When you’re sitting around a campfire it’s a given that you’ll want to roast some marshmallows for s’mores at some point. Traditional wood fire pits are great for this but you might wonder if you can do the same for a gas fire pit.
You can make s’mores on a gas fire pit. Most fire pits run on propane which burns cleanly (cleaner than regular fires) and doesn’t leave toxic deposits on your food. You can also make s’mores on a bioethanol or natural gas fire pit as they also produce very little harmful emissions.
The only “danger” is getting sticky and melted marshmallow on your fire pit’s lava rocks or fire glass which is tedious to clean.
As long as you have the right tools and use the best technique you can enjoy delicious s’mores made over your gas fire pit.
Why It’s Safe To Make S’Mores on a Gas Fire Pit
It’s safe to make marshmallows for s’mores on a gas fire pit because propane (the most commonly used gas for fire pits) burns cleanly and doesn’t leave sooty or toxic chemical deposits on your food.
Bioethanol is also safe for making s’mores because it doesn’t produce harmful emissions when burned (only carbon dioxide and water vapor).
If your fire pit is hooked up to your natural gas line, you can also safely make s’mores over it. Although burning natural gas emits trace amounts of nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 (a lung irritant) and can be linked to childhood asthma, it’s widely used on stoves for cooking and generally considered safe.
However, you should NOT cook marshmallows over a firelog like Duraflame unless it's specifically stated that it's safe to do so.
The only issue I’ve had making s’mores over a gas fire pit is the sticky mess created when my marshmallow dripped onto the lava rocks. I still roast marshmallows over lava rocks but I monitor the marshmallow carefully so it doesn’t drip.
How To Make S’Mores on a Gas Fire Pit
Below is my foolproof way of making s’mores on my gas fire pit:
1. Gather your ingredients and supplies (roasting sticks, Graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate pieces).
Extra large marshmallows are great for maximum deliciousness and dark chocolate chips are ready to use and pair well with marshmallows.
2. Have 2 Graham crackers with a few chocolate chunks sprinkled on top ready for each s’more you want to make.
3. Place a marshmallow on your roasting stick (or 2 if your roasting stick has 2 prongs) and extend a few inches above the fire pit’s flames.
4. Slowly and carefully rotate the roasting stick so that you achieve an even golden brown color.
5. Once the marshmallow has swollen and browned nicely all over, remove it from the flames.
6. Position the marshmallow over a Graham cracker, pinch the roasting stick with 2 fingers just below the marshmallow and gently remove the roasting stick.
7. Place a Graham cracker on top and give it a very gentle squeeze.
8. Wait a couple of minutes for the marshmallow to cool down a bit (you don’t want to burn your mouth) and for the chocolate to melt and then enjoy.
