Every summer, I grab a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and some Hershey's chocolate bars in anticipation of making some s'mores while camping, in the backyard by the fire pit, or gathering with family and friends to enjoy a fire and more. We love them, they add to the ambiance, and then I inevitably have a bit of everything left over. That's where s'mores bars come in.
This easy recipe comes together quickly and is a hit with my family. They are basically as messy as campfire s'mores, but you can make a bunch all at once. And it means not having half a bag of marshmallows slowly melt into a giant blob over the next few months. If you happen to not have a big bag of marshmallows to use up, you can use mini marshmallows, which keep you from cutting the big ones in half. I just always end up using campfire s'mores leftovers. If you have enough chocolate bars to just use those as the chocolate layer, you can do that too … I just inevitably need to add some chocolate chips to fill in the gaps. You can opt for milk chocolate chips if you prefer. I like the mix of milk and dark chocolate.
These are a perfect dessert to offer at the end of a backyard BBQ. As summer starts to wind down, it's really nice to embrace the sweeter things from the summer before autumn finds us all.
S'mores Bars
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup melted butter
- 3 Hershey's chocolate bars, broken into pieces
- ⅔ cup dark chocolate chips
- 7 oz. marshmallows, cut in half (or use mini marshmallows)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13″ pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray: set aside.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together moist crumbs (the texture of sand) form. Evenly and firmly pat the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes just until the edges are lightly browned. Turn off the oven.
Lay the chocolate bar pieces evenly on top of the graham cracker crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top to fill in any gaps. Put the pan back into the warm oven for 1 minute.
Nestle the marshmallows into neat rows, covering all of the melted chocolate.
Put back in the oven and broil the bars for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown. Do not leave unattended as they go from golden brown to burnt very quickly.
Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.
- Yields: 20 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes