Toasted Campfire: S'mores in a Coffee Cup (No Bugs Required)

Toasted Campfire: S'mores in a Coffee Cup (No Bugs Required)

Some flavors don't need a season. Pumpkin spice has autumn. Peppermint has Christmas. But s'mores? S'mores are year-round. The only problem is that actual s'mores require a campfire, and campfires require going outside, and outside has bugs.

Toasted Campfire is our solution. It's everything you love about s'mores — the graham cracker crunch, the melted chocolate, the toasted marshmallow — without the dirt, the mosquitoes, or the awkward singalong around the fire. You just brew a cup.

Here's the story behind one of our most popular flavored roasts.

The Flavor: How We Built a S'more in a Coffee Bean

Toasted Campfire flavor notes illustrated as graham cracker, chocolate and toasted marshmallow.
Campfire flavor notes

Flavored coffee gets a bad reputation, and honestly, most of it deserves it. The typical flavored coffee on the market is cheap beans sprayed with artificial flavoring oils that taste like chemicals pretending to be food. You drink it and think: "this tastes like someone described s'mores to a chemist."

We do it differently. Our flavored coffees start with quality beans and use flavoring techniques that complement the coffee's natural character rather than burying it. The goal isn't to make coffee taste like something else — it's to make coffee taste like the best version of something you already love.

Toasted Campfire is built on three primary flavor notes:

1. Graham Cracker

The base note. Slightly sweet, slightly nutty, with that warm, toasted-grain character that makes graham crackers the foundation of a s'more. In the coffee, this comes through as a warm, biscuity undertone that grounds the cup and gives it body. It's the flavor that makes Toasted Campfire feel like comfort in a mug.

2. Chocolate

The middle note. Rich, smooth, and just sweet enough to satisfy without tipping into "dessert in a cup" territory (though honestly, there's nothing wrong with dessert in a cup). The chocolate note in Toasted Campfire is more milk chocolate than dark — creamy and approachable, not bitter or intense. It blends with the coffee's natural roasted character to create a flavor that tastes like it was always supposed to be there.

3. Toasted Marshmallow

The top note. This is the one that makes people close their eyes and go "oh, that's good." Toasted marshmallow is a specific flavor — not just sweet, but toasted. Caramelized. Slightly smoky. It's the flavor of a marshmallow that's been held over a fire just long enough to get golden brown on the outside and gooey on the inside. That's the note that finishes each sip of Toasted Campfire and leaves you reaching for another.

The Roast: Medium, Not Overwhelmed

Toasted Campfire is a medium roast. This matters because the roast level determines how much of the coffee's natural flavor survives and how much the added flavors need to carry the cup.

A dark roast would overpower the delicate graham cracker and marshmallow notes with smoky, bitter roasted flavors. A light roast might not have enough body to support the chocolate. Medium is the sweet spot — enough roasted character to give the cup substance, but not so much that it fights the flavor profile.

The result is a coffee that's balanced. The s'mores flavors are present but not aggressive. The coffee is present but not dominant. They work together, which is the whole point of flavored coffee done right.

When to Drink It

Toasted Campfire is versatile. Here's when it shines:

  • Morning, black or with a splash of cream. The graham cracker and chocolate notes come through best with a little milk fat to carry them. A splash of half-and-half turns Toasted Campfire into something that tastes like a s'more latte from a coffee shop — except it costs $1.25 per cup instead of $6.
  • Afternoon, as a treat. It's sweet enough to satisfy a dessert craving without actually eating dessert. If you're the kind of person who wants something sweet at 3 p.m. but doesn't want to eat a candy bar, this is your coffee.
  • Evening decaf alternative. We don't make a decaf Toasted Campfire (yet), but if you're not caffeine-sensitive, it's a perfect evening cup. It tastes like dessert without being dessert.
  • Cold brew. Yes, Toasted Campfire makes an incredible cold brew. The chocolate and marshmallow notes get sweeter and smoother when extracted cold. Steep coarse grounds in cold water for 16–24 hours, strain, and serve over ice. It tastes like a s'mores milkshake with caffeine.

Pairing Ideas

If you want to go full experience mode:

  • With actual graham crackers. Obvious but perfect. The coffee enhances the cracker flavor and vice versa.
  • With a piece of dark chocolate. The contrast between the bitter chocolate and the sweet coffee creates a layered flavor experience that's better than either one alone.
  • With a campfire. If you happen to have one. We can't help you with the bugs, but we can help you with the coffee.
  • With nothing. Toasted Campfire doesn't need a sidekick. It's complete on its own.

The Competition: Why Our Flavored Coffee Is Different

Let's be direct about this: most flavored coffee is bad. Here's why, and here's how we're different:

Most flavored coffee: Cheap beans + artificial flavor oils = coffee that tastes like a candle store. The flavoring is aggressive, synthetic, and separates from the coffee character. You can taste the "chemical" edge.

Toasted Campfire: Quality beans + carefully calibrated flavoring = coffee that tastes like a s'more decided to become a beverage. The flavors integrate with the coffee's natural profile. No chemical edge. No artificial aftertaste. Just a cup that tastes like what it says it tastes like.

The difference is in the ingredients, the process, and the give-a-damn. We give a damn. Most flavored coffee producers don't.

The Verdict

Toasted Campfire is the coffee we recommend to people who "don't like flavored coffee." It's the one that changes minds. It's not a novelty — it's a well-crafted roast with a flavor profile that happens to taste like the best campfire memory you've ever had.

No dirt. No bugs. No awkward singalongs. Just s'mores in a cup, whenever you want them.

Grab a bag. Shop Toasted Campfire →


Struggle On Coffee Co. — Small-Batch Roasts, Big Missouri Flavor. Indulgence With an Attitude. Fresh roasted to order in Southeast Missouri. Free shipping on every order.

Back to blog