Campfire Cooking: Pumpkin Caramel Campfire S’mores

This month we hosted plantbased RDN, Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert, the creator behind Wholly Nourished, to help us celebrate National Dessert Day with a fall-inspired s’more recipe. She headed out to Getaway Starved Rock to craft this delicious Pumpkin Caramel Campfire S’more while she reconnected to nature and her family. Read on for her recipe.

Ingredients

For the Caramel Sauce:

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of Sunbutter 
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin purée
• ½ -1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Sea salt, a pinch

1. Add the first four ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil whisking constantly so as not to burn. Whisk until all ingredients have melted together and the mixture has thickened (about 1 minute after boiling).
2. Remove from heat.
3. Season with pumpkin pie spice to your liking starting with ½ teaspoon and increasing as desired.
4. Add a pinch of sea salt. 
5. Stir. Allow to cool. Store in a small, glass mason jar until ready to use. 

For the S’mores

• 6 graham cracker sheets, broken in half into squares
• 6 tablespoons pumpkin caramel sauce
• 6 squares of your favorite chocolate bar
• 6 large marshmallows
• Sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Take one graham square and top with approximately a tablespoon of the pumpkin spice caramel. Spread evenly on the cracker.
2. Add one chocolate square atop the caramel sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt if desired.
3. Skewer a marshmallow and roast over a campfire to desired doneness. 
4. Place the roasted marshmallow on top of the chocolate. 
5. Finish the s’more by topping with a graham square. 
6. Continue the process with the remaining ingredients. 
7. Makes 6 s’mores.

Notes: 

• *Cashew butter and almond butter work well too! 
• This recipe is vegan friendly! 
• The caramel sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight, glass container (I recommend a mason jar)  for up to 2 weeks. The sauce will firm up so remove from the fridge in time to come to room temperature or reheat over the campfire to make it smooth and spreadable.

How did you recharge on your escape to nature?

Driving down the lane to my Getaway cabin, the stress of never ending to-do lists and demands of daily routines started to melt away. The crisp fall air and changing leaves were instantly grounding. The slow pace and screen free setting were just what I needed to unwind and create space for things like reading, journaling and meditation. 

What is the sweetest part of Fall for you?

I love fall! Warm rust and golden hues, apples and abundant squash varieties, the smell of warm, fall spices and earthy scents,  and the ‘just-rightness’ of the crisp air for outdoor activities make fall sweet, cozy and inviting.