S’mores Bars are the ultimate summertime treat! A soft & chewy graham cracker cookie dough makes up the base & topping for these easy bars. Layers of melty chocolate, gooey marshmallow cream, and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce are nestled between the cookie dough layers. No campfire needed for this nostalgic summer s’mores experience!
S’mores season, how we love you! The best part of these cookie bars is that you don’t need campfire weather to make them. Just a few simple ingredients, an oven, and an appetite for the gooiest, most delicious s’mores dessert you’ll ever taste. Let’s dive in!
Why you’ll love these S’mores Bars:
- Graham Cracker Cookie Base – A soft & chewy cookie dough with graham cracker pieces folded in makes up the base & topping for these easy s’mores bars.
- Melty Chocolate – A thick layer of melty chocolate runs through the middle.
- Gooey Mallow Cream – A gooey pillow of mallow cream blankets the chocolate layer.
- Caramel Sauce – Add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce over the mallow layer to take these bars to a whole new level! The caramel flavor pairs beautifully with the graham crackers, chocolate, and mallow cream.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Egg – Use a large egg, at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla for the best flavor.
- Graham Crackers – I like to use whole graham crackers, broken up, rather than crumbs so that there’s a bit more texture in the bars. No need to get out the food processor here! I think the best substitute, if you don’t have graham crackers where you live, would be digestive biscuits. You can also use golden grahams cereal pieces!
- Chocolate – Use whatever chocolate you like best!
- Marshmallow Cream – You’ll need one, 7-ounce jar of marshmallow cream.
- Caramel – Use my 10-minute Salted Caramel Sauce recipe or your favorite store-bought.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter and chocolate. Marshmallow cream is dairy-free but it is not vegan.
How to Make this S’mores Bars Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make Graham Cracker Cookie Dough. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on high with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Mix in the dry ingredients and graham cracker crumbs until just combined, on medium speed. You’ll have a slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Assemble Bars. Press half the cookie dough into the bottom of a lined 9-inch pan. Place your chocolate in an even layer over the top, trying to avoid any gaps between the chocolate.
Step 3: Add Marshmallow Cream & Caramel. Spread a jar of marshmallow cream evenly over the chocolate. Drizzle a little salted caramel sauce over the marshmallow cream, if desired. I think it pairs beautifully with the flavors of the s’mores!
Step 4: Bake Bars. Add the remaining cookie dough in flattened out globs, and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake the bars as directed in the recipe card below. Don’t Don’t Over Bake – Follow the doneness cues given in the recipe card below for best results. ! If they’re a bit jiggly when you pull them out, that’s okay. They’ll set up perfectly as they cool. If the marshmallow cream has expanded through the cracks in the cookie dough quite a bit, that’s also fine. It’ll settle down as the bars cool.
Serving + Storing this S’mores Bars Recipe:
Let bars cool before slicing, or they will surpass their gooey title, hehe. Let cool for 2-3 hours or so at room temperature, or speed this up in the fridge. Or, let bars cool completely then cover and store at room temperature overnight. Slice and serve! Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days.
Expert Success Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Spreading Mallow Cream – This can be a messy process, but if you spray a silicone spatula or offset spatula with nonstick spray before spreading the mallow cream, it’s a lot easier!
FAQs:
Yes! Double it and bake in a 9-inch x13-inch pan for about the same amount of time, starting with a few minutes less to play it safe as all ovens run a bit differently.
I haven’t tested it for this recipe, but I think you could use that.
I know you might want to use gooey marshmallows in these bars, but I haven’t tested it and I think they would expand too much during the bake and it may cause the cookie dough to not bake properly. I *think* mini marshmallows would work if you absolutely must use marshmallows. Just cover the chocolate in an even, single layer with them.
You can get 9 large bars, or 12 slightly smaller bars from this recipe. In the photos, I cut the pan into 12 slices. You can also cut small pieces to stretch the yield to 16 bars.
Recipe Variations:
- Caramel – Feel free to omit the caramel if you want.
- Chocolate – Use any type your heart desires – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or the classic hershey’s chocolate bars. No need to start with melted chocolate here – the oven does the work!
- Cookie Butter – Drizzle 2-3 tbsp of melted cookie butter over the marshmallow creme in place of the caramel. Or, try nutella!
- Golden Grahams Smores Bars – Use crushed golden grahams cereal in place of the graham crackers for a delicious spin.
Special Tools:
- 9×9 Pan – A ceramic or metal 9×9 square pan is ideal for this recipe.
- Cordless Mixer – I love the flexibility of a cordless electric mixer!
- Offset Spatula – An offset spatula makes spreading the marshmallow cream a breeze, and I use it for tons of things – especially when frosting cakes, bars, etc.
More S’mores Recipes to Love:
- Campfire S’mores Stuffed Skillet Cookie
- Gooey S’mores Brownies
- S’mores Tart
- S’mores Donuts
- S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mini S’mores Cheesecakes
- No-Bake S’mores Pie
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
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Gooey Caramel S’mores Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough Base
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed 85 grams
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar 83 grams
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 163 grams
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 whole graham crackers
For the Layers
- One 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream
- 12 ounces chocolate bars
- 3-4 tbsp salted caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep: Spray a 9×9 pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350℉.
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the sugars and mix until well creamed together with the butter, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms. Crumble the graham crackers in – you'll have a mix of finer crumbs and some chunks about blueberry size. Mix those in just to incorporate.
- Assemble Bars: Press half the cookie dough into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Place the chocolate bars over the dough in an even layer, trying to avoid gaps between pieces. Spread the jars of marshmallow cream over the top of the chocolate. Spray your spatula with nonstick spray to make this easier! Drizzle on the caramel sauce. Grab chunks of the remaining dough and flatten a bit in your hand, then place all over the top of the bars, letting some of the marshmallow and caramel peek through. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips.
- Bake: Bake at 350℉ for 22-26 minutes. The mallow cream will be very puffy and the bars will be lightly golden brown. They may have a slight jiggle when you move the pan, but will set up as they cool. The marshmallow puffiness will also settle down as they cool.
- Serve & Store: Let the s'mores cookie bars cool in the pan on a wire rack at room temp for 2-3 hours before slicing and serving, or they will be extremely messy. You can speed this up in the fridge! Or, let bars cool completely, then cover them tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap once cool, and store at room temperature overnight before slicing and serving. Store leftovers (hehehe not likely!) in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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