The Hocking Hills Campfire Dessert Tournament: 8 Things Better Than Plain S’mores

Set the rules before the sugar takes over

Keep each entry small enough that people can taste several without regretting the entire weekend. One person can run the fire while everybody else assembles ingredients at a table. Follow the rental's fire rules, burn only what is permitted, and never leave the fire unattended.

Score each dessert from one to five in three categories: taste, structural integrity and October spirit. Structural integrity matters because a dessert that slides directly into the fire should not receive full marks just because the idea was charming.

1. Cinnamon-roll foil packets

Use refrigerated cinnamon-roll dough if your rental cooking setup makes sense for it, or prep a simple version ahead. The trick is indirect heat rather than dropping dough into flames. A covered grill grate or foil packet near steady coals gives you a fighting chance.

Add diced apple and a little cinnamon for the full fall effect. Check food safety and package directions rather than guessing at doneness.

2. Apple-pie campfire cones

Fill sturdy waffle cones with chopped cooked apples or pie filling, a few mini marshmallows and a little crumble topping. Wrap in foil and warm near coals until everything is hot. The cone becomes the bowl, which means almost no cleanup.

3. Banana boats

Split a banana lengthwise without cutting all the way through the peel, tuck in chocolate pieces and marshmallows, wrap in foil and warm gently. Add peanut butter chips, caramel or crushed cookies if your group wants to overengineer it.

Banana boats score extremely well on structural integrity because the peel is essentially edible-adjacent cookware.

4–6. Three fast contenders

• Campfire sandwich cookies: sandwich chocolate and a toasted marshmallow between sturdy cookies instead of graham crackers.
• Warm cider doughnuts: briefly warm store-bought doughnuts near the fire and serve with apple butter or caramel dip.
• Peach or pear crumble packets: fruit, oat topping and butter warmed in foil until soft and fragrant.

These are excellent tournament entries because nobody needs to spend an hour measuring ingredients while the rest of the group is already outside.

7. The absurd luxury entry

Bring a small container of brownie pieces, warm them briefly, and top with vanilla ice cream back inside the rental. Is using the kitchen cheating? Only if your group says it is. The point is the ritual, not frontier authenticity.

A tournament gets more fun when one entry is shamelessly optimized for winning.

8. The mystery ingredient round

Put five harmless toppings on slips of paper—pretzels, peanut butter, apple butter, cinnamon cereal, caramel, for example—and make each team draw one. They have to work it into a basic toasted-marshmallow dessert.

Avoid surprise ingredients that create allergy problems. Ask about dietary restrictions before buying anything, not while somebody is already holding the mystery bag.

A judging sheet worth taking far too seriously

Award the winner control of the next morning's coffee order, first shower, or a handwritten certificate made from the back of a grocery receipt. Keep the stakes gloriously low.