These Air Fryer S’mores Are Just As Good
There is no denying the exceptional quality of campfire s’mores. It’s true that the environment—the cool outdoor air, the crackling wood, and spending time with people you (ideally) like—has a big role in all of that; the s’mores themselves are just a consistently delicious bonus. However, not everyone has access to a campfire for a delicious little dessert sandwich at any time—not to mention people who detest being outside in general. Being a city dweller, I’ve experimented with a variety of techniques to produce high-quality indoor s’mores. I was surprised to learn that s’mores baked in an air fryer are just as good as those over a campfire.
I will admit that it took me some time to get used to the burnt outside of the marshmallow from the bonfire. I used to detest the taste of charcoal so much as a child that I searched eagerly for a marshmallow that was perfectly melted and had the lightest, most uniformly spread golden color. In essence, I had to boil my marshmallows over the fire slowly, which was difficult for my nine-year-old tricep muscles.
If only there had been an air fryer back then. With sticks in hand, I would have left my brothers in the backyard and headed directly for my convection oven. This is the day if, like me, you have spent your entire youth trying to find the ideal, unburned marshmallow.
How to make air fryer s’mores
These air fryer s’mores are quite quick to prepare, much like any air fryer dishes. Whether you have an air fryer that is basket-style or oven-style, they will function equally effectively.
1. Arrange the marshmallow and graham cracker
Depending on how you want your s’more chocolate, you have a choice here. Place one half of a graham cracker in the air fryer and place a marshmallow on top. If you want the chocolate to stay semi-solid, you can add more afterward. Put the chocolate on the graham cracker first, then place a marshmallow on top if you want liquid chocolate goo. In order to place a marshmallow on a cracker or chocolate without fear of it being blown away by convection-forced air, I like to either rip the marshmallow in two or rip off a small portion of the bottom to reveal the sticky inside.
2. Personalize your settings
For four minutes, use the “bake” setting on the air fryer set to 350°F. This will result in a marshmallow that is mostly melted and has almost little color. As an alternative, you can air fry the marshmallow for four minutes at 390°F on the “air fry” option to give it a toasted, uniformly spread golden crust.
Remove the half of the s’more from the air fryer once it’s done. In case you decided to postpone applying the chocolate, insert it into the heated marshmallow at this moment, place the remaining graham cracker piece on top, squeeze it slightly, and savor.
As you can see, you may customize your s’mores made in an air fryer. To achieve more color, set the machine to a fan setting that is more vigorous, such as air fry. Reduce the fan’s intensity to a lower level, such as bake or roast, and minimize the growth of the outside crust.
Whichever way you cook it, the graham cracker on the bottom gets better too, in addition to the marshmallow cooking to a delicious, gooey sugar puff: Its edges get toasted by the heat, giving it a nice nuttiness and crisp, airy texture. A welcome diversion from the typical pasty-ness of raw graham crackers.
Other ways to make s’mores without a campfire
I have not forgotten about those of you who have not yet hopped on the air fryer bandwagon. There are several ways to enjoy s’mores without using an air fryer or a traditional outdoor bonfire. My other preferred styles are listed below:
Baked in the oven
Baked in the oven
S’mores kit with a tabletop fireplace or a soy candle
The torch in the kitchen
Burnt gas burner on top of stove
Although they don’t get much attention, raw s’mores are also very delicious. How could they not be? Allow no one to criticize your choices for s’mores. I would even claim that there are instances when s’mores taste even better without the graham crackers. The traditional snack has a modern makeover, so if you haven’t tried it before, grab your air fryer and get cooking.