Graham cracker and brown sugar cookie dough sandwiches a thick layer of marshmallow creme and plenty of chocolate chips in these undeniably delicious s’mores cookie bars. They’re chewy, soft, and gooey and have been one of the most popular dessert recipes on my site. They’re a hit wherever I take them and these days I love using homemade marshmallow creme instead of store-bought.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
It’s like… why not just eat a s’more? Do we really need a cookie bar that’s s’mores flavored? The answer is yes. Real s’mores, in all their sticky, messy, campfire-fresh glory are obviously a special treat. But here we get to enjoy those same exact flavors in convenient travel-friendly form and with a thicker, softer graham cracker base. We don’t even need a crackling campfire to set the ambiance! A win-win-win.
S’mores Cookie Bars Details
- Flavor: S’mores is a very popular “flavor” that isn’t going out of style. From no bake s’mores cake to s’mores brownie cupcakes and s’mores brownie pie, the combination of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers can be used in many different ways. (Heck, I’ve even served up s’mores chocolate mousse and s’mores rice krispie treats before!) Today’s layered s’mores cookie bars combine the same trio of flavors and while the marshmallow creme and chocolate are obviously irresistible, readers always love the buttery sweet graham cracker cookie enveloping it all.
- Texture: If you haven’t tried them already, be prepared for a medley of textures. The graham cookie portion is soft, chewy, and a little crumbly. The marshmallow creme is gooey and if you use my homemade recipe, it has a slightly crisp meringue-like texture on top. (That’s probably my favorite part of it all!)
- Ease: I do not consider this a challenging recipe, but assembling the bars takes a little bit of effort. The cookie dough is quite sticky, so don’t be afraid to use your hands to spread it evenly into the lined baking pan. The marshmallow creme is equally sticky, but just remember that the layers don’t have to be beautiful or perfect. Do your best and trust the oven to bake it all together nicely for you!
One reader, Michele, says: “These were amazing! I made two batches for an outing this weekend and they both were devoured! Thank you so much for such a perfect s’mores bar, the prep was simple and the bake time was spot on for me. I had several request for the recipe. I love your blog! ★★★★★”
4 Layers to Love in These S’mores Bars
- Graham Cracker Cookie Bar
- Marshmallow Creme (store-bought “Fluff” or homemade)
- Chocolate Chips
- Graham Cracker Cookie Bar
Just so you are extra prepared, let me show and explain how these treats come together. To make these s’mores cookie bars, start with a basic butter-based cookie dough but swap some of the flour with graham cracker crumbs. Spread 2/3 of the graham cracker cookie dough into the bottom of a pan—it will seem like a very thin layer, but the cookie bar portion puffs up in the oven. Top with marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, and then the rest of the graham cracker cookie dough. Have you ever made homemade marshmallow creme before? It’s like making Swiss meringue buttercream only without the butter. Gently cook egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together before whipping with vanilla extract. It’s similar to traditional “7 minute frosting”, but doesn’t contain corn syrup or water. And it tastes even creamier and fluffier than store-bought Fluff.
One important note about the marshmallow layer: Do not use marshmallows in lieu of the marshmallow creme. The marshmallows will melt into the dough, disappear, and create unpleasant looking “craters” in the finished bars—you won’t really even taste them. Use marshmallow creme because it stands up to the oven’s heat. Save your marshmallows for a batch of rice krispie treats or hot cocoa cookies instead!
Success Tip: There isn’t enough dough to completely cover the marshmallow and chocolate chips, but that’s the charm of it all! For the top cookie layer, grab portions of the remaining cookie dough, flatten out like pancakes and arrange on top of the chocolate chip layer. You get to see the marshmallow and chocolate pop up and peak through all the cracks on top!
This dessert is always fun for summer cookouts and parties, but I’ve served them for birthdays, along side Father’s Day recipes, Mother’s Day recipes, anniversaries, a random Sunday (why not?), you name it. It’s always devoured!
Looking for Summer Desserts?
- Fruit Pizza
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- No Bake Cheesecake Jars
- Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
For even more inspiration, head over to our list of 25+ desserts for a BBQ cookout.
Print
S’mores Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Graham cracker and brown sugar cookie dough sandwiches a thick layer of marshmallow creme and plenty of chocolate chips in these undeniably delicious s’mores cookie bars. Feel free to use store-bought or homemade marshmallow creme. See recipe note if using homemade.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 cup (120g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full-sheet graham crackers)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 heaping cup marshmallow creme (store-bought “Fluff” or 1/2 recipe of homemade marshmallow creme)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the bars when they have cooled. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Mixture may appear curdled and that’s ok.
- Whisk the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and then beat on medium speed until combined.
- Press/spread 2/3 of the graham cookie dough into prepared pan. (Doesn’t have to be exact, just eyeball it.) It will be a thin layer and the dough is sticky, so use your hands if needed. Spread the marshmallow creme evenly on top. This will be tricky since the marshmallow creme is sticky, but do the best you can to get an even layer. Layer chocolate chips evenly on top. Mold the remaining cookie dough into flat pieces and layer on top of the chocolate chips, as pictured and shown in the video above. You won’t have enough dough to make one single layer, so some chocolate chips/marshmallow will be exposed.
- Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool bars completely.
- Lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, cool bars completely. Cut into squares and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Homemade Marshmallow Creme: You can use homemade marshmallow creme for this recipe. You only need a half batch, which yields just under 2 cups. Halve all of the ingredients and follow the same instructions. Use 1 and 1/4 cups in this recipe. (Enjoy the rest!)
- Can I use regular marshmallows? No, do not use marshmallows in lieu of the marshmallow creme. The marshmallows will melt into the dough, disappear, and create unpleasant looking “craters” in the finished bars—you won’t really even taste them. Use marshmallow creme because it stands up to the oven’s heat.
- Can I make these in a 9×13-inch pan? Yes. Double the recipe by doubling each ingredient. Bake time is around 35-38 minutes.
- Non-US Readers: If you can’t find graham crackers where you live, you can substitute ground digestive biscuit crumbs instead.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I like the idea of this recipe but we all thought it was too sweet. If I were to make it again I might experiment with adding a bit more salt and/or butter to the graham cracker base to balance things out.
My bestie made these and sent me home with a sample. They are so good! She also said she rolled out the marshmallow cream between two sheets of plastic instead of trying to spread it out. Worked like a charm! I’m going to try it.
Obsessed! My family said this is their new favorite. Super easy to make and so good. I used a chopped chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips and it came out so gooey and delicious.
I made these for a friends rehearsal dinner and it was a HUGE hit. I currently have another pan’s worth in my freezer whenever i’mreadu for my next sweet treat too Go ahead and double the recipe yall. You won’t regret it!
Here’s a tip: Instead of molding the remaining cookie dough into flat pieces and layering it on top of the chocolate chips, I rolled that third of the dough between two pieces of wax paper. Next I removed one layer and flipped the second sheet with the flattened dough on top of the chocolate chips, then peeled the second wax paper layer form the top. No sticky fingers and fairly even coverage.
Hi Sally
What size pan do you actually use yourself in your video
Is it the 8 or 9 inch pan
Thank you
Hi Heather, Sally is using a 9-inch square pan in the video.
I made these, using your homemade marshmallow crème, which was amazing. My family loved them, and they were quickly devoured! I have a question, would it work to use more graham crackers with less flour? Thanks for your amazing recipes!
Hi Kathleen, that would take some testing but let us know if you try!
Hi! I made these again today with a few adjustments. I doubled the recipe to use the 9 x 13 pan. I used 50% more graham crackers, and used about 1/4 the flour. I also made your marshmallow crème and cut the sugar in that by half. It still tasted great and held up well to baking. I am not sure if it was the new mixture, or my oven, but I needed to cook these for about 37 minutes.
Hi sally,
I made these recently along with your marshmallow creme. I made a double recipe in a 9×13 and baked for about 35 minutes. They looked great when they came out of the oven and left them to cool overnight to bring to a party the next day. The next day it seems all of the marshmallow disappeared. They were a big hit and were delicious but were void of the marshamllow so i had a had to keep explaining what they were. Any tips to avoid this. I’m preparing to try again
Hi Chris, for the marshmallow, we wonder if the bars were over-baked and therefore the marshmallow simply began to melt and disappear into the graham cookie dough. We do find that the marshmallow at the very top (that is not covered with cookie dough) doesn’t disappear or melt as much. For your next batch, you might try decreasing your bake time by just a few minutes to see if that helps. We’re glad they were still enjoyed regardless!
Sally,
These were so delicious! Have you ever baked them in a lined cupcake pan for easy individual servings? I liked the suggestion from another baker about piping the marshmallow cream!
Thanks,
Jeanette
Am I able to use mini marshmallows instead of the marshmallow crème?
Hi Sydney, marshmallow creme is really best for this recipe – see the post above for details!
These turned out fabulously with the recipe doubled in a 9×13! I used the homemade marshmallow creme recipe- it’s one of my new favorites!
I used a piping bag to pipe over the bottom layer, then spread evenly and that saved a lot of time!
I needed a hand-held dessert for a family BBQ this weekend and these were a hit! I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13″ pan, it worked great, the bottom layer was a little thick, but probably because of the pan size – people still loved them!
I baked the S’mores bars for a BBQ with homemade marshmallow Creme and it was a huge success!!! Doubled the recipe which was easy peasy. Thanks for the recipe purrfect for kids AND adults!
Just made the S’mores cookie bars! They are delicious. I not key a few out and froze the rest. Hopefully I can save one for my grandson!
I have made these bars multiple times and they are always a hit. I use a torch to toast the marshmallow a little bit. Everyone raves about them.