat this treat. Try it out!
So what did I learn from this little dive into the culinary camping arts? You will never go wrong with the classic. There’s a reason it became so popular, and there’s a reason Hershey’s is the standard. It’s just too good and too much of a classic to really lose staying power. However, if you want to mix things up, there are options. I wouldn’t host a bonfire with s’mores and only have peanut butter and jelly there with no Hershey’s. If people want s’more, they’re gonna want the OG. But mix in some of these combinations next time and make a little night of it.
Below are my official rankings of the mixes I did. Let me know in the comments below if you have mixed it up in the past or try any of these combos. Thanks for reading and have a great summer!
PB&J (+2.7)
Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookie (+1.6)
Hershey’s (0)
Reese’s Cup (-0.2)
Mint Chocolate (-0.7)
Crunch (-1.2)
Loaded Sweet Potato (-1.8)
Nutella (-2.3)
Cheese (Kraft Single) (-3.6)
Hershey’s Cookies ‘N Cream (-4.2)