I know. S’mores BARS!
This is real life, people. No more talking – let’s do this.
This recipe was conceived after having possibly the best dessert of my life (BIG words) at Solstice in Hood River (which also inspired this lovely Pear Salad!).
Solstice serves up a gluten free s’mores dessert in a skillet and it is absolute perfection. One bite in and I started taking notes.
The crust was homemade and more like a granola mixture than graham cracker. The chocolate layer was a ganache/pudding hybrid. And the marshmallow topping was insanely fluffy, sweet, and definitely homemade. So good I couldn’t quit taking giant spoonfuls.
This is my inspired version that comes together in less than 1 hour with just 10 ingredients!
For the crust I went with my go-to almond-oat crust and threw in some pecans for more texture.
The filling is a modification of my favorite chocolate ganache.
And to keep things easy, I went with my new favorite vegan, gluten-free marshmallows: Dandies! So good you can’t tell the difference between them and the ‘real thing.’
Friends, these bars are magic. They’re:
Crispy on the bottom
Chocolaty in the middle
Fluffy and toasted on top
Perfectly sweet
Rich
Satisfying
& So summery
Think s’mores but on a whole other level. Plus, they’re easy to make and are a great way to keep this summer classic both vegan and gluten free!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see your bars in action. Cheers, friends!
S’mores Bars (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CRUST*
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 5 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup raw pecans (finely chopped)
CHOCOLATE LAYER
- 1 1/4 cup dairy-free dark or semisweet chocolate (chopped)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plain almond or light coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4-1 cup powdered sugar (optional)
- 1 pinch sea salt (optional)
MARSHMALLOWS
- 1 10-ounce bag vegan, gluten-free marshmallows (I like Dandies brand*)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar to a blender and mix on high until a fine meal is achieved, scraping down sides as needed.
- Add melted coconut oil (5 Tbsp or 75 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and pulse to combine. This should form a loose dough when squeezed between two fingers. Add more if it’s too dry.
- Add chopped pecans and pulse a few more times to combine – you want a little texture here so leave a little chunky.
- Transfer mixture to parchment-lined baking sheet and spread evenly. Then place parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed object, such as a drinking glass, to press down firmly until it’s evenly distributed and well packed.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then increase heat to 375 F (190 C) and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until the edges are golden brown and there is some browning on the surface. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
- In the meantime, add chocolate to a medium mixing bowl. Add almond milk to a separate small mixing bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds (or heat in a saucepan until almost boiling). Add milk to chocolate and don’t touch for 5 minutes so it can melt.
- Stir gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Then add melted coconut oil and cover. Let rest untouched for another 10 minutes to meld.
- Use a mixer (or whisk) to beat the mixture together. A few unmelted chocolate pieces are fine. If you prefer sweeter ganache, add powdered sugar at this time (to taste), and whisk/beat to combine. Set aside.
- Spread the ganache over slightly cooled crust and sprinkle on a little sea salt for flavor balance (optional). Freeze (or refrigerate) until ganache is no longer wet and slightly firm (or less time if you want gooey, melty chocolate!).
- Once the chocolate has set, lift the bars out of the baking dish and gently transfer to a baking sheet (remove parchment paper to avoid burning). Top with halved marshmallows and broil on the top rack on high for 30-45 seconds (watch closely – they can burn quickly!).
- Carefully chop into 9 bars (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and serve immediately. Best when fresh. Store leftovers at room temperature, loosely covered up to 24 hours.
Video
Notes
*Dandies is an easy-to-find brand of vegan/gf marshmallows! I’ve found mine at local health food stores and Whole Foods.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the entire bag of marshmallows and no additional powdered sugar.
*Recipe inspired by the S’mores dessert at Solstice Pizza in Hood River, OR.
Jd says
I think this recipe needs more specificity around timing, especially cooling off the crust. I wasn’t sure how long to have a cool down and the entire process took much longer than what’s described and is still very unstable and gooey plus the marshmallows under the broiler. And with nothing binding the crust together it was so messy. I might attempt this again, but with many modifications
Thank you for the honest feedback, JD. We’re sorry it gave you some trouble! This crust is a bit crumbly to resemble a graham cracker crust, but if it was overly so, it may have needed to be pressed down more firmly, baked longer, or for the mixture to be blended more finely. We typically let the crust cool just for the time required to make the ganache (~15 minutes).
prashanthi atluri says
Does this have a video guiding you how to do it?
Yes, it just published today actually! Find it here.
Molly Rappoli says
Hi,
My daughter is allergic to nuts (but not almonds) can I skip the pecans or just add more almonds?
Thanks look delicious!
Hi Molly, yes, you can add more almonds!
Brynly says
Could you use walnuts or another nut in place of almonds?
Yes, that should work!
Michelle says
I made these with my kids. They were a bit too oily for me and they didn’t set at all (wondering if it was the oil?). I would put them in a jar next time.
Hmm, which brand of vegan butter did you use? That may have been it.
Michelle says
I used coconut oil. But update – I left them in the fridge overnight and they set like a bar should! And they ended up being less oily! I was worried about the marshmallow being hard but they weren’t. Yum!
Julie says
This looks awesome- could I sub in almond meal for the almonds? And if so, how much?
Hi Julie, that might work, but the texture won’t be quite the same. We’d suggest 1/3 cup. Let us know how it goes!
Shannon says
This looks awesome! I’ve been looking for a dessert to make for my friend’s birthday and I think this is it. We usually do something like camping for his birthday, but with quarantine, I’m just going to drive by and drop this off. Smores bars seem like the perfect dessert for a devout camper. Just one question. My friend is very allergic to all things coconut. Could I replace the coconut oil for both the crust and the chocolate layer with Earth Balance vegan butter? Do you have a suggestion for if I should use more/ less to keep the consistency similar? Thank you! I love everything I’ve made of yours!
Hi Shannon, it may taste slightly different, but we think it would work using the same amount. Let us know if you try it!
Kristen says
I’m always skeptical when food bloggers say something is “easy” to make. I wonder, is it actually easy for the everyday person? It was! As always Minimalist Baker kept it simple but oh so good. I made this with regular sugar instead of coconunt sugar ( I reduced the amount by about a tablespoon since it is finer) and it turned out wonderful! So quick and easy! Reminder to watch your marshmallows, as she says – they brown up so quick!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it and found it easy, Kristen! Thanks for sharing!
Laura says
Hello Baking Lady…I’m thinking I would like the chocolate a bit more thick, less ganache-ish.
In your opinion would a tad less almond milk, and a tad more chocolate do the trick?
Thank you much!
We haven’t tried it that way, but it might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Amanda says
I made these as part of my Fourth of July menu, and it was fantastic! The crust was nutty and hearty and I appreciate that the ganache wasn’t too sweet. Another fantastic recipe from MB!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Amanda. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Rachel says
I tried this recipe tonight to bring to a summer themed favorite things party with some girlfriends. One is dairy free and one is gluten free so this was a great option. I personally don’t care for marshmallow anything too much but I do love to camp and eat a good s’more once in awhile. This dessert was absolutely delicious! I substituted hazelnuts instead of pecans because I was out and when in Oregon that’s what we do ;) I also used mini marshmallows in place of having the regular size and it made a beautiful presentation as well as great little pieces to pull off and nibble on. I would like to note that the crust for me was quite crumbly so I would consider this more of us s’mores pie than a bar but I would definitely make it again.
Thanks for the feedback, Rachel! Glad you enjoyed them.
lillian says
I just made this, and it is scrumptious ? I love me my vegan food! Thanks for the recipe.
Whoop! We are glad you enjoyed these bad boys, Lillian.
Jessie says
Just made these. I made the crust and chocolate yesterday and kept it in the fridge, then just cut the squares we were going to eat and toasted the marshmallows! Double thumbs up from 8 year old and both parents. Now we have dessert for a week (or maybe a couple of days??) I love your site and visit it whenever I want to make something!
Lindsey says
I’ve been wanting to make these for over a year (I’ve made pretty much every recipe on your site- longggg time follower!!) and I finally made them and ahhhhhhh! I can’t stop eating them!! I loved them fresh, in the fridge, straight out of the freezer! Any way! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, as always!
Christianne says
LOVED these! Everyone was obsessed! My only complaint is they are a little messy when cut. I wish I could get them to look pretty when cut, but they tasted so great!! Thanks for all your fantastic recipes! New favorite blog!
Lisa says
Yes! This is delicious. I used gf flour in place of the oats in the crust. It was a little more crumbly but it was still tastey. Have you tried using graham flour or crumbled graham crackers? Just curious. This was my birthday dessert of choice and I loved it. Thank you.
I haven’t! But assume that would work!
Jordyn Jade says
Girl..this recipe is mouthwatering! One question though, I’m allergic to oats and would have to sub that ingredient out. What do you recommend? I was thinking maybe almond meal or coconut flour to keep it Gf? Thank you!
Hi Jordyn! You should be able to substitute oats for an equal amount of ground flax, rice bran or quinoa flakes!
Allison Roe says
I made these for a party a few weeks ago, and they were an absolute hit! The crust is perfectly reminiscent of graham crackers, the chocolate wasn’t too overpowering, and the marshmallows browned up perfectly on top. Yet another hit!
Alexis says
I just made these for a friend’s bday. I don’t think she has had a birthday treat since she turned vegan years ago and she is THRILLED (we live in a very rural area). I used the Trader Joe’s marshmallows and they browned up beautifully under my oven broiler (I do have a hi/low choice for broiling) and I let the broiler get fully heated up before I put them under. My ganache started melting, so once browned up, I set them back in the fridge on a trivet. My crust was nice and stiff, but when I moved it from baking dish to sheet, it broke in half (I could feel it, but not see it). I just told her, this is a knife and fork dessert. The crumbliness is really part of the gooey goodness of a s’more. These are disgustingly good and decadent.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Ankita says
Hi Dana,
This looks insanely delicious! ??
I have one question, is there a sub for coconut oil, I am unable to get one in my location!
Thanks,
Ankita
Substituting coconut oil in this recipe will alter the taste of course, but you could try another fat or oil like butter, vegan butter, or maybe even avocado oil because its fairly neutral in flavor!
Marietta says
Will definitely try this soon.
I bought your book, Everyday Cooking, and hope to make a lot of the recipes.
I find the font size for the numbers, especially the fractions very small.
Beautiful photography.
Molly says
Just baked these tonight and they turned out so good!! I paired it with some vegan strawberry ice cream and it was delish! I absolutely love the crust! Will definitely use it in other recipes :) thank you so much for this recipe!!
Lynn says
Hi!
I have an oat sensitivity – what do you recommend as an alternative when making the crust? I’d love to try them, they look so delicious!!
Rachael says
These look amazing!!!
Terri says
I made this for a Birthday and it was AMAZING! Everyone who tried the s’mores thought it was the best thing EVER! I appreciate that it is vegan and glutin free!
Sam says
I’m making these for my friend’s going-away party next week, just cuz she TOTALLY loves s’mores (no personal investment in it at all) ;) <3
Julie says
These tasted incredible, but my crust did not stay together at all (extremely crumbly). Any suggestions? Thanks!
Wendy says
Just made these. Easy and incredibly delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe. My crust was a bit crumbly, should have pressed it better… Next time!
Glad you enjoyed them, Wendy!
Lauren Massarella says
OMG, these look freaking insane! Umm, yup, I will be making these ASAP. Thank you for this! xo
kathleen says
Yum
Annie says
Hi Dana, I’m back again to leave a report on how theses went. I needed a recipe that was both vegan (for me) and gluten free (for my aunts) so I decided to run a test on these and let me tell you– AMAZING! When is one of your recipes not to be honest? I didn’t add powdered sugar and it was plenty sweet without it.
I found that I liked them best when they were chilled. Thank you for being such a great chef!
So kind! Thanks, Annie!
Chris says
Those marshmallows have carageenan! No! Darn.
I know! I was disappointed when I discovered that. I’m hoping Trader Joe’s brand will be free of that.
Alexis says
Trader Joe’s marshmallows have carrageenan as well. All ingredients: Tapioca syrup, cane sugar, water, tapioca starch, carrageenan, soy protein, natural vanilla flavor.
Karen says
Forget the rest of the recipe, I am drooling over the mash mellows.
Jill Collett says
My 13-year-old daughter just made these!! Delicious!!
So impressive! Thanks for sharing, Jill.
Julia @ Sprinkles & Saturdays says
Oh my gosh, yum! These look so perfect. S’mores are literally one of the best parts of summer. I can’t wait to try.
Patty says
Can’t wait to try these! If you’re near a Trader Joe’s, they carry vegan marshmallows now!! Probably only for the summer :-(
Right? Just checked at mine and they didn’t have them :(
Amelie Moore says
Thanks Dana for this delicious recipe..It looks Yum! The chocolate ganache looks perfect..I was never able to achieve that thickness…Totally mouthwatering!
The Girl In The Purple Sweater says
My taste buds are jumping to my eyes… What do you think of using raw cacao powder to prepare the ganache? With additional coco sugar?
That should work!
The Girl In The Purple Sweater says
I’ll try then. Thnaks ;-)
Sarah | Well and Full says
These s’mores bars look SO. GOOD. Especially that chocolate ganache, wow… my mouth is watering just looking at it!! ;)
Annie says
Hi Dana,
I’m super excited to try these but have one question! I was wondering do yiu recommend putting in the powdered sugar? Or do they taste great without it?
Thanks!
I think it would be fine without, just a little more bittersweet chocolate flavor! Good luck.
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
That s’mores skillet dessert sounds insane! And so do these bars. I’ve never tried vegan marshmallows, so I’ll have to look for a bag. The perfect summer day sounds like sitting around a fire with a big ole veggie burger and a s’mores bar!
Judy says
Can I substitute peanuts for almonds and pecans? My grandson has a tree it allergy but would love these.
Mo says
I have been scouring your site looking for other recipes with that crust! I made the cheesecake and ate so much crust raw that I had to make more. ?I need to make it into balls or something because I’m still thinking about it! Looks good!
Rachel says
Ummmm YES. I cannot wait to make these! Did you know Trader Joe’s has vegan marshmallows now?! My store is sold out until Monday but I can’t wait to get my hands on some to try them and make these! I do love me some Dandie’s but the TJ’s ones are (predictably) cheaper.
Am definitely going to check my store again as they were out this week!
Mavis says
From what I read, the Trader Joe’s Marshmallows are only available for the summer. I did use the Trader Joe’s vegan marshmallows to make this. So, yummy! Only issue I had is that at least in my oven, the Trader Joe’s marshmallows, didn’t really melt / crisp up like I like my marshmallows. I tried leaving them under the broiler a little longer but then the ganache started melting.
This definitely brought back warm memories of my days as a girl scout and going camping!
Savanna Hunter-Reeves says
…well, you’ve officially outdone yourself. NEED.
Cassie says
These are some HUNKA HUNKA looking bars! The crumbly crust and the oozing dark chocolate are pure PERFECTION.
Caroline says
I love this idea. I find Smores often too heavy but this looks indulgent but not overly so….if that makes any sense at all.
Masha says
You did it again! Perfect for summer! Nostalgia in the form of convenience!
Jason says
Wow. These look amazing. We were just up in Hood River last weekend picking the last of the Oregon strawberries. Have never tried Solstice. I guess we’ll have to give it a shot now.
YOU MUST! So good! xoxo
Natalie says
Girrrrrllll!!! I have been dying to attempt a vegan s’mores bar for years now… But now I don’t have to guess! These look incredible- you rock!!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Where has this been all my life!? All those birthdays wasted on cake and icing when I could’ve had THIS magnificence!!
Izzy Bruning says
Oh my goodness, they look absolutly amazing!
I will have have have to make them!
Kathryn says
Erm, this looks a bit amazing- I want to try them right now!
Grace says
O – M – G – Yes! I need this in my life immediately!
Aleksandra says
I cannot stop looking at them :)
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
Agreed! Smashingly beautiful.
I’m the laughingstock of moms on my street because they are not allowed Swedish Fish or Hugs drinks. I’m really picky about what I feed my kids.
Don’t necessarily make my kids vegan but love that healthy lifestyle and am encouraging kids that way (it’s up to them to choose though) Love your s’mores spin.