Welcome to Peak S’mores Week in Michigan
Summer in Michigan is rolling like a Bob Seger anthem on a Friday night. The grills are firing, the pontoon boats are floating, and you can’t swing a sparkler without…
Summer in Michigan is rolling like a Bob Seger anthem on a Friday night. The grills are firing, the pontoon boats are floating, and you can’t swing a sparkler without hitting someone launching illegal fireworks off their patio. But while the skies light up, there's another season quietly taking over the Mitten right now:
Peak. S’mores. Week.
Yep, according to Instacart data, this is the moment. The week of the Fourth sees the biggest spike in graham cracker and marshmallow purchases of the entire year — even more than Memorial Day or Labor Day.
Forget pumpkin spice season. This is toasted sugar-on-a-stick season.
Now, anyone who's ever camped up north, fought a mosquito the size of a wiffle ball, or roasted something over a questionable fire pit at Camp Dearborn knows the power of the s’more. It's the glue that holds camping trips together — quite literally, when it drips all over your folding chair.
But here’s the thing: while America may run on Dunkin’, Michigan runs on s’more experimentation.
Let me explain.
We all start with the classic setup. Graham cracker. Chocolate. Marshmallow. Fire. Glory.
But if you’ve camped enough — and by “camped” I also mean “drank beer around a bonfire while someone else set up the camper” — you know people start to get creative.
Let's talk S'Mores and Creativity
Over the years, I’ve witnessed (and been part of) a full-on s’mores innovation lab.
- Soft chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers — sounds like a great idea, until you realize that warm cookies don’t exactly “hold” a molten marshmallow. It's less of a sandwich, more of a hand injury.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of plain chocolate bars — delicious, but good luck getting the wrapper off in the dark while your marshmallow’s on fire and someone’s yelling, “Turn it, it’s burning!!”
- Fancy marshmallows filled with chocolate — we tried those once. They were like the foie gras of s’mores: decadent, messy, and a little too rich for a night in a pop-up camper.
- Nestlé Crunch bars instead of Hershey’s — the texture was interesting, but the crunch really just distracted from the main event: gooey, sticky, fire-kissed nostalgia.
Some of these experiments are solid. Others are what I’d call “sugar-based sabotage.” But here’s the truth I keep coming back to — much like a great Seger song you forgot how much you loved:
Nothing beats the original.
Like “Night Moves” or “Against the Wind,” the classic s’more just hits. One bite of that golden, just-slightly-burned marshmallow melting into a Hershey’s square, surrounded by two basic graham crackers, and you’re nine years old again — standing by a campfire in flip-flops, holding a sticky stick like a trophy.
It’s culinary time travel.
That said, I’m a firm believer in experimenting before circling back to the original. You should try the variations. Go crazy. Add a pretzel. Drizzle caramel. Drop a square of Ghirardelli in there and call yourself fancy.
But you’ll come back. We always do.
Because the s’more isn’t just a treat — it’s a ritual. It’s the signal that summer is here, that bedtime is flexible, and that calories don’t count when eaten in a camp chair next to a citronella candle.
So if you’re in Michigan this week — and you’re anywhere near a fire, a backyard, a bonfire pit, or a kid holding a metal skewer like a fencing sword — know this:
You’re in Peak S’mores Week. Respect it. Embrace it. And maybe, just maybe, burn one marshmallow on purpose. You know you like it that way.
1. The roasting technique. Most people agree that the marshmallow and how you roast it is the most critical part of the equation. They found that the ideal roasting time is exactly 2 minutes and 37 seconds over medium heat.
2. The chocolate. While traditional milk chocolate works fine, darker chocolate gives it an extra flavor punch. They suggest using one that's about 70% cocoa. And the chocolate should be softened by the fire just before sandwiching it.
3. The graham cracker. It provides the crunch and structure that holds the whole thing together. A slightly honey-flavored graham cracker tastes the best, and the cracker should be warmed for 12 seconds on each side before assembly to enhance the texture and flavor profile.
4. The ratio. When you finally go to assemble, the perfect s'more will have a ratio that's two parts graham cracker, three parts marshmallow, and one part chocolate.
Then wash your hands. Seriously. You’re a grown-up now. **NSFW camping joke about s'mores below**
