Growing up in Northern California, my family headed up to the mountains twice each summer for camping vacations. We drove to Yosemite for one excursion and Lake Tahoe for the other, both times with a minivan full of firewood, duffel bags, and backpacking mattress pads. We were hardcore tent campers—no trailers, no campers, no RVs—just us, our sleeping bags, and a flimsy four-man tent.
We’d spend five or six days hiking, swimming, and getting as dusty as humanly possible, much to Mom’s dismay… No baths for a week made for very happy kids!
In the evenings, Dad always built a big fire in the campsite ring, and as it crackled and roared, we sat in folding chairs around the pit to keep warm. If my brother and I had been good during the day and hadn’t complained too much on the steep trails, Mom pulled out the supplies to make s’mores.
We packed our own metal skewers instead of using sticks (for sanitary reasons), and we each pierced two marshmallows to toast the start of our desserts.
One time in early middle school, I perched precariously around the fire pit to roast marshmallows. My foot started to fall asleep as I crouched down, so I tried shifting my weight to kneel instead. As I moved, I lost my balance and started tilting towards the fire, so I stuck out one finger—my middle one on my left hand—to catch myself on the metal fire pit walls…
I bet you can guess what happened next!
The tip of my finger immediately blistered, and I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and clutched a cold water bottle all night to help numb the sharp pains shooting into the throbbing pad of my finger.
Thankfully, that was the one and only time that I burned myself, but I still prefer making my s’mores indoors to avoid the possibility of that happening again—like with these Pumpkin Shortcake S’mores! A fun twist on the classic campfire favorite, they’re an irresistible combination of summer treats and fall flavors… With tons of gooey marshmallow action. Pure deliciousness!
Because I’m not the biggest fan of those graham cracker crumbs that fly everywhere and land all over my shirt when I bite into a regular s’more, I created these healthier pumpkin shortcakes as the sandwich base instead! They’re incredibly soft and tender from lots of pumpkin purée. With just a hint of cinnamon, they’re the perfect bookends for the toasted marshmallows!
Note: Because the marshmallows are so sweet, I didn’t add any sugar to the shortcake dough. If you just want the shortcakes but not the s’mores, try replacing the milk with maple syrup instead. (Or just top with ice cream or whipped cream!)
Instead of bars of chocolate, I mixed up a super simple dark chocolate drizzle. You only need 3 ingredients: cocoa powder, milk, and a touch of sugar. It’s really rich and decadent, but it beautifully balances out and complements the sweet marshmallow! Store any leftover drizzle in the fridge, and simply reheat in the microwave for 5 seconds to warm it up to a drizzle-able consistency again.
P.S. It’s totally awesome over ice cream! Just sayin’…
To toast the marshmallows, I’ve used both a culinary torch and a long-nosed lighter. Although I generally prefer the culinary torch because its flame is easier to direct, both work just fine. Since fall and winter are quickly approaching and I know my parents love using their fireplace every night, you could easily toast your marshmallows over that too!
To assemble the s’mores, carefully slice each shortcake square in half horizontally. They’re a tad bit on the thinner side, so try to cut through them as evenly as possible. Then drizzle the bottom with chocolate sauce, and toast your marshmallow. You want to make the sandwich as soon as you finish roasting the marshmallow to maximize the ooey gooey goodness. Those long thing strands of marshmallow are always the best part!
With their festive fall flavors, these Pumpkin Shortcake S’mores didn’t stand a chance in our house! I practically inhaled two in a row, blissfully licking the sticky marshmallow off my fingers. My mom’s eyes lit up when I offered her one when she arrived home from work, and she immediately began drizzling and toasting away… Just like me as a little girl!
Seriously guys… You can’t beat s’mores!
These fall-flavored s’mores are even better than the originals! The soft pumpkin shortcake is the perfect “bread” for the sandwich, gooey marshmallow and dark chocolate drizzle take it over the top.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the shortcakes, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles a fine meal. Stir in the pumpkin, milk, and vanilla.
- Gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake at 425°F for 10-13 minutes, or until lightly golden and the shortcakes start pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- To prepare the drizzle for the s’mores, stir together the cocoa powder, milk, and sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon into a small zip-topped bag, and snip off one corner.
- To assemble, slice the shortcake into 9 squares, and slice each square in half horizontally. Drizzle the bottom half with the chocolate sauce. Lightly toast the marshmallows using a culinary torch (or a campfire!), and place on top of the drizzled chocolate. Immediately place the other half of the shortcake square on top, and gently press down.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I used as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¼ cup (35g) brown rice flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, and 1 ¼ teaspoons (3g) xanthan gum.
Any milk (whole, 2%, 1%, or any non-dairy) may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
For a vegan version, use non-dairy milk, Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of the butter, and vegan marshmallows.
Store any leftover shortcakes in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Store any leftover chocolate drizzle in the refrigerator, and reheat for 5 seconds in the microwave to warm it up to a drizzle-able consistency again.
{gluten-free, vegan, low fat, low calorie}
Christine @ A Sprinkle of This and That says...
Indoor S’mores are my favorite! Thanks for sharing!
Amy says...
My pleasure Christine!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says...
This sounds absolutely dreamy!
Amy says...
Thanks Melanie!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says...
Awwww … so stinkin’ cute! And what’s not to love? Pumpkin … shortcake … s’mores … insanely good stuff through and through! Pinning, my dear! Yum!
Amy says...
Thanks so much Shelley!! You’re just the sweetest. 🙂
Andi says...
Looks delicious, I love the added complexity that pumpkin brings to the table!
Amy says...
Thanks Andi!
Mary Frances says...
You are a genius Amy! A pumpkin smore?? Gah, SO gorgeous, especially with all the colors. I can only imagine how good it tastes!
Amy says...
Thanks Mary Frances! The orange of pumpkin is so festive, especially this time of year. I’m hoping it’ll help usher in the fall weather a little faster! 😉