The BEST Healthy Plant-Based S’mores [Vegan, WFPB]
In the more than four years we’ve been eating plant-based, I have been on the hunt for a good alternative for the traditional s’more. The fun of the s’mores tradition just hasn’t been something my family is ready to give up, but we have enough events that call for them them during the summer that I really wanted a healthier version we could have at least some of the time.
I’ve searched google time and time again and racked my brain trying to come up with a healthier alternative. But the vast majority of my searches gave one of two types of results:
What are Your Options for Healthy, Plant-Based or Vegan S’mores?
Some of the top google vegan s’more recipes are for 2 vegan marshmallows, 2 pieces of vegan chocolate and 2 vegan graham crackers. I certainly could have figured that out, and it’s hardly any healthier than a traditional s’more. It’s great to bypass the gelatin-based marshmallows. Did you know that the gelatin used in marshmallows and jell-o comes from animal bones and parts?. But vegan marshmallows cost 3x as much AND pretty much all of them contain carageenan which is linked to cancer. So that wasn’t a good option.
The other options I found were to make your own graham crackers and/or marshmallows from scratch. It’s an intriguing idea, but one of those things that would take a few hours to make and they would be gone in about 5 minutes, which includes the roasting time.
But after yet another night of traditional s’mores (and I’m okay with an occasional treat, but with a fire pit in the backyard it would be SO nice to have a healthy s’more option) I found myself searching google again for ideas.
Finally after yet another round of disappointing search results, I had an idea. The kids had finished their s’mores while I put the baby to bed and I couldn’t wait to try it. The fire was still going and I needed virtually no time to put it together. I cooked it, and my older kids were all intrigued when they saw it. I shared a taste with them, and they all loved it!
At last we can have healthy s’mores that are fun to make, easy and super satisfying!
And not only is it just slightly healthier than the traditional, it can actually be made 100% whole-food, plant-based with nutritious foods you probably already have!
How Do You Make a S’more that is Vegan, Whole-Foods, Plant-Based AND Healthy?
All I did was combine peanut butter with quick oats. I used about 1 TBSP peanut butter and 2 TBSP oats and combined them into a ball that I then smashed flat for the base. These are definitely best eaten with a fork, so if you’re putting them on the fire you’ll want to place the cookies in a small bowl out of foil. Just cut a smallish piece of foil and fold up the sides to make a little bowl. If you are microwaving just use a small glass plate.
Then it was chocolate and a nicely ripe banana. I didn’t used to like the idea of bananas here, but I actually really love them here. If you or your family are not quite loving the banana idea (or you’re like one of our favorite teachers who told my kids banana is spelled b-a-r-f), you can still swap in any marshmallows of your choosing.
The peanut butter oatmeal cookie is completely sugar free, not processed and only takes a few minutes. And the contrast between salty and sweet is awesome too. For the win!
I chose to use the available chocolate here, which wasn’t completely plant-based. But to keep it 100% WFPB you can add a dusting of cocoa powder and mix it with the banana. Or Guittard Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are dairy free and one of my favorite options. Enjoy Life is a great option for those with allergies.
Pile your chocolate and banana on top of the peanut butter cookie and heat–either several minutes in a foil bowl over the fire until the chocolate is melted, or about 30 seconds in the microwave. That’s it! And in the microwave the banana does start to bubble just like a traditional s’more. One of these days I’m going to get brave enough to overcook it and see what happens!
How do I get my kids to like Healthy S’mores?
So if you’re ready to try this out on your family, my recommendation is this–don’t pull it out on the 4th of July or big annual camp out where everyone is expecting a s’more.
You want their first experience with this to have zero expectations. Like a “it’s Monday night and we want a treat. What can we make in 5 minutes with what we already have in the house?”
These work equally well in the microwave so these will be perfect at the last minute.
Then when you’ve surprised everyone with how tasty they are, you can begin to bring them out on a special occasion or two.
So while it’s not something you can serve people without them knowing it’s not the original they’ve grown up with, it is a simply delicious option that is fun to build and cook over the fire and can easily be customized to wherever you are on your plant journey. 
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 C natural peanut butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- 1 C quick cooking oats
- 1 very ripe banana
- 4 oz chocolate bar or chocolate chips or cocoa powder for 100% WFPB
Ingredients
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- Combine oats and peanut butter. Mixture should easily form into balls--add a little peanut butter if it seems dry or oats if it seems too sticky.
- Roll into balls and then flatten into cookies. I made my balls around 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place cookies on a glass plate if making in the microwave, or make a small bowl out of aluminum foil to cook over the fire.
- Top cookies with chocolate and a piece of banana. Microwave for 30 seconds or place over the fire. Watch and remove when chocolate is melted. Use a fork to mix banana with melted chocolate and enjoy!
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I love this idea! I can’t wait to try it!