GOOEY.
STICKY.
MESSY.
CHOCOLATEY.
BEST ENJOYED ON A SUMMER NIGHT WITH FRIENDS.
We’re making s’mores, baby!
Except, like, minus the fire. And plus peanut butter because 1. duh, and 2. it’s the perfect salty balance to the sweetness of marshmallows and chocolate.
Since you don’t need to light a campfire to make these s’mores, there’s really no reason NOT to make them today.
All you need to make it happen is a handful of pantry ingredients (peanut butter! maple syrup! coconut oil! whole wheat flour!) plus a bag of mini marshmallows (we like these ones <–affiliate link) and some dark chocolate.
The dough gets mixed by hand in a small bowl, divided in half, and pressed into the bottom of a loaf pan. Chocolate, marshmallows, and a drizzle of peanut butter go on top, then the remainder of the dough gets crumbled on top and pressed down to form a compact loaf and baked for about 25 minutes until golden and gooey.
The final product? Eight hand-held bars of s’mores-y goodness, aka the actual best thing I’ve eaten in the past two weeks.
Oh, and if you’re in the market for enough s’mores bars to feed a crowd, I sent the recipe to my sister to make for a 4th of July party she went to last weekend; she doubled the recipe, baked them in an 8-inch pan, and sent me several capslock texts about how great they were.
So, grab a bag of mini marshmallows and let’s do this thing!
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or taking a picture of your s’mores bars and sharing it with me on Instagram so I can see!
Peanut Butter S’mores Bars
Time: 60 minutes
Yields: 8 bars
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted or at very soft room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, chunks, or roughly chopped chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside. If doubling the recipe, use an 8×8 pan instead.
- Place the peanut butter, coconut oil maple syrup, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and mix well to combine.
- Divide the dough in half and press half of it into the bottom of the loaf pan, using your fingers to get it all the way out to the edges.
- Sprinkle the chocolate and marshmallows on top of the crust, then drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of peanut butter.
- Use your hands to crumble the other half of the dough over top of the marshmallows, being sure to get some dough in all the corners and along the edges. Use your hands to press down firmly on top of the crumbles, compressing it into a compact loaf.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 8 and serving.
- Leftovers keep well for up to 4 days at room temperature.
NOTES: Be sure to use an all-natural peanut butter (the ingredients should just be peanuts and salt- no added oils or sweeteners). Almond or sunflower seed butter can be used in place of the peanut butter, to keep these peanut-free or nut-free.