No Bake S’more Bars

“Marshmallows roasting on an open fire…” While those might not be the lyrics you remember, it is the theme song of many a summer evening spent in our backyard. Unfortunately, campfires need some pretty specific weather conditions to be both enjoyable and safe. These no-bake s’more bars are a wonderful way to satisfy that cozy, toasted-marshmallow craving when it’s just not viable to light a campfire.

Everyone has a different opinion on how long marshmallows should be cooked over a bonfire, but there is almost no disagreement on the subject of s’mores. The classic chocolate-marshmallow-graham cracker treat reigns supreme as the top dessert at American backyard bonfires, and for good reason. The flavors and textures are perfect together, and everybody gets to take part in making their own custom treat.

The only problem with s’mores? They’re much less fun to make in the winter or the rain. That is where these s’more bars come in. They’re made in the same fashion as the other childhood marshmallow snack, Rice Krispies treats – but instead of marshmallows, we use Golden Grahams to get the classic graham cracker flavor. We also add chocolate chips to make the indoor s’more experience complete.

True, these aren’t quite the same as a homemade s’more. But they are much easier to make in bulk, and would be perfect for a outdoor themed birthday party or baby shower. They also only require you to melt marshmallows – so you don’t need a bonfire or oven, or even (technically) a stovetop. If you had a big enough bowl, you could hypothetically melt the butter and marshmallows in the microwave before mixing everything together. So, college students, if you’re looking for a dorm dessert, this recipe is worth a try.

If you’re interested more s’mores inspired treats, my friend at Fahrenheit 450 Sweets has a s’more chocolate chip cookie recipe that would be another delicious way to satisfy that craving – all without needing to light a campfire.

You need only 5 ingredients to make this recipe! Obviously you’ll need marshmallows; I like to use mini marshmallows, mainly because it seems like they melt more evenly than the traditional size. For the chocolate, I like to use milk chocolate chips to more accurately replicate the flavor of a classic Hershey bar. You’ll also need a box of Golden Grahams cereal, vanilla extract, and 4 tablespoons of cold butter.

Use your partial stick of butter to thoroughly grease a 9” by 13” baking dish. Set this aside. Place the remaining butter in your saucepan or Dutch oven and increase heat to medium. Once the butter has melted, stir in the vanilla extract and mini marshmallows. Stir this frequently! Cook until the mini marshmallows have melted completely.

Once the marshmallows have transformed into a gooey soup, remove your pan from the heat and stir in your Golden Grahams. Once all of the Golden Grahams are coated evenly, mix in your chocolate chips.

(Pro tip: if you want to prevent the chocolate chips from melting and have a more s’more-like final appearance, freeze your chocolate chips for about 30 minutes before adding them to your warm marshmallow/golden graham mixture.)

Transfer your completed Golden Graham mixture to the prepared baking dish and press down, ensuring the bars are all approximately even in thickness. If desired, garnish with additional chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Allow this to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

I first made these s’more bars in my dorm kitchen as a junior in college, when our resources were low but our tolerance for high-calorie foods was high. If you’re looking for other delicious no-bake recipes, check out this no-bake Oreo pudding cake. It doesn’t even require access to a stove – just access to processed foods and a refrigerator – in order to make a delicious, cake-like treat.

If you’ve read this far, I have a secret hack for optimal s’more bar enjoyment. Because these bars contain such a significant proportion of marshmallows, they are excellent when roasted over an open fire. The marshmallows – both those studding the top of the bars and those holding everything together – become crispy and melty and *chefs kiss* amazing. If you try that hack at home (or really, even if you make them the normal way) tag @WhiskAverseBaking on social media, or leave a message in the comments below.

No Bake S’more Bars

A modified version of the campfire treat, optimized for indoor preparation.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Resting time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 bars

Equipment

• 9" by 13" baking dish
• Saucepan or dutch oven

Ingredients

  

• 1 box Golden Grahams cereal
• 14 ounces mini marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons butter plus more, to grease pan
• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips to taste

Instructions

 

• Use butter to thoroughly grease the 9” by 13” baking dish. Set aside.
• Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add vanilla extract and mini marshmallows. Cook until the mini marshmallows have completely melted; remove from heat.
• Stir Golden Grahams cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture. Once the cereal is completely coated in marshmallow mixture, stir in chocolate chips.
• Transfer Golden Graham mixture to your prepared baking dish. If desired, garnish with additional chocolate chips and marshmallows. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

If you want the chocolate chips to retain their shape better in the finished product, freeze them for at least 30 minutes before adding them to the Golden Graham mixture.

Keyword no bake, rice krispie treat, s’more