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No one can deny that campfire s’mores are a singular treat. True, a large part of that is due to environmental factors: crisp outdoor air, crackling wood, and sharing a moment with folks you (hopefully) like; the s’mores themselves are just a reliably tasty bonus. But not everyone can access a campfire whenever they want a gooey mini dessert sandwich—to say nothing of those who simply hate the outdoors. As a city dweller myself, I’ve explored many methods for the manufacture of quality indoor s’mores. Surprisingly, I discovered that air fryer s’mores rival those made over a campfire.
Admittedly, it took me a while to appreciate the charred outside of campfire marshmallow. As a kid, I really hated that charcoal-y flavor, and patiently sought a thoroughly melty marshmallow with the lightest, most evenly distributed golden hue. Essentially, I had to slow-cook my marshmallows over the fire, which was hard on my 9-year-old triceps.
If only the air fryer had existed at that time. I would have abandoned my brothers in the backyard, sticks in hand, and gone straight to my convection oven. If you too have been searching for a perfect, unburnt marshmallow since childhood, your day is finally here.
How to make air fryer s’mores
Like all air fryer recipes, these air fryer s’mores are pretty fast. They’ll work just as well if you have an oven-style air fryer or a basket-style one.
1. Arrange the marshmallow and graham cracker
You have an option here depending on how you like your s’more chocolate. Put a graham cracker half in the air fryer and top it with a marshmallow. The chocolate can go on later if you like it to stay semi-solid. If you want liquid chocolate goo, put the chocolate on the graham cracker first and then top it with a marshmallow. I like to either rip the marshmallow in half, or rip off a tiny bit of the bottom in order to expose the tacky interior, then stick the marshmallow on the cracker (or chocolate) without worrying that the convection-forced air will blow it away.
2. Personalize your settings
Set the air fryer to 350°F on the “bake” setting for four minutes. This will give you a thoroughly melted marshmallow with little to no color. Alternatively, put the air fryer at 390°F on the “air fry” setting for four minutes to get a toasty, evenly distributed golden crust on the marshmallow.
Once cooked, take the s’more half out of the air fryer. If you’ve opted to delay your chocolate application, press it into the hot marshmallow now, then top with the other graham cracker piece, squish a bit, and enjoy.
As you can see, you have the ability to personalize your air fryer s’mores. Put the machine on a more aggressive fan setting, like air fry, and get more color. Turn the fan down to a lower setting, like roast or bake, and keep the outer crust development to a minimum.
However you cook it, n only does the marshmallow cook to a tantalizing, gooey sugar puff, but the graham cracker on the bottom benefits too: The time spent in the heat toasts the edges, giving it a pleasant nuttiness and an airy, crisp texture. A pleasant change from the usual pasty-ness of untoasted graham crackers.
Other ways to make s’mores without a campfire
Those who haven’t jumped on the air fryer train yet, I haven’t forgotten about you. There are multiple ways to get your s’mores on without either a big ol’ outdoor campfire or an air fryer. Here are my other favorite styles:
I know raw s’mores don’t get a lot of press, but they’re actually great too. How could they not be? Don’t let anyone judge your s’mores preferences. I’ll even go so far as to say, sometimes s’mores are even better without graham crackers. It’s a new age for the classic snack, so if you haven’t tried it yet, plug in your air fryer and get to it.
