Gooey S’mores Magic Bars

Okay, so I made the BEST s’mores dessert the other day! Have you ever had those addicting 7-layers bars around Christmas time? Whelp, imagine those sweet, gooey treats but with s’mores. That’s right: Gooey S’mores Magic Bars are perfectly toasted campfire s’mores cookie bars made with a buttery graham cracker crust and layered with chocolate, marshmallows, nuts (totally optional), and sweetened condensed milk.

Oh, and they are SO easy to make. If you can dump ingredients into a pan, you can whip up these gooey, decadent, marshmallowy bad boys in no time. Which coincidentally, is about how long it will take for these magic bars to disappear.

What Are Gooey S’mores Magic Bars

S’mores magic bars are called magic bars because of how “magically” these cookie bars come together. The magic comes from the sweetened condensed milk that “glues” all the ingredients to these bars together in a perfectly sweet bite.

It’s the kind of baking recipe that requires very little effort to pull of perfect results. Magic bars are easy enough for a child to assemble– but believe me, you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy these glorious cookie bars.

Are Gooey S’mores Magic Bars Similar to 7-Layer Bars?

Yes, the concept is the same– an easy sweetened condensed milk cookie bar base. But the key difference here is the ingredients.

If you haven’t heard of magic bars or 7-layer bars before, they go by quite a lot of names. Hello Dolly’s, Coconut Dream bars, 5-layer bars, to name a few!

Whatever you call it, these cookie bars all have the same start: a base, toppings, and sweetened condensed milk. Could it BE any better?!

How to Make Gooey S’mores Magic Bars

Gooey S’mores Magic Bars are so simple to make– I hesitate to call it “baking.” It’s more like dumping all the ingredients into a pan.

BUT, that’s the beauty of this easy, s’mores magic bar recipe: everyone will think that you spent hours of work of these delicious bites! That’s my kind of recipe. Plus something about this combo smells like the inside of Coldstone Creamy, to me at least, as it is baking. Let me know in the comments if you think so as well

Here is how you make this addicting recipe:

Prep The Oven and Pan

• If, possible arrange your oven racks to have a top rack and a lower bottom rack.
  • Technically, you don’t have to do this step, but I think that baking the bars on the bottom rack, at first, and then moving them to the top rack for the last portion of the bake time makes the PERFECT toasty marshmallow.
• Preheat the oven to 375℉.
• Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.

Prep The Graham Cracker Crust

• Melt butter in a microwave-safe dish. Add the graham crackers into the food processor or blender and blend until they turn into graham cracker crumbs. Add the melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and pulse until the butter and graham crackers mix together.
• Dump the butter and graham cracker mixture into the dish and press into a crust. No need to bake the crust ahead of time. 🙂

Layer The S’mores Bars

This is where this recipe shines–if you can dump ingredients into a pan, you can make this recipe perfect every time!

• Next, open the can of sweetened condensed milk. Dump the entire can on top of the graham crust.
• Then, sprinkle your chocolate chips of choice (I ADORE dark chocolate with these bars) over the top of the sweetened condensed milk.
• Sprinkle on a layer of chopped almonds or peanuts (if desired).
• Top off the s’mores bars with a layer of mini marshmallow. Sprinkle the top generously with flaky salt, if desired.
• When all the Ingredients are added, you’ll want to lightly press the toppings into the condensed milk just slightly.

Bake the Bars to Perfection

• Bake the s’mores bars on the bottom rack of your oven for 15 minutes, and then move the bars to the top rack for an additional 5-10 minutes to further toast the marshmallows.

Let them Chill (AKA the Hardest Step)

Okay, this is the step that I am easily the WORST at. I want the gooey s’mores magic bars ASAP. But it’s worth waiting for. Trust me, you got this!

• Remove the bars from the oven, they will be liquid as they set. Let the bars cool to room temperature ( I suggest at least 3-4 hours) before cutting into them. If you cut them while they are still warm they will not hold their shape (but will still be tasty).
• My preferred way to cut the bars is to bring the bars to room temperature, and then refrigerate them overnight before slicing them.

The Ingredients

I love recipes with only a few ingredients that are pretty easily accessbile to find! These s’mores magic only have 6 ingredients!

• Sweetened condensed milk
  • The “magic” in the magic bars. The sweetened condensed milk can come
• Graham crackers
  • Graham crackers act as the perfect crust for these s’mores bars! But you can substitute graham crackers with chocolate graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or even Oreos!
• Unsalted butter
  • Melted butter forms the graham cracker crust.
• Mini marshmallows
  • Marshmallows top off the s’mores bars with a beautiful, golden marshmallow topping.
• Chocolate chips use your favorite chocolate– milk or dark
  • Use whatever chocolate you like best. I love dark chocolate, so I will always use dark chocolate. Milk or dark chocolate both work wonderfully!
• Unsalted almonds (optional)
  • Nuts are optional–but definitely suggested! They add such a nice crunch. I used unsalted almonds, but peanuts, walnuts, or pecans could all be so good!

Storing Instructions

While you don’t have to store your gooey s’mores magic bars in the fridge, I do suggest it. Keeping the bars in a covered container in the fridge can help the bars to last longer, and also hold up better.

Regardless of whether you keep the bars in the fridge or on your countertop, you will want to keep them in a sealed container.

More Cookies You HAVE to Try

Looking for a great cookie recipe? We’ve got you covered. Whether you are looking for a Christmas cookie recipe or a just-because cookie recipe, find your new favorite cookies here.

• Strawberry White Chocolate Churro Cookies
• Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Cheesecake Cookies
• The Best Ever Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
• Healthy Chai-Spiced Cookies (Gluten Free)