Both s’mores and rice crispy treats are American favorites, so why not combine them? This recipe transports me to a campground in the woods, sitting around the fire at night eating sweet treats and telling stories. Many of us only camp when the weather is warmer in the summer, but with this S’mores Rice Krispie Bars recipe you can have that dose of nostalgia anytime you want. Crunchy, gooey, salty, and chocolatey. Sounds pretty enticing to me!
It may sound like a bummer, but this recipe was partially inspired by the fire bans in the Pacific Northwest that have become commonplace in the summer. My father was a teacher and my mother stayed at home, so I grew up going camping for long swaths of time in the summer and when I was younger there were almost never fire bans. Now, as an adult, I usually have to plan my camping trips assuming there will be a ban. For those who aren’t familiar, fire bans are put in place in densely forested areas when the forests are dry due to lack of rainfall. Much of the western Untied States suffers from increasing wildfires due to climate change. Part of the culture of American camping is sitting around a fire with those you love at the end of the night, roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. I wanted to create a recipe that could hold up the concept of that tradition, even when it may not be available. This easy and fast dessert is perfect for taking to backyard barbecues, potlucks, school events, and of course, camping. Leftovers don’t have to be refrigerated so it’s perfect to travel with.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Marshmallows
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate chips
- Rice Krispies cereal
. I like to top this dessert with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt, so I use unsalted butter to even out the flavors.
. Since mini marshmallows are required for the topping, it’s best to use them for the base as well.
. Although there are many types of graham cracker, the original honey flavor is best.
. Traditionally, milk chocolate is used for s’mores. Because of the intense sweetness of the marshmallows, I recommend dark chocolate chips instead to keep it from feeling overwhelmingly sweet.
How to Make these Krispie Bars
This recipe is super easy to make, but note, especially if you haven’t worked with marshmallows before, that when melted they will be quite sticky and can get stuck to your skin easily if you’re not careful, resulting in painful burns. Just make sure to keep all that sugary goo in the pot and not on you!
First, melt the marshmallows with butter, stirring until the consistency is smooth and uniform. Stir in the cereal and mix, then remove the pot from the heat.
While it cools a bit, crush your graham crackers and measure your chips, then mix both in. It’s highly likely your chocolate chips will melt but that’s not a big deal. At this point your mix will be quick thick. Press the whole thing into a greased casserole dish. I recommend a smaller square one for really hefty bars, but you can use whatever size you want. Just keep in mind that the larger the dish, the thinner your bars will be.
Next, make the topping. Either in the microwave or stovetop melt the butter and chocolate together, then carefully drizzle it over the bars. To drizzle, I recommend using a fork, knife, or spoon to dip in the melt and then run lightly over the bars. Press your remaining marshmallows and crushed graham crackers into the chocolate drizzle, along with some coarse sea salt. You can broil this dish like I did to get that slightly golden appearance for the marshmallows, but taste-wise it doesn’t make a huge difference. Set these dessert bars somewhere to rest until the chocolate has cooled and mostly solidified, then cut up and enjoy!
S'mores Rice Krispie Bars
Equipment
- Casserole Dish, preferably 8x8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups marshmallows, mini recommended
- 3 graham crackers, crushed
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, dark recommended
- 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal, generic is fine
Topping
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips, dark recommended
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 3 graham crackers, crushed
Instructions
- In a medium pot, melt marshmallows with unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. Careful not to burn.
- Stir cereal into the marshmallows and turn off the heat.
- Next, stir in crushed crackers and chocolate chips gently.
- Pour into a greased 8x8 casserole dish.
- Melt together butter and chocolate chips until smooth, then drizzle over the bars.
- While the chocolate is still warm, press in crushed crackers and marshmallows.
- Optional: Sprinkle on a dash of coarse sea salt for a little surprise.
- Optional: Broil on high until the tops of the marshmallows are golden
- Let rest in a cold place for at least 1 hours before serving.
Notes
- When you're melting the marshmallows, make sure to stir them continuously or they could burn.
- If you don't have an 8x8, no problem. You can use a bigger dish, but your bars will be thinner.
- To crush the graham crackers, you can put them in a Ziploc bag and roll over them with a rolling pin or if you have a small food processor you can pulse them in that too.