Gluten Free S’Mores Bars – Iowa Girl Eats

Gluten Free S’Mores Bars are sweet, sticky, and ooey-gooey — no campfire needed! A quintessential summer treat that can be enjoyed all year round.

Hello, lover!

Ahem, I mean sweet and sticky, completely irresistible, ooey-gooey Gluten Free S’mores Bars!

Think toasty marshmallow and sweet chocolate filling sitting atop a buttery, gluten free graham cracker cookie crust. These summery dessert bars are as outrageously delicious and satisfying as a real s’more — yet completely gluten free, and perfect for sharing.

Gluten Free S’more Bars

I remember the first summer after going gluten free when I realized that traditional s’mores were a thing of the past. Understanding that the risk for cross contamination is extremely high if everyone’s not using gluten free graham crackers — which I’d never ask someone to do if they didn’t need to eat gluten free.

Most gluten free graham crackers on the market are tasty, sure, but thick and hard which means the marshmallow and chocolate filling of a s’more come shooting out the sides when you attempt to take a bite.

Problem solved with these ooey-gooey s’mores bars which use gluten free graham cracker crumbs to create a soft cookie base.

100% s’mores flavor — no campfire (nor wet wipe) required!

Ingredients Needed

Raid the pantry for the handful of ingredients needed to make these bars! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Gluten free baking flour blend: I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Whichever blend you go with, ensure it already has a binder such as xanthan gum inside.
• Gluten free graham cracker crumbs: you can make your own crumbs by processing GF graham crackers in a food processor or blender, or buy pre-made gluten free graham crackers crumbs. I like Kinnikinnick brand.
• Baking powder: give the bars a little lift.
• Salt: to balance out the sweetness in the s’more bars. A sprinkle of maldon finishing salt on top of the baked bars would be divine!
• Butter: forms the base of the gluten free graham cracker crust. Feel free to use vegan / plant-based butter to keep these bars dairy free as well.
• Brown sugar: provides a sweet chew to the cookie base.
• Egg: helps to keep the cookie base together.
• Vanilla extract: for an oomph of cozy flavor.
• Marshmallow creme / fluff: provides that signature, sticky-sweetness! I like Marshmallow Fluff brand, or Kraft Marshmallow Creme. Note: don’t substitute actual marshmallows, which will melt into the cookie base.
• Chocolate chips: as we know, s’mores can have a cloying sweetness, so I opt for dark chocolate chips, though semi-sweet is fine too. I like Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels for the job.

Tips for Success

This stunning dessert is actually super simple to prepare, but do keep these top tips in mind when baking.

1. Spoon to measure: be sure to spoon the gluten free flour blend into a measuring cup with a spoon before leveling off the top, vs scooping the measuring cup directly into the container of flour to measure. This can compact the flour resulting in more being added to the recipe than intended.
2. Cool then rest: like most gluten free baked goods, these bars need to not only cool completely, but rest for at least 12 hours before being sliced, otherwise they can crumble. The resting time not only allows the cookie base to come together, but soften slightly.
3. Chill then slice: these bars are truly reminiscent of s’mores — they’re sticky, super rich, and a little crumbly (in a good way). That said, if you want really clean slices like the ones you see in these photos, refrigerate the bars prior to slicing.

Alrighty, no need to build a campfire to enjoy the flavor of summer’s favorite snack — grab your apron and let’s get started!

Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make Gluten Free S’Mores Bars

Step 1: Cream together butter and brown sugar.

Start by adding butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer or a large glass bowl if using a handheld mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl down halfway through.

Next add an egg and vanilla extract then mix until just combined.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients then rest the dough.

Add the dry ingredients: gluten free baking-flour blend, gluten free graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt then mix to combine. Give the dough a big stir with a spatula then let it sit for 5 minutes to give the gluten free flour time to hydrate.

Step 3: Layer the bars.

Spray an 8×8″ baking pan with nonstick spray, or line it with parchment paper which makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan after they’re baked, then layer the ingredients:

• Layer 1: scoop a little more than half the graham cracker cookie dough into the center of the pan then spread it into an even layer with your fingers — it helps to lightly wet them with water first.
• Layer 2: scoop the marshmallow creme / fluff over the top then spread it into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Again, it helps to dip the back of the spoon in water as needed.
• Layer 3: sprinkle on chocolate chips in an even layer.
• Layer 4: use a cookie scoop to dollop the remaining graham cracker cookie dough over the top.

Step 4: Bake.

Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the cookie dollops on top are browned, and the marshmallow fluff is toasted and puffy.

• Tip: err on the side over-baking vs underbaking these bars. Also, while the center might still appear a little jiggly at the end, it’s just the molten marshmallow layer which will firm back up as it cools.

Step 5: Cool then slice.

Let the bars sit on the counter until they’re completely cool. As is the case with almost all gluten free baked goods, these bars benefit from resting for AT LEAST 12 hours after cooling to give the cookie base time to come together to cleanly slice. That said, they’re s’mores and a few sticky crumbs are inevitable!

Pop the bars in the refrigerator for a couple of those hours to get really clean slices, like the ones you see in these photos. These dessert bars are very rich, so I cut them into small squares for serving.

How to Store

Store the cooled S’mores Bars covered on the counter for 2-3 days, or extend their shelf life by stashing in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I hope you love these sweet-sticky, seriously irresistible, Gluten Free S’mores Bars — enjoy!

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Photos by Ashley McLaughlin