Baking with Olivia and Caroline

Don’t hate us for making you turn your oven on in the heat of the summer to make dessert! We promise that you won’t be sweating much as you only need about 15 minutes of oven time to prepare these scrumptious s’mores bars. If you are craving s’mores and all the goodness that they have to offer but can’t light a fire, this recipe is for you. You can use plain chocolate bars if you don’t like peanut butter or plain Reese’s if you don’t like pretzels and caramel. However, the Reese’s Take 5 bars add a terrific crunch and elevate these bars to a new level of yum! Dark chocolate with thin pretzels might be our next go-to version. You can try any chocolatey candy you wish.

We can guarantee that if you bring these to a summer picnic, they will disappear in an instant.  Although making s’mores by the campfire is the ultimate summer dessert, oven s’mores are the next best thing. They are slightly less messy to eat too. 

We brought these to a Fourth of July party, which had a potluck style dessert setup. These bars almost didn’t make it to the table! Kids were grabbing them off the tray before I even had a chance to put them down. I tend to exaggerate sometimes, but trust us when I tell you that these were the first to be gone of the dozen or so choices. We definitely should have made more.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbs sugar
6 tbs melted salted butter
12 snack size Reese’s Take 5 Bars
2 cups mini marshmallows 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

To prepare the crust, crush graham crackers either in a food processor or in a baggie and with a rolling pin. 

Melt butter on medium heat or in your microwave. 

Combine the sugar and the graham cracker crumbs together. Add the butter and stir until thoroughly mixed. 

Pour the mixture in an 8″x 8″ baking dish lined with parchment paper (no need to grease). Firmly press the crumb mixture with the back of a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hand to compact the crust into an even layer.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Remove crust from the oven and arrange the 12 Take 5 bars in a single layer. Place back in the oven for another three minutes.  

Remove from oven and pour the mini marshmallows to completely cover the top. Broil until the marshmallows turn a golden brown. We watched ours like a hawk; the marshmallows can burn very quickly – we speak from experience!  

For ease in cutting (and eating), refrigerate until chilled. Slice and enjoy! •

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.