Last weekend, I found myself staring at leftover pizza dough and wondering what ridiculous creation I could conjure up. You know that feeling when you have all the ingredients for something completely unconventional, but your brain keeps whispering Do it anyway?  That was me, except instead of listening to reason, I decided to throw marshmallows on pizza dough and see what happened. This easy dessert pizza recipe combines chocolate, graham crackers & gooey marshmallows perfectly.

The result was absolutely mind-blowing. S’mores pizza is not just another dessert pizza gimmick. When you combine the smoky sweetness of roasted marshmallows with rich chocolate and buttery graham cracker crumbs on a perfectly crispy pizza base, something extraordinary happens. The marshmallow topping creates this incredible textural contrast that makes every bite feel like you are sitting around a campfire, minus the smoke in your eyes and the inevitable burnt fingers.

Now, I have to admit, the first time someone mentioned dessert pizza to me, I was skeptical. Pizza belongs in the savory category, right? But then I remembered how much I loved s’mores as a kid during those summer camping trips with my family. My dad would always burn the marshmallows because he got distracted telling stories, while my mom would create these perfect golden-brown masterpieces that made everyone jealous. The combination of those three simple ingredients created pure magic, so why not translate that magic onto pizza?

Making s’mores pizza starts with getting your pizza dough right. I prefer using a slightly sweet dough, which you can achieve by adding a tablespoon of honey or brown sugar to your regular pizza dough recipe. The sweetness complements the marshmallow topping without overpowering it. Roll that dough out thin because you want it crispy enough to hold all those gooey toppings without turning into a soggy mess.

The beauty of this dessert pizza lies in the layering technique. First, I brush the dough with melted butter mixed with a pinch of cinnamon. This creates a barrier that prevents the chocolate from making the crust soggy while adding another layer of flavor. Then comes the fun part – crushing up graham crackers and sprinkling them generously across the surface. Do not worry about being too precise here. The uneven distribution actually adds to the rustic charm.

Chocolate choice matters more than you might think. I have experimented with everything from milk chocolate chips to dark chocolate chunks, and honestly, semi-sweet chocolate works best. It provides enough sweetness to satisfy that dessert craving without competing too heavily with the marshmallows. Break up a few chocolate bars into irregular pieces rather than using perfectly uniform chips. Those jagged edges create little pockets where the marshmallows can settle and get extra gooey.

Here comes the tricky part  the marshmallow topping. Regular marshmallows work fine, but mini marshmallows distribute more evenly and give you better coverage. I learned this the hard way after my first attempt resulted in some bites being pure marshmallow while others had none at all. Scatter those mini marshmallows across your chocolate and graham cracker base, making sure to press them down slightly so they do not all slide off when you move the pizza.

Baking temperature is crucial for s’mores pizza success. You want your oven hot enough to crisp the bottom but not so hot that the marshmallows burn before everything else cooks through. I set mine to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and watch it carefully. The marshmallows should puff up and turn golden brown, developing those characteristic campfire-toasted edges that make s’mores so irresistible.

The hardest part about making s’mores pizza is waiting for it to cool down enough to cut. Trust me on this one. I got impatient during my second attempt and ended up with molten marshmallow stuck to the roof of my mouth for what felt like hours. Let it sit for at least five minutes after coming out of the oven.

When you finally take that first bite, the contrast hits you immediately. The crispy, slightly sweet crust gives way to melted chocolate and those perfectly gooey marshmallows, while the graham cracker crumbs add a delightful crunch throughout. Each piece tastes like childhood memories wrapped in pizza form.

Have you ever tried explaining s’mores pizza to someone who has never heard of dessert pizza before? Their facial expressions are priceless. But once they try it, they understand. This dessert pizza with marshmallow topping bridges that gap between familiar comfort food and adventurous dessert experimentation.

S’mores pizza proves that sometimes the best culinary innovations come from combining things that should not work together but absolutely do. Who says pizza always needs tomato sauce and cheese?

Reference

United States Department of Agriculture. (2023). Food Safety and Inspection Service: Safe minimum internal temperatures chart (USDA FSIS Publication).

Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 – Food and Drugs: Bakery Products. U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Marchant, J., & Richardson, P. (2021). Maillard reaction kinetics in wheat-based dough systems at elevated temperatures. Journal of Food Science, 86(4), 1456-1468.