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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: All your favorite nostalgic s’mores flavors, no campfire needed.
Texture: So dreamy! The crust is thick and buttery, the filling is fudgy, and the topping is perfectly gooey.
Ease: The marshmallow topping might seem intimidating, but I promise it’s easier than you think.
Why you’ll love this recipe: My husband says this recipe is “hall of fame” and I must agree!
Is there anything more quintessentially ‘summery’ than a s’more?
Some of my fondest food memories involve s’mores. So much so that I’ve created many s’mores recipes, like my S’mores Cookies and No-Bake S’mores Mini Cheesecakes.
This recipe takes that classic campfire treat and pack it all into a convenient, easily transportable, easy-to-serve bar you can enjoy year-round.
I hope you give this recipe a try for your next BBQ, cookout, or potluck!
Reader Love
This recipe is literally AMAZING! Everyone who’s tried it has asked for the recipe. I want to gatekeep so badly but I didn’t and turned them this way. Every step is worth it, it’s amazing
I made this yesterday and it got 5 stars from everyone at the table! Both teen boys sitting at the table pretty much inhaled their first piece and went back for seconds…and thirds. lol It is incredibly easy to make. The instructions are clear and fool proof, which is standard for Handle the Heat, imo. I had never made marshmallow before and really enjoyed learning how to make it for this recipe!
Crust Tips
Ensure your crust is firmly packed into your pan. The tighter the crust, the less likely it is to crumble. The bottom of a measuring cup or a tart tamper makes easy work of this.
Homemade Marshmallow
The finishing touch for our S’mores Fudge Bars! Making marshmallow may seem intimidating, but I promise it’s surprisingly easy. Here are a few tips for homemade marshmallow:
- Be sure to use a candy thermometer to bring the sugar mixture to exactly 240°F, then slowly and cautiously drizzle the mixture in with your soft peak egg whites while your mixer runs on low (to avoid scrambling your egg whites).
- Don’t skip the cream of tartar – this helps stabilize the marshmallow.
Tips for Torching or Broiling Your S’mores Bars
- I adore any excuse to break out my kitchen torch because it’s so FUN to use!
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can pop the s’mores bars under the broiler – just watch them super carefully as they can burn in a matter of seconds. If possible, use a Low broil setting and keep the oven door cracked open to observe progress to avoid burning.
- Be sure to use aluminum foil and not parchment paper to line your pan. Parchment paper will catch fire when torching or broiling!
What’s the Best Pan for S’mores Fudge Bars?
This S’mores Fudge Bar recipe uses an 8 by 8-inch pan. This is my favorite pan for these bars, as well as brownies, blondies, and practically everything else! Do not use a glass pan if broiling the marshmallows; the direct heat can cause the glass to shatter.
Tips for Clean Slices
Allow the S’mores Bars to chill fully. Use a sharp knife and run it under hot water, carefully wiping it dry between each cut.
Storage & Make ahead
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: These freeze well! Store them in an airtight container for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. I recommend gently re-torching the top of the bars before serving, to slightly re-crisp the marshmallow.
FAQs
If you really don’t want to make homemade marshmallow, you can use marshmallow fluff instead; however, it will be much sweeter and won’t look as pretty or slice as nicely. I also haven’t tried torching or broiling store-bought fluff, so I can’t say how well that works.
Graham crackers are the classic s’mores cookie of choice, but if needed, use the same amount by weight of digestive biscuits, shortbread, gingersnaps, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you like! Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough melted butter until it holds together when pressed.
If you can find it, grab a pouch of sweetened condensed milk instead of a can – they’re perfect for recipes like this! I found mine at Fry’s / Kroger, but they’re also available at Walmart, or easily available online here.
If you buy a can of sweetened condensed milk, you will have about ⅓ of the can left over.
You can freeze it for another use by placing it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Alternatively, use the leftovers to try making Thai Iced Tea or Vietnamese Iced Coffee.
Corn syrup is an invert sugar, which means it is liquid at room temperature, preventing grains of sugar from recrystallizing as the marshmallow cools.
Golden syrup should work as a substitute. You can use honey, but the flavor will become very dominant.
Sure! Use a 9 by 13-inch pan and simply double all ingredients. Note the chocolate filling and marshmallow mixture will both take longer to cook.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer for the marshmallow portion of these S’mores Fudge Bars. Using a handheld electric mixer is possible, but it will be tricky to carefully drizzle the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites while you continue to beat the egg whites on low to avoid scrambling them. If this is your only option, it’s best to ask someone to assist you with this part.
This marshmallow method cooks the sugar first, so when we add this hot syrup to the eggs, it raises the temperature to the point where they are safe to consume.
If you or someone you’re serving is immune-compromised or pregnant, use a digital instant-read thermometer to verify that your egg mixture has reached 160°F.
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Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 20 (308 grams) full graham crackers
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the Fudge Filling:
- 1 ⅓ cups (226 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (265 grams) sweetened condensed milk
For the Marshmallow Topping:
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (168 grams) light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil*.
- Place the graham crackers, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Place the pan on a hot pad or pot holder in the fridge to cool while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling:
- In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk. Stirring constantly, heat until the mixture is melted, thick, and smooth. Don’t walk away from it, as it can burn on the bottom quickly. Pour over graham cracker crust. Place in the refrigerator while making the marshmallow topping.
Make the marshmallow topping:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook until a candy thermometer registers exactly 240°F, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly but continuously add the syrup, pouring it between the side of the bowl and whisk. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is very thick and looks like marshmallow fluff, about 6-7 minutes longer. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
Assemble:
- Spread the marshmallow topping evenly over the chocolate fudge layer. Use a kitchen torch to gently torch the marshmallow layer until lightly golden. Alternatively, place the pan under the broiler and broil for about 30 seconds, or until lightly golden, checking on it every few seconds (it can burn quickly!).
- Refrigerate the pan for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares and serving. The squares can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
These fudge bars look so great!
These look so good! That fudge layer is incredible!
Oh my gosh this looks so good and yes I’d love to see pictures of your home project sometime! You should totally post a picture or two.
Oh my, do not even get me started on how much I completely and utterly and maybe even hopelessly adore s’mores. I need to make these. What a fantastic idea! I’ll likely make them over Labor Day weekend in Maine with the family. Instead of our usual bonfire s’mores, I’ll surprise them with these! Thanks so much for the share. -Rebecca
I so wish that I had a huge plate of these right now!!
OMG do these look GOOD!
These look amazing! Yum!
Ah, the bars look divine! Recently there was a tutorial about painting textured walls on the blog Make It and Love It (www.makeit-loveit.com) that might be helpful for you. I love the color!
These look so good. I love the different layers of flavours and textures. Pinning!
Tessa, I feel your pain with the paint job! I used to use the paint tape and didn’t like all that it is with applying it, the paint seeping under and then ripping it off only to have it take paint with it….until I hired a professional painter to paint my family room.
As I watched them, I asked lots of questions. The trick to making edges and corners perfect is to use an edging brush…ask for one at your paint store. Use it only for edging and cutting in. I have painted many, many rooms since and LOOOOVE to paint! I’ve even earned $$ painting for others (I’m a teacher by profession). You will never use painter’s tape again and will have crisp lines forever.
BTW, those S’Mores Bars look wonderful…a perfect treat for any painter!
These just made my day!!
The are incredible!! I love how all three layers are so thick and the marshmallow topping is perfect and gorgeous!
Good luck with the painting!