Roasted Marshmallow and Graham Cracker Dippers

Give your next cup of hot chocolate the perfect campfire treatment with these roasted marshmallow graham crackers!

December. It’s cold, wet, and the sky outside is getting a little grayer every day. Stuck inside, I decided it was the perfect time to work on a hot chocolate recipe. Not just any hot chocolate, though. I wanted something that felt like a little ray of summer in the middle of winter.

In my head, that can only mean one thing: hot chocolate s’mores. I was looking for a nostalgic elixir, something that would take me right back to those carefree summer camping trips. So I set out to recreate the holy trinity of chocolate, roasted marshmallows, and graham crackers in beverage form.

It didn’t go well.

Roasted, dehydrated, powdered marshmallows that just made cocoa delicious, not toast. The graham crackers crumbled into a sad kind of porridge. After a dozen failed attempts, I was ready to give up.

Then it finally clicked.

Instead of trying to stir a s’more into hot chocolate, I needed something to dip into. Something even toastier and crunchier than the original.

Enter these crispy fried graham dippers. Small marshmallows are rolled and rolled into a graham cracker, then slowly dried until the crunch level is off the charts. Dip them in hot chocolate and you’ll get all the flavor of a campfire s’more, even if it’s the middle of winter and you’re nowhere near a campground.

Tips for Doing This

• Sequence Is Everything: Broiler, cool, dehydrate, cool – in that order. This is the only way to achieve perfectly toasted marshmallows that are perfectly combined on a graham cracker.
• Don’t walk away from the broiler: If the tray goes under the broiler, sit right there, the door ajar, and your eyes widen. Marshmallows go from pale to perfectly toasted and toasted in seconds. Keep the oven door slightly ajar and watch closely.
• Dehydrate (oven or dehydrator): To dehydrate, you can use a dehydrator (set to 150 F) or your oven. If using the oven, set it to the lowest temperature (usually 200F), place the tray on the lowest setting, and use a wooden spoon to open the door.
• Cool completely before serving: Let the dips cool all the way on the tray. If they warm up a bit when you cover them, even a small amount of trapped steam will undo all the shine you got by dehydrating.

Ingredients notes

• Graham crackers: Classic Honey grahams offer a s’more flavor that’s not too sweet. (We use Annie’s graham crackers because they seem to have the fewest additives.) Cinnamon grahams also work and add a warm holiday twist. Free-range graham-style crackers can be used instead if needed.
• Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows melt and blend quickly and give a great spread. The view of the roasted marshmallows quilt is also amazing. If you only have large marshmallows, cut them into small pieces and pack them tightly on top of each cracker.

Storage Tips

• Short term: Allow the dips to cool completely on the tray, then transfer to an airtight container. Reselling between snack sessions. They should last a week or so.
• Long-term storage (or gift): Pour the cooled dippers into a mason jar and seal. In a vacuum-sealed jar they can stay cool for a long time, which is great if you want to make a big batch before the holidays or winter hot chocolate season.

Sealing your mason jars is super easy with a jar vacuum sealer, and will allow you to keep these dippers fresh for weeks (if not months!). Perfect if you plan to give them as a holiday gift.

Holiday Gift Idea: Hot Chocolate S’mores Jars

If you’re looking for an easy homemade gift, these s’mores crackers are perfect. The taste and texture are unlike anything you can find in the store, and paired with a jug of hot cocoa mix it feels cozy, thoughtful, and very “winter camping at home”.

You can put these together in an afternoon, line them up on the counter, and make them neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, or stocking stuffers all at once.

How to Package Them as Gifts

1. Fill the jar with dippers: Once the s’more crackers are cool and dry, arrange them in a clean mason jar. Leave a little headspace at the top so they don’t get crushed.
2. Apply a long-lasting crunch: Remove the cap firmly. For a glossy, long-lasting texture, vacuum seal a mason jar. Stored this way, crackers can stay crunchy for weeks (if not months).
3. Add the hot cocoa mixture: Fill the second pot with your homemade hot cocoa mix. We like to use our Instant Hot Cocoa Mix recipe here.
4. Label and decorate: Attach a simple tag with serving instructions, such as “Add a few tablespoons of cocoa mixture to hot milk or water, then dunk s’mores crackers and enjoy.” Add ribbon or twine if you want to dress it up a bit.
5. Gift and enjoy: Give them to friends, neighbors, co-workers, or put them in a cell.