Gooey Baked S’mores Bars

In the mood for something sweet and ooey-gooey? Baked S’mores Bars are an easy and delicious treat that everyone will enjoy!

Get your tastebuds ready to enjoy the sweet, gooey, and chocolaty flavors of this classic dessert. With this recipe, you can enjoy this classic camping and backyard fire pit favorite year-round—without roasting marshmallows. 

Everyone will want more of your s’mores bars!

History of S’mores

The name “s’mores” is short for “some more”, as everyone will want more! The classic s’mores recipe usually involves toasting a marshmallow over an open flame and then sandwiching it between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate. This recipe is one of many options if you don’t have access to a fire or want the flavor of s’mores without the mess.

Who and when s’mores were invented remains unclear. Some believe it’s a homemade version of the Mallomar or moon pies that were invented in the 1910s. Others believe it was organically invented by kids (likely Girl Scouts) while out camping. 

The first official recipe was shared in the 1927 Girl Scout “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts” manual. It was also included in the 1938 “Recreational Programs for Summer Camps” guide by William Henry Gibson.

Today you can find s’mores martinis, cereal, Pop Tarts, S’mores Pull Apart Bars, hot chocolate, and more. You can even find gourmet variations seasonally at restaurants across the nation. 

Ingredients and Shopping List

Graham Cracker Crumbs—one 13.5 ounce box of graham cracker crumbs, regular or gluten-free. 

Flour—plain white flour or your preferred 1:1 gluten-free flour.

Salt—plain white sea salt or standard table salt. 

White Sugar—plain white sugar or raw white sugar. 

Unsalted Butter—soften on the counter for at least 30 minutes. 

Vanilla—pure vanilla extract, not imitation, and not flavor-infused. 

Semi-Sweet Chocolate—for a traditional flavor use semi-sweet but feel free to substitute milk or dark chocolate. 

Marshmallow Cream—1 (7 oz) jar to ensure this dessert is ooey and gooey. 

Hot Water—to dip your offset spatula in so that your marshmallow cream doesn’t stick. 

Mini Marshmallows—1 cup to top your s’mores bars.  

Supplies 

• Measuring cups
• Measuring cups
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• 1 large mixing bowl
• Mixing spoons
• Handheld or countertop mixer
• Offset spatula 
• 9 x 13 baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Knife to cut into squares

What Is An Offset Spatula and Why Should I Use One?

An offset spatula is a baking tool designed for evenly spreading frosting and other creamy finishes and fillings such as mousse, fruit filling, ganache—or marshmallow cream like in this recipe. 

It is lightweight, long, thin, has a paddle-like handle, is two-sided to spread from either direction, and the tip is dull. The handle is often wood and the blade is a smooth metal that makes it difficult for creaming and sticky fillings to stick to. It is “offset” because the dull blade is bent at an angle where it connects to the paddle-like handle. 

If you don’t have an offset spatula, you can use a standard spatula or the backside of a spoon. However, they will stick more. To minimize sticking on your offset spatula, standard spatula, or spoon—dip them in hot water before and in between spreading the marshmallow cream. 

Can I Use Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate?

Yes, you can! Here are some tips for determining what type of chocolate to use:

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips—semi-sweet chocolate is a popular option for baking because it has a nice balance of sweet and bitter. It’s the chocolate used in traditional chocolate chip cookies. 

Milk Chocolate Chips—campfire s’mores are often made with Hershey’s milk chocolate bars. Or maybe Dove milk chocolate bars for a softer milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is a bit sweeter, which you may prefer in this recipe.

Dark Chocolate Chips—if you want a richer and more refined chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips. If you are making this for a crowd, maybe make one in dark chocolate and one in semi-sweet or milk chocolate as not everyone likes dark chocolate. 

White Chocolate—if you really want to mix things up, consider using white chocolate. White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, so it is sweeter and creamier. It won’t deliver the traditional s’mores flavor but it can be a fun alternative. 

Delicious Dessert in Less Than One Hour! 

Not a baker? These Gooey Baked S’mores Bars are ideal for newbie bakers! It uses ingredients you are already familiar with. While an offset spatula may be new to you, if you cook a bit—then you are familiar with all of the other tools required to mix, prep, and bake this gooey sweet treat.

Preheat the oven—if you don’t preheat the oven your baked goods (or any foods you are baking) won’t cook evenly.

Line—lining your baking dish with parchment paper ensures your Gooey Baked Smores Bars don’t stick to the pan. It also makes it easier to lift the bars out of the baking dish and it makes cleanup faster and easier.

Stir—stir the flour and salt with a spoon in a medium-sized bowl. 

Cream—creaming is the process of beating the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy and smooth which takes 2 to 3 minutes. Cream these ingredients in a separate and larger mixing bowl. 

Combine—hand stir the flour and salt mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Then, set aside 1 cup of this mixture. 

Pour—pour the batter into the baking pan and press and spread it evenly until it lays evenly in the pan. 

Add the Gooey—scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the batter. Then, dip your offset spatula in hot water. This will warm up the blade, making it easier to spread the marshmallow cream evenly on top. 

Top—scatter the mini marshmallows on top, then sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture on.

Bake—bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes, until the marshmallow layer is a light golden brown.

Cool—cool before removing from the pan and cutting into bars. 

Enjoy—store in an airtight container, on the countertop, or in the fridge, and eat within 5 days! 

Can I Double This Recipe?

Yes, but you’ll need to use two 9 x 13 baking dishes. You can bake two at a time in the same oven without needing to adjust the baking time. 

If you are going to make two, consider making one with semi-sweet chocolate and one with either dark, milk, or white chocolate. Since the chocolate is sprinkled on top, you can mix all of the other ingredients in the same bowls, and eyeball what you need to divide in two.