Salted Caramel S’more Dip — The Sweet Warmth at the End of a Long Louisiana Week

Week 510. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Holiday season. The cottage or the memory of the cottage. The family gathering or planning to gather. Luc (19) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (17) in high school, painting. The food is the constant — the roux and the rice and the cayenne that doesn't change even when everything else does.

Made smothered chicken this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The roux keeps turning.

After a week where the smothered chicken was the main event and the roux did all the heavy lifting, we needed something sweet to close the evening — something that could hold a room together the way a good meal does, unhurried and generous. This Salted Caramel S’more Dip is exactly that: warm chocolate, bubbling marshmallows, a thread of caramel and salt, and a pile of cinnamon sugar chips to drag through it. It’s the kind of dessert you set in the middle of the table and let people find their own way to — same as any good gathering. The roux kept turning all week; the dip is how we let it rest.

Salted Caramel S’more Dip with Cinnamon Sugar Chips

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more for finishing
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• For the Cinnamon Sugar Chips:
• 8 medium flour tortillas
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Make the cinnamon sugar chips. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter, then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Stack the tortillas, cut them into 8 wedges each, and spread in a single layer across the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake the chips. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the chips are golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Switch the oven to broil on high.
4. Build the ganache base. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the heavy cream until it just begins to steam — do not boil. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe, oven-safe skillet (a 9-inch cast iron works perfectly) and pour the hot cream over them. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until completely smooth and glossy.
5. Layer the caramel and salt. Drizzle the caramel sauce evenly over the chocolate ganache. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt.
6. Top with marshmallows and broil. Cover the entire surface of the dip with mini marshmallows in an even layer. Transfer the skillet to the oven under the broiler and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden-toasted on top.
7. Finish and serve. Remove from the oven, add a final pinch of flaky sea salt over the toasted marshmallows, and serve immediately in the skillet alongside the cinnamon sugar chips for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 345 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 295mg