salted s'mores bars

I first fell in love (legit love) with the S’mores Bar when I was pregnant with Evie. I spied one in the Starbucks display while I was waiting for my tea and knew we were a match made in heaven. Dramatic? I think not. I’m addicted. Anyways, I’ve been trying to recreate them at home since, but each recipe I tried kept falling short. I kept at it though (apparently I’m persistent when it comes to s’mores..go figure) and finally found the perfect combo of buttery crust, chocolate (semi-sweet AND milk!), marshmallow topping AND a little something I didn't even know they were missing. Salt. This combo is something, my friends. I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Bon appetit!

These s’mores bars have been described as ‘heaven in a pan’ and ‘dangerous.’ What more can you ask for than that?! My copycat version of Starbuck’s s’mores bars boast a crumbly graham crust, a decadent chocolate ganache layer, and a perfectly toasted marshmallow topping. Perfection, my friends.. and better than the campfire if you ask me!

INGREDIENTS:

For the graham crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 18 plain graham crackers, 2 packages)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (make sure to use fine sea salt or kosher salt)
2 sticks (1 c.) salted butter, melted

For the Chocolate Layer:
10 ounces milk chocolate chips (we ❤️ Ghirardelli)
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Tip: the quality of the chocolate does make a difference ;)

For the Marshmallow Layer:
10 oz bag of mini marshmallows

special equipment:

Food processor (I use mini), but if you don't have one just try to crush the crumbs as fine as you can by hand!
13 x 9 inch pan
Aluminum foil

DIRECTIONS:

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 9×13 baking pan with foil, leaving 4 inches on each end to make a foil sling that will act as handles when you pop your bars out. This will make getting your bars out easy peasy! Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray or grease with softened butter.
Make the Graham Base: In your food processor, grind the graham crackers into a fine meal to make 2 cups. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened and have a ‘wet sand’ consistency. Set aside ½ cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Turn remainder of the mixture out into the prepared baking pan and press evenly into a tight, compact layer. Bake your crust until it is golden brown and has a faint toasted smell, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Make the Chocolate: Once the crust has had a few minutes to cool, melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until fully melted and smooth. Do not rush this process.. Low is key here. Once chocolate is melted, immediately pour over the graham cracker crust and spread into an even layer.
Topping: Preheat your broiler. Sprinkle the marshmallows on top of the chocolate layer and press them lightly into the chocolate. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over and in between the marshmallows so that you can no longer see the chocolate peaking through the marshmallows. Broil the bars at least 6 inches from the flame until the marshmallows are puffed and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t take your eyes off it.. These babies will go from lightly toasted to burnt in the blink of an eye! Remove from the oven and let cool, then refrigerate the bars for about 1 1/2 hours, until chocolate is mostly set. (This will make them a whole lot easier to cut and a less messy, but if you don't have time for this step, they will harden on their own in time.) Then, grab the ends of the foil liner and lift the bars out of the pan in 1 piece. Move to a cutting board.. Slice and serve!
Tip: I used a large pizza cutter sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to slice mine. A knife sprayed with non-stick spray will do, as well! Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

In The Kitchen