This recipe for S’mores Bars comes straight from my years of baking for family and friends. I’ve combined that firsthand experience with tried-and-true techniques to create a dessert that brings all the nostalgic flavors of a childhood favorite into one gooey bite. Tested in my own kitchen and written with clear, reliable steps, it’s a treat you can trust to turn out perfectly every time.
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Why We Love This S'mores Bars Recipe
- Who can resist the famous s'more? These bars are irresistible.
- An easy recipe to enjoy a s'more any day of the year.
- These dessert bars are travel friendly. Make them ahead of time and wrap them up and be on your way.
- This recipe easily feeds a crowd if you make a double batch.
- No campfire needed. These are made easily in the oven.
S'mores Bars Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Egg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Cold Water
- XL Hershey's Bars
- Marshmallow Creme
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Unsalted butter can be used, I would suggest adding an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Always use pure extracts. The imitation extracts are fake flavored water that is chemically made and you can taste it when you use it.
- Whole Wheat Flour: It is important to use the whole wheat flour to gain the right flavor and texture in the cookies. If you need to you can use white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour but note, the cookie base will be different than expected.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: You can make your own graham cracker crumbs using a food processor or buy the crumbs in the baking aisle.
- XL Hershey's Bars: The XL size Hershey's bar works best in these bars because of it's thickness, and it fits perfectly in an 8x8 baking dish. You can use regular size Hershey's chocolate bars, but I would double stack them so the chocolate layer is the right thickness. You could also use 2 cups of milk chocolate chips. Spread the chips in a tight even layer over the cookie dough.
- Marshmallow Creme: The creme holds up better than marshmallows when baked in the oven. You can use 2 cups of mini marshmallows, but the marshmallow layer won't be as thick or gooey. However, in a pinch the mini marshmallows will work.
This is the perfect treat to enjoy all the delicious flavors of a classic s'mores.
How to Make S'mores Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or grease it very well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined.
- Then add the dry ingredients: baking powder, salt, whole wheat flour and graham cracker crumbs. Mix on low just until combined.
- Add the tablespoon of cold water and mix just until the dough fully comes together.
- Press ⅔ of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add the chocolate bars on top of cookie layer.
- Next, spread the marshmallow creme on top of the chocolate bars.
- Finish with the remaining cookie dough flattened into large chunks. It will not cover all the marshmallow creme but that is exactly what you want. A little bit peeking out of the top of the bars.
- Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes until the cookie dough no longer looks glossy.
- Let bars cool completely in pan. Then remove from dish, slice and enjoy!
Do you love s'mores as much as my family does? Try these other s'mores recipes: No Bake S'mores Bars, S'mores Cookies, S'mores Brownies and S'mores Cracker Toffee.
Storing S'mores Bars
Store these s'mores bars in an airtight container in a cool dry place. It is best to not stack the bars. If you need to, stack them between layers of wax paper. The marshmallow will stick just a little bit. These bars can also be stored in the fridge. Since the bars are made with marshmallow creme they don't get too sticky or hard.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- My KitchenAid Stand Mixer is my most favorite kitchen tool! It's the best tool ever for making bars, cookies, bread, frostings and so many other things.
- These nestled mixing bowls are my favorite for prepping ingredients.
- An offset spatula works best for spreading out the marshmallow fluff.
- I really like these Pyrex baking dishes for baking.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. They're baking pans are the ones I primarily use. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set.
Tips for S'mores Cookie Bars
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
- Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookie base too dry and crumbly.
- If you're making these yummy bars for a crowd, double the recipe and use a 9x13 baking dish.
- When serving these bars, let them cool and set for at least 4-6 hours. They'll be easier to slice and serve.
FAQs About S'mores Bars Recipe
In this recipe the best candy bar to use is the XL Hershey's bar. They fit perfectly in the baking dish and are just the right thickness. You could also use a classic Hershey's chocolate bar and double them up so you achieve the right thickness of chocolate.
Milk chocolate is the classic type of chocolate bar used for s'mores. However, dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate is good too! If you like peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter cups are good as well.
Let the S'mores bars completely cool before slicing. To speed up the process, you can chill the bars in the fridge for a few hours. When slicing the bars, clean the knife with hot water after each slice.
More Delicious Bar Recipes:
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Cherry Bars
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Oatmeal Fudge Bars
- Cranberry Bars
- Strawberry Rhubarb Bars
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S'mores Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 package, 9 sheets
- 2 XL Hershey's bars, milk chocolate
- 7 oz marshmallow creme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or grease it very well.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large mixing bowl with hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined.
- Add the baking powder, salt, whole wheat flour and graham cracker crumbs. Mix on low just until combined.
- Add the tablespoon of cold water and mix just until the dough fully comes together.
- Press ⅔ of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add the chocolate bars on top of cookie dough.
- Spread the marshmallow creme over the chocolate bars.
- Finish with the remaining dough slightly flattened into large chunks. It will not cover all the marshmallow creme but that is exactly what you want. A little bit peeking out.
- Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes until the cookie dough no longer looks glossy.
- Let bars cool completely in pan. Then remove from dish, slice and enjoy!
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