Out of Graham Crackers? Use Potato Chips For S’mores Instead

Graham crackers might be a must-have if you’re thinking about making a batch of s’mores over a campfire or even your stove’s burners. But there might be a better choice sitting in your pantry — one that, at first thought, might sound kind of crazy.

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If you want to level-up your s’mores, put down the sweet-leaning graham crackers and grab a bag of salty potato chips instead. They deliver a cracker-like crunch (or, in my opinion, an even better kind of crunch) paired with a hit of salt that’ll take the melted marshmallows and soft, slightly gooey chocolate to a whole new level. 

Potato Chips Deliver A Crunch And Extra Flavor

Potato chips are a surprising but smart swap for s’mores because they deliver on two fronts. First, they’re a suitable replacement for the crunchy, crumbly graham crackers that are traditionally used. Chips can hold your marshmallows and chocolate together to create a (slightly messy) delicious dessert sandwich.

Second, potato chips add a punch of flavor that’ll please your taste buds. While the usual s’mores combo — graham crackers, chocolate of any kind, and marshmallows — leans quite sweet, potato chips add a savory element.

And as we’ve learned, pairing salt with sweet foods like fruit can deliver an even more delicious final product. Salt essentially boosts foods’ natural sweetness, and it can lend a bolder, brighter, or contrasting flavor when sprinkled over as a finishing element.

Potato chips work in a similar manner. Once your marshmallows are properly roasted and lightly brown (or absolutely obliterated, if you like your gooey center charred) and you add them to chocolate and potato chips, the salt that those chips are already well-seasoned with will change the flavor in a great way.

The end result is a dessert that’s warm, easy to eat, and mixes soft and crunchy textures together. The pairing of sweetness with a bold hit of salt makes an even more surprising finish with every bite.

And if you want an even better flavor balance, you can tweak your s’mores. You can slip a potato chip in the middle of the chip-marshmallow-chocolate sandwich for an extra layer of crunch and salty goodness. Or, you can dip your potato chips in chocolate and then pair them with a toasted, roasted marshmallow.  

The Best Potato Chips To Use For S’mores

Before you grab any potato chip you happen to have on hand, it’s important to note that some potato chips may not be up to the job of standing in for graham crackers. That’s because, as you’ve likely noticed over many years of taste-testing different chips, some are simply too thin and crumbly to offer any kind of structural integrity, at least when used in a kind of sandwich setup.

The best potato chips to use when you’re making s’mores are thick-cut ones. Kettle-cooked potato chips tend to be thicker than your average Lay’s, so they make a solid choice. Ruffles are also a great pick thanks to their thicker, textured nature; their ridges are perfect for capturing any melted marshmallow or dripping chocolate and keeping your s’mores together.

Just make sure you’re sticking with regular potato chips and not boldly-flavored varieties. While Doritos might be stronger than a basic potato chip — or Sour Cream & Onion Ruffles are what you happen to have in your pantry — these aren’t going to deliver a tasty final product. The bold flavoring on many chip options will overwhelm that classic s’mores flavor. Keep it simple at first; then, if you’d like, you can experiment with other chip options.