S’mores are one of the easiest desserts you can have available as a sweet treat for your gathering, but how do you style one so it looks like a piece of art? I’m so glad you asked! Here we will talk about the easy tips, tricks, tools, and ideas you can use to stage a beautiful s’mores dessert board that looks like it should be in a gallery.
This post is all about a s’mores dessert board. Some of the links are Amazon affiliate links from which I receive a small commission, but, at no cost to you.
What Does Charcuterie Board Mean?
Before we dive into the details, let’s talk about what a charcuterie board actually means. It’s a French word pronounced (shahr-ku-tuh-ree) and it refers to assembling meat products, particularly cured meats, on a cute board. There are many styles of charcuterie platters you can make aside from just meats, such assorted cheeses, nuts with fruits and vegetables, and even sweet and salty dessert boards. The ideas are endless!
Charcuterie style is a fun and easy way to stage food in clusters or groupings. Going this route saves on space, time, dishes, and cleanup. Nobody likes cleaning up, do they?! Well, then again, maybe some do. I just so happen to have a strange love for cleaning floors, but I digress. Lol!
Why not go the easy route, and try setting up a charcuterie board at your next gathering? Don’t let the looks of them intimidate you. They may seem complicated but in reality, they are pretty simple. It’s just about filling in the space with layers of food and minimizing the amount of the board that is showing.
Let’s dig into the details of how to do this, s’mores style.
Easy S’mores Platter Ideas
You can use just about anything as the stage for your s’more dessert board. Here are a few ideas for which you can display your sweet treats on. You probably have a few of them already in your home.
- Sheet Pan
- Cutting Board
- Cheese Board
- Rectangular or Round Platter
- Coffee Table Tray
- Serving Tray
- Dinner Plate (for very small gatherings)
- Low Profile Basket with Liner
- Dinner Table
- Counter Space
- Bar Cart
What You Will Need to Create a S’mores Party Board
There are a few basic ingredients when it comes to styling ANY kind of charcuterie board. So, feel free to use the basics every time you create one, just swap out the food and embellishments. Here we will focus on the s’mores route.
- Board
- Parchment or Wax Paper (if staging on a table, countertop, or in a basket)
- Small Bowls
- Footed Platters (if staging on a table, counter, or bar cart)
- Tongs
- Cheese Knives
- Skewers
- Embellishments for the Season or Occasion (We used pumpkins in light of the fall season)
- S’mores Food Items
- MORE Treats (Details below for additional treats to add to your s’more experience)
- Paper Plates
- Napkins
- Wet Wipes- (These tasty treats are a we-bit messy)
Can You Make A Charcuterie Board
Ahead of Time?
Yes! Depending on what kind of food you are serving, you can style it about two hours before your gathering. I learned this timeframe lesson the hard way with my s’mores board. In light of not knowing exactly how long it would take me to style one this size, I wished I had a little extra time. All in all, it took me about an hour to set it up.
If you’re making a smaller version, and have perishables included, you can definitely prepare it ahead of time, put it in the fridge, and leave off the food items that could get soggy until just before serving. That way you are not feeling rushed and you are two steps ahead of the party. With crispy foods that are not mushy!
How to Keep Crackers from Getting Soggy
Keep crackers and cookies away from anything with moisture. My goal with the s’mores dessert board was to keep the graham crackers and cookies fresh and crisp. I did this by tucking the candy corn, chocolates, marshmallows, and a pumpkin around the apples as a moisture barrier. And, HURRAY, nothing got soggy! Wahoo!
The How-To’s of Creating an Easy S’mores Party Board
- Decide on your board.
- Know how you will toast the marshmallows. (See ideas and options below)
- Choose your food theme and embellishments. (We went with a S’mores theme and pumpkin additions)
- Make a food list of the sweet treats you want to include. (See ingredients list below)
- Go to the grocery store and purchase the treats.
- When you get home, unwrap and separate each of the food items that need to be split apart. (Put in plates and bowls until you are ready to assemble)
- Start with adding the pumpkins or other larger embellishments to the charcuterie board, platter, or tray.
- Add the bowls with the dips.
- Add the larger items such as graham crackers in one section of the board and repeat the look on the other side.
- Tip– Save the super small items for last to fill in the holes.
- Circle around the bowls with different colored treats that fit best.
- Tip– Do not be afraid of where to put the food. (as long as it’s tidy, in layers, and separated by color, it will look amazing)
- Layer in zig-zags, straight lines, circles, and more. Add a cluster of one food and take the same food and add another cluster to another space. Repeat about 2-4 times on average.
- Tip– Make sure if there are words on the chocolates and cookies, that they are all lined up in the same direction.
- Fill in the gaps with the smallest sweet treat pieces to make sure the entire board is covered.
- Add extra embellishments such as shredded chocolate or sprinkles to the dips; cut out festive words made from food that will coordinate with your charcuterie board theme; and even add greenery to soften the look.
- Take cute pictures of your masterpiece.
- Have your guests over and enjoy every bite.
- Make sure there are mini boxes available for any leftovers so your guests can take home mini charcuterie boxes.
- Tip– Dollar Tree is well stocked with smaller tin and plastic containers.
Sweet S’mores Dessert Board Ingredients
- 2 Mini Pumpkins
- 2 Bags of Regular and Mini Marshmallows
- 1.5 Boxes Honey Graham Crackers
- 1 Package of Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
- 2 Bags of Candy Corn
- 1 Package of Fudge Stripes Cookies
- 1 Small Bag of Mini Pretzel Crisps (I do not recommend the minis as many of them were broken. I’d go with the larger pretzel crisps.)
- 1 Package of Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 2 Packages Lu Petit Ecolier Milk Chocolate Biscuit Cookies
- 2 Ghirardelli White Chocolate Bars
- 2 Packages of Dark Chocolate Squares
- 2 Large Packages of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- 8 Cut up Apples (Tip– Soak in white grape or apple juice before placing on the board to prevent browning.)
- 1 Small Container of Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 Batch of Homemade Chocolate Frosting (Click here for the most amazing recipe)
- 1 Small Container of Store Bought Carmel Sauce
- Tip– The dimensions for this tray are 29”x17.5.” It is a very large tray to feed a crowd.
More Tasty Treats Options
- Marshmallow Fluff
- Chocolate Graham Crackers
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Flavored Marshmallows
- Pizzelle Cookies
- Assorted Berries
- Girl Scout Thin Mints, Tagalongs, or Samoas Cookies (There are knockoff versions available that taste EXACTLY the same called Keebler Grasshopper- Kroger, Oven Baked Fudge Covered Cookies- Dollar Tree, and Keebler Coconut Dreams- Kroger)
- Andes Mint Thins
- Oreos
- Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Butter Crackers
- White Chocolate Pretzels
- Chocolate Covered Acai Berries
- Chocolate Covered Raisins
- Chocolate Chips
- Pretzel Rods
- Rolo Chocolate Carmel Candy
- ‘Nilla Wafers
Gourmet S’mores Recipes
Traditional Old School S’more– 2 Graham Crackers, 1 Chocolate Square, 1 Marshmallow
Reese’s Double Deluxe– 2 Graham Crackers, 1 Reese’s Cup, 2 Marshmallows, Smear of Chocolate Frosting
S’mores Blondie– 2 Chocolate Chip Cookies, 1 White Chocolate Square, 1 Marshmallow, Smear of Carmel
Corn Hole– 2 Fudge Strips Cookies, 1 Pretzel Crisp, I Marshmallow, Smear of Peanut Butter, 1 Candy Corn in the Middle
Hello Sweet and Salty– 2 Chocolate Biscuit Cookies, 1 Pretzel Crisp, 1 Dark Chocolate Square, 1 Marshmallow, Smear of Carmel and Peanut Butter
Inside Out Goodness– 1 Square of Dark Chocolate, 1 Square of White Chocolate, 1 Graham Cracker (in the middle), 1 Marshmallow
Mix and Match Marvelousness– 1 Chocolate Chip cookie, 1 Fudge Stripe Cookie, 1 Marshmallow, Smear of Carmel and Chocolate Frosting
Best Stores to Purchase Affordable S’mores Board Food
- Aldi
- Dollar Tree
- Big Lots
- Walmart
- Trader Joes
- Ollies
How to Roast the ‘Mallows
If you don’t have an outdoor space where you can have a bonfire, do not fret. There are other equally amazing options you can choose from to make your S’mores dessert board experience oh-so-fun. Here are some alternatives:
- Sterno Burners- Place on a platter surrounded with rocks, pebbles, or beans.
- Stove Top
- Microwave- Place your gourmet creations on a microwave-safe plate, on top of a graham cracker, minus the smear and chocolate square, and microwave for 15-20 seconds until they grow in size.
- Cast Iron Skillet- Place under the broiler until the marshmallows are the perfect hint of golden delicious.
- Skip the Heat- You can skip the heat altogether and use Marshmallow Fluff. If you want to get fancy, use a culinary cooking torch to toast your marshmallows. Click here to see the details.
How to Pack a Charcuterie Board to Go
This s’mores board was one that I transported to our friend’s house for the festivities. Because I used a heavy-duty coffee table tray, it was very sturdy and able to handle the weight of all of the food. It was VERY heavy.
The tray is from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target. I bought it a few years ago and I’m not seeing it on their website anymore. Feel free to check out this large round 17” charcuterie board from Amazon, here. It’s made out of wood and would be a very sturdy alternative to stage your food.
I wrapped my board in cellophane wrap, strip by strip to keep all of the goodies secure. Tip– Wrap on top and underneath so everything stays in place and you don’t have any food escapees.
Because I didn’t have any perishables that needed to be refrigerated, I didn’t need cooler packs to tag along. If you have food that needs to be kept cool, add smaller cooler packs that are light weight to the top and bottom of your tray or board to keep the food cool. Click here to see Amazon’s large flat cooler pack for cold serving.
Smaller boards can be housed in larger cooler bags along with cooler packs to keep the food at the right temperature. Costco had one years ago that I still use to this day. It’s huge and does the trick.
Shop the Post
More Fun Posts You Might Want to Check Out
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
How to Host the Sweetest Hot Chocolate Bar Party
There are so many ways you can style a s’mores dessert board; I’m confident that whatever way you decide, will be the best way. I hope this post inspired you and gave you ideas and tips on how you can make the very best s’mores charcuterie board for your gathering.
P.S. A Note of Encouragement
I was at church the other day and our pastor was talking about being single-focused. It so resonated with me, I had to share the highlights.
This is referring to when we look at something in our lives and anticipate a good outcome, and then contemplate the exact opposite, right after. It can cause confusion and instability. I’m not saying to not look at all of the options. We need to!
What I am saying is to stay focused on the positive so hope will remain in your heart and you won’t be so easily swayed to the negative. This can be hard! I get it and I’m so speaking to the choir right now. We are human!
It takes a conscious effort to remain focused on the good. I’m reminded of Peter who got out of the boat and actually walked on water with Jesus. He stood on water that was NOT frozen. Can we just take a minute right there and be in awe?!
When Peter started to look around at the wind and waves, he got “distracted,” lost his single focus of being on Jesus, and started to sink. The same can go for us. Don’t set your eyes on the scary things life can throw your way.
If we keep our eyes on the prize (that Greater Prize will always be Jesus) and keep our mindset on the positive no matter the circumstance, it will help keep us stable and confident in who and Whose we are.
You are more than a conqueror. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are a victor and not a victim. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Let’s declare scripture and hope over you. You’ve got this! You are designed to win! Don’t let fear, distractions, or anything else keep you from the prize that God has for you. Be encouraged, my dear friend!