Frame Grabber 1.6.4
Once upon a (recent time), the internet fell in love with savory s'mores. The idea was simple: If you replace a s’more’s marshmallow with cheese, its chocolate with charcuterie, and the graham cracker with a sturdy carb, you get a bubbly, meaty, wood-smoky campfire morsel so sinfully delicious, so transgressive, it would surely send graham cracker inventor and temperance crusader Sylvester Graham into a conniption if he were alive to see it.
Savory s’mores check all the s’more boxes: contrasting textures, bold flavors, and campfire fun. No need to wait until dessert to shove that stick into a fire, you beautiful pyro, you. S’mores are no longer just an after-dinner activity; they’re dinner.
A Brief History of Sticky Fingers
First, a brief s’mores history: the first recipe for "Campfire Marshmallows" appeared in an early 1920s cookbook. By 1927, the Girl Scout guidebook Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts officially named the "s’more," a contraction of "some more."
For decades, the sweet s’more then carried on, quietly awaiting its savory rebirth…until about 2012 when Backpacker tried to convince anyone that cheddar cheese and chocolate betwixt two graham crackers is a good idea. Outside tried it, too. Both pubs missed the obvious solution, which is to replace all the ingredients wholesale. Food bloggers soon cracked the code with thoughtful flavor combinations, as seen in this overly complex recipe from 2018. However, the baked format and still photos lacked star quality.
Cue the Cheese Pull
Which brings us to today, where cheese pulls rule the algorithm. The trend really started cooking with gas and/or charcoal around 2024 when posts of bubbly, flame-charred cheese started circulating on TikTok and Instagram. As these things go, video begets video begets brand activations (e.g., Babybel, Tillamook).
Suzy, a Charlotte-based content creator known as Soozie the Foodie, hopped on the trend with a combo of Brie, prosciutto, hot honey, and strawberries after being inspired by Brandon from @frohneats. Aside from the irresistibly shareable visuals, she thinks the trend took off because it’s relatable, customizable, and speaks to the savory-over-sweets sect. "Everyone loves meat and cheese!" she says. "It’s so fun when entertaining and perfect for every season."
Savory S’more Anatomy
To build your own savory s’mores, aim for structural integrity, bold flavors, and contrasting textures. "Look for great melters that can take a little heat without getting greasy," food writer and cheese educator Pamela Vachon recommends. Think Comte, Gruyère, Gouda, and most bloomy rind cheeses. "Morbier is a French washed rind cheese with an ash stripe that would be brilliant," she says. "Goat cheeses like Humboldt Fog would also be perfect."
Harder cheeses, such as alpines, are easy to skewer. Cheddar is a tasty option, but know that it probably won’t give you that viral cheese pull because it’s not much of a melter.
Have fun with mustards, pickles, charcuterie, and sausages. Pair rich sausage with complex cheeses that can hold their own, such as Hornbacher or Sequatchie Cove Cumberland Tomme, with their baked-potato undertones. Weinkase Lagrein, a northern Italian cheese rubbed with fennel and garlic, is another excellent option. "It almost tastes like sausage!" Pamela says. Think about cheeses that complement chicken in other contexts: "Lots of high-quality bloomy rind cheeses have almost a savory, cabbage-like flavor, which would be cool with a roasted chicken sausage," she says.
Don’t forget a sauce component, such as caramelized onion chutney, honey, and cherry jam, to "bring everything together,"advises cheese instructor Lee Musho.
Finally, Lee insists that heavy-duty crackers or toasted bread slices that won’t crumble under pressure are of utmost importance, which begs the question: Where is the line between savory s’more and sandwich? Lee says the distinction is irrelevant; what matters most is the experience. "I love the spirit of the trend. It’s sitting around a fire. Probably outside. In the summer. With people you care about. Eating something that tastes really good and smoky," she says. "That sounds lovely."
The Sausage Project Savory S'Mores
Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage + Fontina + Honey Drizzle
Lee recommends pairing the Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage with nutty Fontina. The cheese won’t compete with the chicken’s mild profile. Drizzle some local honey to bridge the sweet and savory flavors. For your cracker, you could go with a classic Ritz—but if you want to really make that honey pop, stick with the classic graham cracker. Trust us.
Italian Herb Sausage + Gruyère + Caramelized Onion
The Italian Herb sausage, with its Calabrian chili heat and herb blend, pairs beautifully with an alpine cheese. "There’s a beefy, onion-y, sometimes broth-y flavor note with certain alpine cheeses," Lee says. Gruyère’s nutty complexity can handle the sausage’s bold flavors. Add caramelized onions to balance the heat with a hint of sweetness and hold it all together with a sturdy cracker foundation (Firehook's bring some tasty structural integrity).
Melty Cheddar Sausage + Aged Cheddar + Pickles
Lee suggests leaning into the richness of the Melty Cheddar and doubling down on it. Aged varieties bring sharp, complex flavors that complement the sausage’s umami. Pamela notes that some English cheddars “bring notes of horseradish,” which could add an unexpected kick. Acid-forward pickles or mustard will balance the fat, while slices of baguette keep it all together.