An elevated twist to the campfire classic! A creative array of chocolate, crackers, cookies, candies, spreads, and other goodies artfully arranged on a large charcuterie board. Your guests will soon request that this become a tradition for them to enjoy throughout the year.
Originally, "charcuterie boards" are French assortments of various meats, a dish that has since been adapted to also include cheese, fresh fruits, crackers, and other tasty snacks.
This recipe takes this concept a step further by making it a dedicated dessert board brimming with colorful candies and chocolates that are sure to excite any party guest.
Of course, you should carve out a section dedicated to the standard s'mores accoutrement: graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate, and marshmallows. But beyond these staples, let your imagination run wild with possibilities, or reference my suggestions in "Ingredients and Variations" below.
If you're also in need of more s'mores recipes, then my S'mores Brownies and S'mores Dip might make perfect additions to your overall spread.
Reasons Why Chocolate Lovers Make This Recipe
- No-bake recipe -- if you can buy it, you can make it! This charcuterie board comes together in however much time it takes for you to configure a bounty of chocolate, cracker, cookies, and other deliciousness.
- Elevates any party -- this charcuterie board is perfect for large gatherings, especially when young children are present! Other occasions include game day, birthdays, summer barbecues, or anytime you need a lot of food in a short amount of time. Plus, this board can easily be dressed up or down to fit whatever event you're hosting or attending.
- No creativity required -- I myself am no expert on charcuterie composition, but even I put this board pictured here together in just a few minutes.
- Eat at your leisure -- there's nothing time-sensitive about any of these ingredients (i.e., no temperature fluctuations, sauces and spreads stay creamy, etc.), leading to a delightfully fun eating experience from the first bite to the last.
Ingredients and Variations
A s'mores charcuterie board requires no cooking or baking from you and can be prepared in as little as 5-10 minutes! Additional simplicity comes in the forms of flexible ingredients; select the candies and snacks you like best! Some ideas include:
Graham crackers -- you can't have s'mores anything without graham crackers! I used both the honey baked and chocolate varieties, but you can use other flavors as well.
Hershey's chocolate -- Hershey's is the chocolate everyone pictures with s'mores, so align with tradition and have a wide selection for guests to choose from. Milk chocolate, cookies and cream, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate almond varieties are all great ideas to serve.
Marshmallows -- include both jumbo and mini marshmallows for guests to pick whichever kind works best for their particular sandwich's construction. Bonus: include some roasting sticks for those who love to eat gooey marshmallows fresh from the fire.
Cookies or biscuits -- a s'mores charcuterie board is no place for a diet (unless you're aiming for that, of course). Chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, sugar cookies, or anything those Keebler elves have baking in that tree of theirs will work wonders.
Pretzels or other salty snacks -- offer a few crunchy, salty snacks for a welcome contrast that will keep your guests primed to keep on eating! 😀 Pretzels, nuts, or even certain kinds of chips will all work here.
Candies -- Hershey's kisses, M&Ms, and chocolate-covered candies are all fun additions to every board, and serve as no-fuss options for your more fastidious guests.
Fresh fruit -- fruit serves as a natural palate cleanser, making it a great offering alongside sweeter options so your guests don't get too bogged down with sugar overload. Plus, fruit can also be dipped in the various spreads for a fondue-style experience.
Various spreads -- rather than solely relying on toasted marshmallows to create gooey melted chocolate, serve a charcuterie board with bowls of melted chocolate, chocolate hazelnut spread, peanut butter, or even caramel sauce.
Tips for Success
- Creating a charcuterie board from scratch can be a bit compositionally intimidating; it can give some that blank canvas paralysis. But fear not! Start by positioning the bowls for spreads at different points around the board, followed by grouping crackers and cookies together. From here, you can start filling in tiny gaps with marshmallows, candies, snack, and other filler items, until the board is overflowing with goodies.
- More is more when it comes to the quantities you should serve on a charcuterie board. Imagine your guests having to quickly ration their portions of a particular chocolate, cookie, or other ingredient early on in the night. To avoid this faux-pas, include enough of each ingredient for a multitude of guests to enjoy.
- Keep your guests' eating journey in mind when constructing the board's layout. By that, I mean proactively plan out the various desserts they can make ahead of time, and include a variety of options at once. Chocolate hazelnut spread can be used in s'mores, but can also be used to dip fruit, pretzels, or other ingredients. Create endless combinations that will keep your guests' visual and flavor interest.
Storage Instructions
If you can manage it and it won't be out for very long, wrap the entire board in cling film and store at room temperature (if no refrigerated ingredients are used, of course). Otherwise, break down the ingredients into separate containers or resealable bags and store accordingly.
S'mores "Charcuterie" Board
Equipment
- 1 large charcuterie board, any shape
- 3 ramekins
- s'mores roasting sticks
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve honey graham crackers
- 1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers
- 4 Hershey's chocolate bars
- 1 Hershey's Cookies n' Cream bar
- 2 handfuls mini marshmallows
- 2 handfuls large marshmallows
- 1 handful mini pretzels
- 1 package Almond Joy or other chocolate candies
- 1 package chocolate wafers
- 7 ounces M&Ms or other small candies
- 7 ounces creamy peanut butter
- 7 ounces melted chocolate or hazelnut spread
- 1 package breakfast biscuits
- 1 package soft Dutch cocoa cookies
- fresh fruit, any variety
Instructions
- Arrange the three ramekins in a triangle on the board. Arrange the graham crackers around one ramekin. Next, create a line of solid chocolate across the board. Fill any gaps with marshmallows, cookies, biscuits, and fresh fruit. Fill ramekins with candy and spreads.
