Revel in the comforting and familiar flavors of classic s’mores with these s’mores bars. This recipe is an elevated and easy-to-serve version of the classic camp treat. It has all of the elements of a traditional s’mores recipe, but the best part is you don’t have to make a fire or go foraging for sticks to enjoy gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate!
Serve this s’mores bars recipe as a summer dessert for the family, or be the star of your next party when you bring a pan of these treats. They are also great for movie night, after-school snacks, and just because! If you love updated takes on childhood favorites that are fun for kids of all ages, then try my other dessert recipes for kids like my rice krispie treats recipe, kitchen sink cookies, or my homemade cake pops recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Graham Cracker Crumbs – make the most delicious graham cracker dough used for the crust and topping. Purchase pre-made graham crackers crumbs which are stocked in many grocery stores, or make your own by pulverizing graham crackers in a food processor.
Marshmallow Creme – for essential marshmallow flavor. Also known as marshmallow fluff, marshmallow creme can be found in most grocery stores, but you can also substitute 3 cups of mini marshmallows for this gooey layer.
Chocolate Bars – keep it classic by using traditional Hershey’s milk chocolate bars broken into individual pieces. Or use milk, dark, or white chocolate chips!
Butter – adds a rich and creamy flavor to the graham crackers for a moist yet chewy crust. Use butter softened to room temperature.
Light Brown Sugar – brown sugar adds sweet molasses notes to the graham crackers and creates a chewier cookie crust. Pack the brown sugar tightly into the measuring cups when measuring it.
Vanilla Extract – adds warm vanilla notes, enhancing the chocolate and marshmallow. For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract.
How to Make S’Mores Bars
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and fully line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, and baking powder.
2. In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing.
5. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the pan in a single layer.
6. Dollop the marshmallow crème on top. Using a greased spatula, spread the crème into as evenly of a layer as you can.
7. Break up the chocolate bars into chunks and scatter over the crème layer.
8. Scatter small pieces of the remaining dough over the chocolate and marshmallow. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or the marshmallow crème has puffed and is lightly golden brown and the dough has turned golden. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Make your own graham cracker crumbs. If you have a box of graham crackers on hand or can’t find cracker crumbs at the grocery store, it’s easy to make your own cracker crumbs! Use a food processor to pulse crackers or place several graham crackers in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them until in fine crumbs. Store extra crumbs in the bag and use them to top ice cream or yogurt.
- Bake until toasted and golden brown. For the most authentic toasted marshmallow flavor, bake until the marshmallow cream is puffy and turns golden brown.
- Use parchment to easily remove bars from the pan. When lining your baking pan, use a large enough piece of parchment paper to allow it to extend up the sides of the pan. Once the bars are cooled, grab the edges of the parchment paper and use them as handles to gently remove the bars from the pan, transfer them to a cutting board, and slice with a sharp knife.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow bars to cool to room temperature and then store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For gooey marshmallows, reheat the s’mores bars in the oven or microwave for a few seconds until the Hershey’s chocolate bars begin to melt.
You can’t go wrong with using classic Hershey’s chocolate bars, but it’s fun to change things up in these easy s’mores bars with different candies. Try chopped peanut butter cups, peppermint patties, caramel-filled chocolate like Ghirardelli squares or Carmello bars, Snickers, or other varieties of Hershey’s chocolate.
S’mores cookie bars are a yummy lunchbox treat or dessert anytime but are simply perfect when served with any food you’d typically enjoy outdoors, take on a picnic, or prepare on the grill. Try them with turkey burgers on brioche buns, watermelon salad, and macaroni salad. Or serve these s’mores bars for a summer movie night with an array of candy and kettle corn with decadent chocolate martinis.
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S’mores Bars
Equipment
- 8″ square baking pan
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (150g)
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (120g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar (147g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (7-oz) container marshmallow crème
- 2 (1.55-ounce/43g ) Hersey’s chocolate bars or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (90g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and fully line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, and baking powder.
- In a medium mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop the marshmallow crème on top. Using a greased spatula, spread the crème into as even of a layer as you can. Break up the chocolate bars into chunks and scatter over the crème layer. Scatter small pieces of remaining dough over the chocolate and crème.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or the marshmallow crème has puffed and is lightly golden brown and the dough has turned golden. Let cool completely in pan before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Make your own graham cracker crumbs. If you have a box of graham crackers on hand or can’t find cracker crumbs at the grocery store, it’s easy to make your own cracker crumbs! Use a food processor to pulse crackers or place several graham crackers in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them until in fine crumbs. Store extra crumbs in the bag and use them to top ice cream or yogurt.
- Bake until toasted and golden brown. For the most authentic toasted marshmallow flavor, bake until the marshmallow cream is puffy and turns golden brown.
- Use parchment to easily remove bars from the pan. When lining your baking pan, use a large enough piece of parchment paper to allow it to extend up the sides of the pan. Once the bars are cooled, grab the edges of the parchment paper and use them as handles to gently remove the bars from the pan, transfer them to a cutting board, and slice with a sharp knife.
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