These gooey s’mores bars are made extra special with creamy chocolate SunButter! They’re layered with tender graham cracker cookie dough, rich chocolate SunButter, and gooey marshmallow fluff. The SunButter melts into pools of gooey and creamy goodness, making these bars just as messy as a classic s’more (but in the best way possible).
This post is sponsored by SunButter and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!
What makes this recipe so good:
- Simple – These s’mores bars are made with simple ingredients because there’s no need to get fancy with the classic combination of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow.
- Easy – The process of making these bars is really quick and simple! The hardest part is just waiting for the bars to cool before slicing.
- Nut Free – Instead of chocolate, this recipe uses chocolate SunButter! Not only does it add a layer of super creamy chocolatey goodness, but the flavor is rich and a bit more complex than standard chocolate. The combination of creamy chocolate SunButter and gooey marshmallow fluff is HEAVEN!
What is chocolate SunButter?
If you’ve never tried chocolate SunButter before, prepare to have your mind blown. This creamy sunflower seed butter is made with a blend of cocoa and a hint of sugar. It’s rich and smooth but not too sweet, making it the perfect layer of these s’mores bars.
PS – If you’re a fan of chocolate hazelnut spread, I highly recommend giving chocolate SunButter a try! I personally like it even better, both in taste and consistency.
How to make s’mores bars
- Graham Cracker Dough – The base of this recipe is a super tender graham cracker cookie dough. The first step is to make the dough which is very quick and simple. It should form into a thick but slightly sticky dough where half is pressed into the bottom of the baking pan and the other half is reserved for crumbling on top.
- Chocolate SunButter – After the dough is pressed down, 1 cup of chocolate SunButter is spread on top. It’s incredibly smooth, so it’s easy to spread into an even layer. Feel free to lick the spoon when you’re done!
- Marshmallow Fluff – I prefer the creamy texture of marshmallow fluff vs marshmallows, especially because it bakes into a gooey consistency that isn’t tough or chewy. The fluff is spooned on top of the chocolate SunButter and then spread as even as possible. It’s very thick and sticky, so it’s ok if it’s not perfect as long as the two layers don’t mix in to one.
After the marshmallow fluff, the rest of the graham cracker dough is crumbled on top along with a sprinkle of chocolate chips. These are optional, as the chocolate SunButter is more than enough, but I love the addition of these little puddles of chocolate against the marshmallow and graham cracker crust.
Baking tips:
- Flour – Spoon and level the flour when measuring or better yet, weigh the flour with a food scale. This will ensure accuracy as too much flour will lead to a dry and crumbly dough.
- Mixing – Don’t over mix! Right when the dough comes together, stop mixing.
- Crumble – For the top layer of graham cracker cookie dough, crumble into small pieces and evenly scatter the dough throughout the surface.
How to serve s’mores bars
Like I mentioned before, the most challenging step in this recipe is just waiting for the bars to cool. Once they’re pulled from the oven, your kitchen will smell so good that it will be very tempting to dig straight in!
But the cooling step is also the most crucial step in this recipe. As these bars cool, the layers will thicken and set so that each slice can hold its shape. This takes about an hour of cooling at room temperature.
A s’more just isn’t a s’more without the gooey factor, so these bars are best served when they’re just barely warm. I like to test by placing my hand under the pan. If it’s slightly warm right in the center, they’re at the perfect temperature for slicing.
At this point they’ll still be tender and gooey, but still hold together when sliced.
How to store gooey s’mores bars
If the plan is to keep these for only a couple days, these bars can be stored at room temperature in an air tight container. Any longer and they will need to be stored in the refrigerator where they will keep for about 5 days.
For more s’mores dessert recipes, check out my:
- Toasted S’mores Cupcakes
- Snickerdoodle S’mores Cookies
- No Bake S’mores Cheesecake
- Puff Pastry S’mores Pop Tarts
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these SunButter s’mores bars. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make these gooey chocolate s’mores bars:
Chocolate SunButter S’mores Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes + 1 hour cooling
- Yield: 16 bars
Description
All the messiness of a s’more in a delicious cookie bar! The base is made up of a tender graham cracker cookie dough which is then layered with rich chocolate SunButter, marshmallow fluff, and a crumble of more cookie dough. They’re tender, sweet, and so ooey gooey!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (280g) chocolate SunButter
- 4 oz marshmallow fluff (a little more than half of a 7 oz jar)
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a square 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to hang over the sides for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Next, mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Once combined, add in the dry ingredients and mix to form the dough.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spread an even layer of the chocolate SunButter on top.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the marshmallow fluff on top and very gently spread it as even as possible. Careful not to mix the marshmallow and chocolate together.
- Crumble the remaining graham cracker dough on top and then sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center looks barely underdone.
- Allow the bars to cool at room temperature for about an hour. They’re best served when they’re still a bit warm.
- Slice and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I didn’t have sun butter on hand but I had biscoff and used that instead and it was so delicious!
I’ve made this twice now, and it is incredible! It’s the perfect combination of flavors, and the texture of the bar is so satisfying. We preferred slightly less peanut butter, so we cut it down a bit the second time around, but that’s just a preference. This will be a go-to treat from now on!
I have made this 3 times. In the span of about 2 weeks! Gave a pan to a neighbor who did me a favor. Told me I was in the wrong business and should open a bakery! I only took credit for making it, not inventing it! So so good!
I’ve probably made these about 2 dozen times. Everyone goes crazy over these and they always ask me about them. So good!
I suck at baking but this was so easy and it tastes AMAZING!!!! Thank you for the recipe! Can’t wait for some more tomorrow.
Ah don’t be too hard on yourself! This wasn’t the easiest recipe so you’re definitely better than you think 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Amazing! That graham cracker cookie dough is soo good!! I think I didn’t put enough on the bottom though because I had a lot left after I covered it so I ate it! Haha it was that good. Hope I don’t get sick.
And yes, You were right, the hardest part is waiting before cutting them and eating them. I didn’t wait that long and they were very crumbly. Delicious but crumbly. After the tray cooled down I was able to cut them and have squares that held their shape. Thanks for sharing this. I’ll definitely be making them again!
Thank you for sharing!
Hi! What would be a good substitute for the chocolate sunbutter? My sons are dying to make this, thanks!
If you can’t access chocolate sunbutter but still need a nut-free option, you can lay in milk chocolate bars for the chocolate layer!
We use Nutella and it tastes so good!