Ingredients
Scale
Here’s what you’ll need to create these unbelievably delicious Choco Graham S’mores Bars. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in achieving that perfect s’mores experience in every bite:
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (from about 10–12 full graham cracker sheets): These form the quintessential s’mores base, providing a slightly sweet, honey-kissed crunch that is both nostalgic and texturally delightful. You can buy pre-made crumbs or easily make your own by pulsing graham crackers in a food processor or crushing them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar: This adds a touch of extra sweetness to the crust, balancing the flavors and helping the crust to bind together with a subtle crispness.
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted: Melted butter is the binder for our graham cracker crust, transforming the dry crumbs into a cohesive base that holds its shape beautifully. It also imparts a rich, buttery flavor that elevates the entire bar.
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or chunks): The heart of the “choco” in our Choco Graham S’mores Bars! Semi-sweet chocolate provides a wonderful balance, not too bitter and not overly sweet, allowing the marshmallow and graham flavors to shine through. Good quality chips will melt more smoothly and taste richer.
- 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (or chunks): Adding milk chocolate chips introduces a creamier, sweeter chocolate dimension, reminiscent of the classic Hershey’s bar used in traditional s’mores. The combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate creates a more complex and satisfying chocolate layer.
- 1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk: This magical ingredient is key to the gooey, chewy texture of the filling. It binds the chocolate and marshmallows together, creating a rich, fudgy layer that is utterly irresistible. Do not confuse this with evaporated milk; they are not interchangeable.
- 2 cups Mini Marshmallows: These provide that iconic s’mores chewiness and sweet, vanilla-like flavor. Mini marshmallows distribute more evenly than large ones and create lovely pockets of gooeyness throughout the bars. Some will melt into the chocolate, while others will toast up beautifully on top.
Instructions
Follow these simple steps to bake a batch of heavenly Choco Graham S’mores Bars. Patience during cooling is key to getting clean cuts!
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. This overhang will act as “handles” to easily lift the bars out of the pan once they’re cooled, making cutting much neater and simpler. Ensure the parchment paper is pressed neatly into the corners.
- Make the Graham Cracker Crust:
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Mix them well to ensure the sugar is evenly distributed.
- Pour the melted unsalted butter over the crumb mixture. Stir with a fork or your fingers until all the crumbs are moistened and the mixture resembles wet sand. It should hold together when pressed.
- Transfer the buttery crumb mixture to your prepared baking pan. Press it down firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan to create a compact crust. The back of a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass works wonderfully for this. A solid crust is essential so the bars don’t fall apart.
- Layer the Goodness:
- Sprinkle both the semi-sweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips evenly over the prepared graham cracker crust. Try to get a good distribution so every bite has a mix of both chocolates.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the chocolate chips. Try to cover as much of the chocolate layer as possible. The milk will seep down and around the chips, creating that delicious fudgy matrix.
- Scatter the mini marshmallows evenly over the top of the sweetened condensed milk layer. Some will sink slightly, and that’s perfectly fine.
- Bake to Perfection:
- Place the baking pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. You’re looking for the marshmallows to become puffed and golden brown in spots, and the edges of the bars to be lightly browned and set. The condensed milk layer should be bubbly. Keep a close eye on the marshmallows in the last few minutes of baking, as they can go from perfectly toasted to burnt quite quickly.
- Cool Completely (Very Important!):
- Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. This will take at least 2-3 hours, possibly longer. This step is crucial. If you try to cut the bars while they are still warm, they will be a gooey mess and won’t hold their shape.
- For even cleaner cuts, you can chill the cooled bars in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. This helps firm them up further.
- Cut and Serve:
- Once completely cooled (and optionally chilled), use the parchment paper overhangs to lift the entire block of s’mores bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board.
- Use a large, sharp knife to cut the block into squares or bars. For the cleanest cuts, you can wipe the knife blade with a damp cloth between cuts, or lightly grease the knife. Typically, a 9×9 inch pan yields 16 small squares (4×4 cuts) or 12 larger bars.
Enjoy your homemade Choco Graham S’mores Bars!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one normal portion
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Protein: 4g