The Chocolate Mistake You Should Avoid When Roasting S'mores

S'mores are the perfect way to end the day at a campfire or backyard cookout. This simple sweet treat is easy to make and a fun way for kids and adults alike to gather together and make memories. Throughout the years, people have begun to explore ways to make s'mores fancier, like adding caramel or fruit. Some have also explored variations on the three classic ingredients to see if the recipe can be improved.

One of the most common suggestions out there for switching up s'mores is to use dark chocolate. While it sounds good in theory, milk chocolate is the classic choice because of how easy it is to melt. Regardless of preference, it is important to stick to milk chocolate and to avoid using fancy dark chocolate on s'mores.

It may sound like a simple way to make s'mores more luxurious, but using fancier chocolate is a mistake that can actually make s'mores worse. Not only does dark chocolate have a higher melting point, making it harder to melt, but fancier chocolate bars can also be too thick. This makes it hard to prepare the ingredients for s'mores and means the chocolate may not melt at all.

Simply put, fancier chocolates tend to lean towards the dark side. Darker chocolate is considered by many to be more sophisticated because of its flavor profile being closer to the natural taste of cacao beans. Additionally, higher cocoa amounts can make chocolates more dense in texture.

While the bittersweet complexities of dark chocolate are wonderful to explore on their own, unfortunately, dark chocolate is not ideal for making s'mores. Darker and fancier chocolates have a higher melting point of about 115 degrees Fahrenheit, while milk chocolate can have a melting point at temperatures as low as 104 degrees Fahrenheit. That may not seem like a big deal, but it can make a huge difference when trying to achieve that perfectly melted texture with just the warmth of a toasted marshmallow.

Overall, cheap milk chocolate is the classic choice for a good reason. The amount of sugar, milk, and additives make it easier to melt. Plus, cheaper bars tend to be thinner and easier to break, so it is easy to perfectly portion chocolate for s'mores-making. Save the fancier chocolates for other desserts or use it in alternative ways to make s'mores, like in a deconstructed s'mores dessert tray.