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These S’mores bars incorporate all the delicious elements of the classic S’mores. They’re easier, arguably more delicious, and can be made year-round. Imagine biting into a luscious layer of gooey marshmallows, perfectly melted chocolate, and the satisfying crunch of graham crackers—all without needing a campfire. This recipe combines the beloved flavors of the classic campfire treat with an extra-thick layer of chocolate and a buttery, crushed graham crackers crust. They also have double the amount of ooey-gooey, melted marshmallows.
I grew up eating these on the beautiful Southern California beaches. Back in the day, the beaches had public fire rings. You’d have to get to the beach early to stake out your ring. We’d whip these up after a long, sunny, carefree day at the beach. My mom was amazing. She’d pack me, my two sisters, and often a few extra kids from the neighborhood into our old station wagon and head out to the beach! S’mores were always the perfect ending to our day at the beach!
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, family dinner, or simply craving a sweet treat, these golden brown S’mores bars are sure to impress. With just a bit of prep time, simple ingredients, and a short oven time, you can bring the ultimate taste of summer into your kitchen year-round. Get ready to create a heavenly dessert that everyone will love!
Before You Start
→Make a Sling: This makes cleanup a breeze and cutting the bars so much easier! This is especially important if you bake these bars in nonstick baking pans, like I do. If you’re not concerned with damaging your baking dish or you don’t care about easy cutting, you can, of course, spray your baking dish with Baker’s cooking spray instead of lining it with a sling. Here’s how to make one:
- Cut either a length of aluminum foil or parchment paper, long enough to line the interior of the pan and extend on the two shorter sides by about 3 inches.
- Form the foil or parchment into the baking pan and fold over the long edges. If you’re using parchment, consider securing the sling to the sides of the baking dish with mini binder clips. Here are the clips I use.
→How to Crush Graham Cracker Crumbs: I find it easiest to process the graham crackers by pulsing to the desired consistency in a food processor. Alternatively, you can place them in a resealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
→Baking Pan: I prefer to bake these S’mores Bars with graham crackers in a metal 9X13-inch baking dish. When baking with metal pans, the heat spreads quickly and evenly throughout the pan, ensuring that your food is cooked uniformly. This results in more evenly baked bars with a nice, golden crust. It also helps create a slightly crispy graham cracker base. Here’s the pan I use. I love how well-made it is and how heavy-gauge the pan is.
→Spreading the Marshmallow Creme: I prefer marshmallow crème in these bars over traditional marshmallows. The creme creates a smoother, more consistent texture throughout the bars. This ensures that every bite has the right amount of gooey goodness! Spreading the cream into a layer is a bit of a pain in the neck! Here’s how I do it: I dollop it fairly evenly over the top, then I butter my hands and spread it out over the chocolate chips.
→Top Cookie Layer: You’ll notice that the top cookie layer isn’t solid. It’s lacy with open space. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
→More Chocolate? These bars are truly loaded with chocolate. If you’d like even more, add whole or coarsely chopped mini Hershey bars, or other brands of chocolate pieces, halfway through baking (around the 12–15 minute mark).
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Why wait? If added before baking, the Hershey’s bars are softer and melt more quickly than baking chips. If added before baking, they may lose their shape, over-melt, or even burn slightly on top.
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If added after baking, they won’t melt enough to bind to the surface or incorporate into the bar, and might fall off when slicing or serving.
→Easy Cutting: Since these bars are so ooey gooey, your knife can stick when slicing the bars. Spray the blade of the knife with nonstick cooking spray or add a very thin layer of butter.
S’mores Bars Ingredient Notes
- Salt: I use fine salt, a.k.a. table salt. Don’t skip this ingredient. It enhances all the other flavors.
- Marshmallows: I use If you prefer to use regular marshmallows or mini marshmallows. Regular marshmallow can sometimes become too hard, while marshmallow creme maintains a soft, gooey consistency throughout.
- I suggest skipping the top graham cracker topping. I’d use the entire amount as a crust to make sure you get enough of the classic graham cracker flavor in each bite of the bars. Watch the marshmallows as they cook. You may need to loosely tent the top so that everything has time to melt and the marshmallows don’t get too brown.
- Chocolate: I use semisweet chocolate chips. They create a very rich, chocolatey bar. Feel free to use any chocolate you love. Milk chocolate chips work very well, too. You can also replace the morsels with an equal amount of chopped chocolate. If you go with chopped chocolate, you have many other options.
- Customize Them: While classic s’mores are a 3-ingredient party, try adding crushed nuts, toffee bits, or different chocolate flavors for a unique twist!
Storing + Freezer + Make-Ahead
- How To Store: Store leftovers at room temperature for 2-3 days, in an airtight container or plastic wrap. For more extended storage, keep it in the refrigerator.
- Can These Be Frozen? Yes! Once baked and completely cooled, you can either store them whole or slice them into portions. Either way, wrap well and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Make-Ahead Tips: These S’mores Bars with marshmallows come together very quickly with little room for make-ahead buffers, so, unfortunately, there isn’t much prep you can do. But you can fully bake these ahead of time and store them.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
How To Make S’mores Bars
More Delicious Bar Cookie Recipes
- Blondies
- Strawberry Bars
- Lemon Bars
- Blackberry Pie Bars
- Peach Crumb Bars
- Coconut Cream Pie Bars
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- 7-layer Bars
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S'more Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups milk chocolate chips
- 2 (7-ounces) jars marshmallow creme
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter (1 cup) and sugar (1 1/2 cups) until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs (2) and vanilla (2 teaspoons). Combine the flour (2 cups), cracker crumbs (2 cups), baking powder (2 teaspoons), and salt (1/4 teaspoon); gradually add to the creamed mixture. Set aside 1/2 mixture for topping.
- Line a 9X13 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Grease well. Press the remaining mixture into the pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips (3 cups) over the crust; spread with marshmallow creme (2 jars). It will relax and be easier to spread after it sits for a minute or so. I also sometimes coat my hands with a little butter and spread it out. Gently drop tablespoons of remaining graham cracker mixture over top, allowing some of the marshmallow creme to peak through.
- Bake at 350°F (177ºC) for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.
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