Smores Cookie Bars

Smores cookie bars are a baked dessert that combines graham cracker crust, chocolate filling, and toasted marshmallow topping in one pan. They taste like the campfire classic but are simpler to make and serve without a fire. The key is toasting the marshmallows under the broiler just before eating so they stay gooey on top while the chocolate beneath stays set.

Ingredients for Smores Cookie Bars

Graham crackers form a buttery base layer. Butter binds the crumbs and helps them brown. Brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the crust. Chocolate chips melt into a fudgy middle layer. Marshmallows top the bars and toast golden and puffy. Salt seasons the whole thing and makes the chocolate taste deeper.

Why This Smores Cookie Bars Works

The graham cracker base stays crisp because the butter toasts it in the oven before you add the chocolate. This keeps it from getting soggy later. The chocolate layer sets as it cools, so the bars hold together cleanly when you cut them.

The marshmallows go on top raw and only toast under the broiler at the very end, right before serving. This way they puff and brown without overcooking the chocolate underneath or drying out the graham layer. You get a warm, melty marshmallow and a firm chocolate layer in every bite.

Mistakes To Avoid

Skipping the pre-bake of the crust turns it soggy. When you add warm chocolate directly to raw graham crumbs and butter, the heat never crisps the base and it stays damp and crumbly instead of holding together.

Adding marshmallows before the chocolate sets causes them to sink and melt into it, creating a gummy layer instead of distinct crispy-bottomed and toasted-top marshmallows. Let the chocolate cool first.

Leaving marshmallows under the broiler too long burns them black and tastes bitter. Watch them constantly; they go from perfect to charred in seconds.

Cutting the bars cold, straight from the refrigerator, causes them to crack and crumble. Warm chocolate cuts cleanly; cold chocolate breaks apart.

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Ingredients

• 10 full-sheet graham crackers (about 5 ounces)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 16 full-sheet marshmallows (about 4 ounces)

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is light golden and set. Remove and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Scatter the chocolate chips over the hot crust in an even layer. Let them sit for 1 to 2 minutes to soften, then spread them with a spatula into a smooth layer covering the entire crust.
5. Let the chocolate set at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, until it feels firm to the touch but is still slightly warm.
6. Arrange the marshmallows flat-side down on top of the chocolate layer, fitting them close together to cover the top. You should have no chocolate showing between them.
7. Turn on the oven broiler to high. Place the pan 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element.
8. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching constantly, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown on top. They will continue to brown as you watch. Remove them when they are the color you want.
9. Let the bars cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. The chocolate will firm up and the marshmallows will set slightly.
10. Using a sharp knife, cut into 16 pieces (4 rows by 4 columns). Wipe the knife clean between cuts for neat edges.