Graeter’s Review No. 5: I’m not a huge fan of camping: The bugs, the sleeping on the ground, the threat of rabid animals or knife-wielding serial killers targeting social transgressors in a beautiful, natural setting. It’s mainly sleeping on the ground, though. But I can certainly get behind sitting around a roaring fire late in the night, the sounds of the forest around us, a cup of cocoa (or adult beverage) in hand. Surprisingly, I don’t think we ever took the bother to toast marshmallows and stuff them along with chocolate between two graham crackers. I know I’ve had real deal S’Mores somewhere at some point in my life — maybe a backyard barbecue? — but I am more likely to encounter this flavor combo inspiring all sorts of other desserts using the S’Mores adjective. Some of these are decent, some are lazy mashups, some misleading advertising. And like camping, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of S’Mores in general. While I enjoy the chocolate paired with toasty marshmallow, it’s usually the graham cracker element that lets me down. The past few years I’ve avoided anything using S’Mores branding, including ice cream. But in Graeter’s I trust. And they didn’t let me down.
Note: This is a pint I enjoyed last month and didn’t intend a review, so the photos here are sadly lacking. But I got a request to spotlight this flavor, so here we are.
What I liked: The graham cracker base surprised me. The crackers themselves are always pretty bland to me, but I think a huge part of my dislike is the texture. And when they get carelessly tossed into ice cream — like so many cheesecake flavors do — they become a soggy albatross in an otherwise decent dessert. Graeter’s gets around that problem. Thankfully there are no cracker pieces and they’ve instead infused their base with the graham flavor. It’s quite delicious. Now if you asked me to name the flavor — absent clues from the add-ins and labeling — I’d have no idea. It’s unique, but reminiscent of both the toasty holiday Creme Brûlée flavor and the malt base in Midnight Snack. The chocolate is usual Graeter’s perfection.
What could be better: I did like these mini marshmallows — they were plentiful and fun little bites. But I think they worked better in the holiday cocoa flavor. With S’Mores I’m expecting a toasted marshmallow for both taste and texture to fulfill that core expectation. Could they have done a marshmallow swirl instead? Maybe take a cue from the Bona Bona brand and include a topping of toasted meringue (tastes just like campfire marshmallows).
Better than the actual dessert? Yes, give me this ice cream every time over the real thing — unless we’re out in the woods and nobody thought to bring along a cooler with dry ice.
How it compares: As someone who’s avoided S’Mores flavors in the past, let me know. Is there another brand worth trying? The one I always see is Ben & Jerry’s Gimme S’More, but that’s a very different build — marshmallow ice cream with fudge flakes plus graham cracker and Oreo swirls.
Possible pairing: I’ve seen a lot of recent S’Mores twists use Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in place of plain chocolate. I love that idea. How about we pair this with Graeter’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip?
Final thought: S’Mores-flavored treats often fall short because one element doesn’t deliver in either taste or texture. Even though the marshmallow here could use a little workshopping, this one has gotten closer to any other for having me ask for some more.
Score: 8.2
by madisonguy76
Dining and Cooking