It’s usually not that hard to find a stick to make smores. Step a few feet into the woods and you’re bound to find a few suitable candidates. There are times where I’ve really had to dig, but I can usually come up with something. But what if you can’t find a stick or somebody doesn’t want to use a stick they found on the ground? How do you make smores without sticks?
All you need is a little bit of heat to melt marshmallows for smores. That can come from an oven, frying pan, lighter, grill rack, tinfoil, or set next to the fire. You might need to get creative and find an alternative heat source.
Making smores isn’t rocket science! It’s just a melted marshmallow and piece of chocolate between 2 graham crackers. If you have a heat source and all the ingredients, you can make smores. Keep reading to learn a few easy ways to make smores without roasting sticks.
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Making Campfire Smores Without Sticks
Roasting marshmallows over an open fire is a time honored tradition. Every child across America grows up roasting smores on a campfire. It’s a cheap, simple snack that almost everybody loves. But what if you can’t find or don’t want to use marshmallow sticks?
With younger kids, you might not want to use roasting sticks. I’ve seen lots of kids get burnt by flaming marshmallows. I recommend waiting until a kids 6-8 yo before setting them free with sticks. Warn them about what they need to do if the marshmallow catches on fire and help younger kids hold their sticks.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a set of telescoping marshmallow roasting sticks. They’ve really gone down in price over the last couple of years. What if I don’t want to use marshmallow sticks? Are there safer alternatives?
1. Grill Basket
This is probably my favorite solution. It’s almost like you’re cooking with regular smore sticks without the safety issues. Just make the smore and lock it in the grilling basket. It’s a little different though since you have to cook the graham cracker as well. I recommend keeping it a few inches above the fire and waiting until the marshmallow starts to goo out the sides.
2. Grill Rack
A lot of people like to take the rack off their grill and place it overtop of their campfire. That’s what I did for years, but I recently picked up swinging grill grate (this one) that goes over top of my fire. Just toss your smores on and adjust it up/down until the marshmallow melts.
3. Tin Foil
There are lots of ways to cook smores using tin foil. Set it next to the fire, on your cast iron pan, over grill racks, in grill baskets, or balanced on an out of the flame log. Any way to heat it up works.
4. Cast Iron Frying Pan
Cast iron cooking is a time honored tradition. Just set the cast iron pan over top of the fire and let it heat up. Wait 20-30 minutes for the pan to heat up and toss the smores on top.
5. Next To Fire
Wrap your smores in aluminum fire and set it next to the bottom of the fire. Keep the foil packaging a few inches away from the bottom of the fire and wait a few minutes.
6. Lighter , Blow Torch, Stove
This method is highly effective, but not as fun. You can make smores using just about any fire source (except candles). Cooking over a candle leaves a weird taste.
7. Long Utensils
Go into your cabinet drawer and see if you can find a long utensil. Long skewering forks, spatulas, and knives can all work. Use it like any other type of marshmallow stick. Look for anything with a wooden handle that’s over ten inches.
I’ve also had a lot of luck roasting smores over top of a spatula. Just set the smore on the spatula and wrap it with tinfoil. Hold it a few inches over top of the fire and wait about 5 minutes for the marshmallow and chocolate to melt. It’s not as fun as roasting a marshmallow, but it gets the job done.
Should Little Kids Roast Marshmallows On Sticks?
You’d be surprised how often kids get injured roasting marshmallows. It always happens the same way. The marshmallow gets close to the flame, catches on fire, and the kid panics. They then flail the flaming marshmallow around and burn the kid standing next to them. They’re left with 3rd degree burns and a story to tell once they get older.
With that being said, it seems like it would make sense to keep kids from using marshmallow sticks. It’s really a balancing act between fun and safety. Holding a marshmallow stick over an open fire is 99% of the experience. Smores are tasty, but making them outside the fire is way less fun.
