There’s just something so quintessentially “summery” about certain foods, right? It’s the kind of stuff you can grab and go at a backyard barbecue. Or that’s cool and refreshing, making it a perfect treat for little pruney fingers to scoop up when they finally emerge, sopping wet and starving, from the beach or pool. S’mores, a ripe and juicy watermelon, strawberries – they bring the kind of sweet flavors and fun memories you can only truly experience and enjoy after Memorial Day. For some reason, though, we don’t often think to combine all those flavors. Sure, you might find watermelon and strawberries in a fruit salad while camping. But have you ever added a fire-roasted strawberry to your s’mores? Well, TikToker @PNPenner did, and it might just be the most brilliant twist on a summer treat you’ll see this year.
Intrigued? Here’s the scoop: The TikToker, whose real name is Nancy, starts her video by forking a giant strawberry onto the end of a metal skewer. Next, she dips and rolls it in marshmallow Fluff before holding it over the grill (Fluff toasts just like an actual marshmallow and is easy to wield). Once it’s nice and roasted, Nancy opts to drizzle the warm treat with chocolate syrup. Is your mouth watering yet? Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” soundtracks the video and, honestly, it checks out. Just watch the Tok.
It goes without saying this is the kind of fruit dessert hack your kids will think is magic – and you’ll love just as much because, hey, it’s fruit, right? There’s some nutritional value in there. It’s coated in sugar, but still. It counts.
Before you go firing up the grill and wowing the fam with fire-roasted strawberry s’mores, a word to the wise: Let the strawberries cool off just enough after roasting them that the juices inside don’t scald your kids’ mouths when they bite in. This shouldn’t be an issue since the marshmallow also needs to cool down. It’s better to be safe than scalded, though!
Once you’re all sufficiently hooked on roasted strawberry s’mores, you may want to get even more adventurous. So, keep reading.
Perfecting the Roasted Strawberry
This recipe is delicious in and of itself. But what if you want something … more? You’ve got options.
Strawberry Pie S’more
Imagine if, instead of drizzling chocolate over the top, you placed the warm strawberry and marshmallow between two graham crackers, just like you do with a s’more? If you love a strawberry pie, this is the remix you need to try. A few tips to get you started:
- Use a large berry sliced in half to make a more manageable bite.
- You can still add a piece of chocolate (maybe even white chocolate?).
- Instead of a graham, you could try shortbread cookies.
Chocolate – and Chocolate Placement
The TikTok video shows Nancy drizzles with chocolate syrup, and yup, that sounds delicious. Also, though, what about …
- Chocolate chips inside the hull of the berry?
- Using fancier chocolate syrup?
- Sticking with a Hershey’s bar on your strawberry s’more?
Other Things to Roast and “S’more-ify”
You can never have too much fruit in the summer. These summer fruits are all delicious after spending a bit of time on the fire, whether it’s a bonfire or a grill:
- Watermelon
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Plums
- Papaya
- Guava
- Mango
- Orange slice
Depending on which you choose, complimenting them with marshmallows (or Fluff) and chocolate could make them even better. But never underestimate the understated yet still wildly delicious combo of a grilled peach slice between two graham crackers. Meanwhile, watermelon is delicious and easy enough to grill and eat on its own.
You could also try adding seasoning to your fruits:
Don’t forget that there are other sauce flavors besides chocolate, too:
- Caramel – Good on oranges, peaches, plums, watermelon, and bananas
- Strawberry – Good on strawberries, papaya, guava, mango, pineapple
- Pineapple – Good on strawberries, oranges, mangos, peaches, papaya
Looking for even more inspiration for your next fireside dessert? Let’s not forget the older but still delicious idea of just changing up the kind of chocolate you put on your s’mores. Instead of a Hersey’s bar, you could try:
- York Peppermint Patties
- At the Crunch Bar
- A Caramello
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
This complicates things. With so many options, which should you try? Listen, you’ve got all summer to try them all. That’s roughly 90 warm nights that will be perfect for lighting up a bonfire, fire pit, or grill. Enjoy!