Brown Butter Smores Cookie Bars
Brown Butter Smores Cookie Bars are made with graham cracker cookie dough, layers of melty chocolate and mini marshmallows, and topped with more brown butter cookie dough. They're soft, chewy, gooey, and taste just like a campfire s'more without the mosquitoes, smoke, or sticky fingers.
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Picture a nutty brown butter chocolate chip cookie dough packed with graham cracker crumbs for that classic s'more flavor. The cookie dough is layered with mini marshmallows and chocolate, then topped with dollops of more cookie dough before being baked until golden brown. The result is a thick cookie bar with crisp edges, a soft and chewy center, and gooey pockets of melted marshmallow throughout.
The graham cracker crumbs mixed directly into the dough give these bars their signature s'mores flavor while also creating an incredibly chewy texture. I prefer to leave chocolate chips out of the cookie dough itself since there's already plenty of chocolate layered inside the bars, but if you're a chocolate lover, feel free to add a handful to the dough.
These Brown Butter Smores Cookie Bars are perfect for summer BBQs, birthday parties, potlucks, family gatherings, and camping trips. They're easy to make ahead of time and travel well, making them a great dessert to bring along for any occasion. Serve them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.
If your looking for more summer treats These Peach cupcakes are so light and refreshing for the summer. And this Berry Chantilly is a showstopper, something everyone will love.
Why you should make these Smores Cookie Bars:
- Made with rich, nutty brown butter for incredible flavor.
- No campfire required.
- Soft, chewy, and gooey in every bite.
- Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.
- Perfect for summer parties, cookouts, and holidays.
- Can be made ahead of time and stored for several days.
Smores Cookie Bar Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives structure to the cookie bars.
- Graham Crackers: Adds that classic graham cracker flavor found in traditional s'mores.
- Baking Soda: Helps the bars spread and creates a chewy texture.
- Baking Powder: Provides a little lift and keeps the bars soft.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add richness. Use Large egg
- White Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create crisp edges.
- Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, chewiness, and a subtle caramel flavor. Dark Brown sugar or light brown sugar work well in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter: Browning the butter creates a deep, nutty flavor that takes these cookie bars to the next level.
- Mini Marshmallows: Melt into gooey pockets throughout the bars.
- Chocolate: Use chopped chocolate bars, chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips. My preference is always dark chocolate but I used a classic Hershey's chocolate bar for this.
How to make Brown Butter Smores Cookie Bars
In a medium saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent burning. Pour the browned butter mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Allow the butter to cool until it is warm to the touch but not hot. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and mix until combined.
And then the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
Mix in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until evenly distributed. Fold in the flour and graham cracker crumbs and fold everything together with a spatula until a soft cookie dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the dough, followed by the chocolate.
Take the remaining cookie dough and place small pieces of dough over the top of the marshmallows and chocolate. The top does not need to be completely covered; leaving some marshmallows exposed creates the toasted marshmallows look.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool on a wire rack to before slicing.
Serve as is or warm a slice for a few seconds in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Baker's Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
- Let the browned butter cool slightly before adding the eggs.
- For extra chocolate flavor, add ½ cup chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
- Chopped chocolate bars melt more smoothly than chocolate chips.
- Line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts
Storage:
Store leftover smores cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze, wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave before enjoying.
Brown Butter Smores Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 large Eggs
- ¾ cup White Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 8 ounces Butter browned
- 1 cup Mini Marshmallows
- 1 cup Chocolate Chunks or chips
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent burning. Pour the browned butter mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Allow the butter to cool until it is warm to the touch but not hot. Add the brown sugar and white sugar and mix until combined. And then the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just incorporated.
- Mix in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until evenly distributed. Fold in the flour and graham cracker crumbs and fold everything together with a spatula until a soft cookie dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
- Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the dough, followed by the chocolate. Take the remaining cookie dough and place small pieces of dough over the top of the marshmallows and chocolate. The top does not need to be completely covered.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool on a wire rack to before slicing.
- Serve as is or warm a slice for a few seconds in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
