Gooey, chocolatey Gluten free S'mores Cookie Bars are a great summer treat, with the classic S'mores flavors in a simple, easy bar form. Made with gluten free graham cracker cookie dough, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate chips.
This simple gluten free dessert is the perfect dish to bring to a potluck or whip up for a last-minute get-together with friends. A little heads up - these bars can be a little bit gooey and messy if they aren't cooled all the way and had a chance to set up in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Love all things s'mores? Make sure to check out my recipes for Gluten Free S'mores Cookies or Gluten Free S'mores Cupcakes. For a fun no-bake treat, check out my gluten-free s'mores rice krispie treats.
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Gluten-Free Flour: I tested this recipe for Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bars with King Arthur Measure for Measure and my own gluten free flour blend. Both blends already contain xanthan gum. IF your blend does not contain xanthan please add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
Milk Powder: the milk powder is an optional ingredient to add to this recipe. It enhances the taste of the baked goods by adding just a hint of sweetness as well as a creamier texture (think of it as an additional emulsifier). It also helps with the browning of your gluten free graham cracker cookie dough.
Graham Crackers: Gluten-Free Graham Crackers are widely available these days. There are several brands on the market now like Schar, Pamelas, and Kinnikinnick. I buy mine via Thrive Market since it is the best price. If you can’t find Graham Crackers do not worry. You can use Gluten-Free Shortbread cookies such as Schär Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies or Walkers Shortbread Gluten-Free Shortbread Rounds or use my Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies. I have also tested this recipe with ground gluten-free ice cream cones and it worked perfectly fine.
Marshmallow Fluff: I have tested this recipe for Gluten Free S'mores Bars Cookie Bars with Marshmallow Creme and Marshmallow Fluff. While both products worked perfectly fine, overall the Marshmallow Fluff had a better texture. Marshmallow Fluff and Marshmallow Creme are gluten free. I do NOT recommend substituting the Marshmallow Fluff with Marshmallows. The Marshmallows will melt away and you won't be able to taste them. Marshmallow Fluff/Creme was designed to withstand the heat in the oven.
Chocolate: Feel free to use your favorite chocolate or chocolate chips in this recipe. I especially liked a combo of Dark and Milk Chocolate.
How to make Gluten Free Graham Cracker Cookie Dough
Grind the Graham Crackers: Place your gluten-free graham crackers in your food processor or blender and grind them up. You can also place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them up. You will need 110 grams of graham cracker crumbs which equals 12 Gluten-Free Honeygrams from Schar (and it’s 1 cup. So 1 cup of ground-up graham crackers weighs 110 grams).
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl combine the ground gluten free graham crackers, the gluten free flour, cornstarch, milk powder (if using), cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugars: place your room temperature butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar in the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Halfway through the creaming process, stop your mixer, scrape down the sides of your bowl and the paddle.
Add Egg, egg yolk, and Vanilla: once your butter and sugar are light and fluffy, add your egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Cream for 30 seconds, stop your mixer and scrape down the sides and paddle, and continue to mix for an additional 30 seconds.
Mix in dry Ingredients: with the mixer running at a low speed, add your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Make sure to scrape down the sides to ensure all the dry ingredients get incorporated.
Chill your dough: the graham cracker cookie dough will be very soft. Allow for it to chill in your fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will make assembling the S'mores Cookie Bars easier.
Assemble the Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bar
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350˚F, and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Step 2: Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil and make sure to leave some extra overhang. Spray with Non-Stick Spray. If you do not want to use foil, please use parchment paper. Make sure to give it a light spray with non stick spray as well.
Step 3: Depending on how long you chilled your graham cracker cookie dough, spread with an offset knife or press with your fingers, ⅔ of the cookie dough on the bottom of the pan. You can eyeball the amount. You want an even layer.
Step 4: Top with the marshmallow fluff. The easiest way to spread out the marshmallow fluff is by heating up a spoon or offset knife with very hot water. Spread out in an even layer but don't get all the way to the edges. Evenly sprinkle the marshmallow fluff with the chocolate chips.
Step 5: Use your hands to press the remaining cookie dough in thin disks and top the chocolate marshmallow layer with them. Don't worry if you don't have enough to cover everything. You actually want some of the marshmallow and chocolate chips to show.
Step 6: Bake at 350F for 18 minutes, carefully rotate your baking pan and bake for an additional 10-14 minutes. The total baking time will be between 28-32 minutes. You want the cookie dough to be golden brown and marshmallow fluff will look very puffy.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to fully cool on a wire rack. While it may seem very tempting to cut the s'mores bars right away, please allow for them to cool completely before cutting.
For easy cutting, I recommend freezing the gluten free s'mores cookie bars for 10-15 minutes. Lightly spray the knife used for slicing them with nonstick spray - this will help with the stickiness of the marshmallow cream. Slice the gluten-free smores bars into 9 pieces and enjoy!
Store your cookie bars at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them in an airtight container.
FAQ for Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bars
Can I make this recipe with Marshmallows?
I do NOT recommend substituting the Marshmallow Fluff with Marshmallows. The Marshmallows will melt away and you won't be able to taste them. Marshmallow Fluff/Creme was designed to withstand the heat in the oven.
How can I store my S'mores Cookie Bars?
Store your cookie bars at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them in an airtight container.
Is Marshmallow Fluff gluten free?
Yes, it is gluten free, kosher, and also produced in a tree-nut and peanut free facility.
I can't find gluten free graham crackers. What could I use instead?
Gluten Free Graham Crackers can be tricky to locate at times. You could use gluten free shortbread cookies (or make your own using my shortbread recipe). In a pinch, I have also made this recipe ground up Gluten Free Sugar Cones (Ice Cream Cones). Whatever you use to replace the graham crackers, make sure to grind them up as fine as possible.
Can I make this recipe with regular all purpose flour?
Yes. Please use 145 grams of regular flour and clearly, you can use regular graham crackers as well.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and very affordable. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. Measuring cups are very inaccurate and can cause significant errors when it comes to baking. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Be also prepared that the convection oven can cause your baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Be aware that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free S'mores Cookie Bars
Gooey, chocolatey Gluten free S’mores Cookie Bars are a great summer treat, with the classic S’mores flavors in a simple, easy bar form.
Ingredients
- 113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 40 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 165 grams Gluten Free Flour (with xanthan gum)
- 110 grams Ground Gluten Free Graham Crackers
- 10 grams cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons milk powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 120 grams Marshmallow Fluff
- 100 grams chocolate chips
Instructions
How to make Gluten Free Graham Cracker Cookie Dough
- Place your gluten-free graham crackers in your food processor or blender and grind them up. You can also place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them up as fine as possible.
- In a small bowl combine the ground gluten free graham crackers, the gluten free flour, cornstarch, milk powder (if using), cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Place your room temperature butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar in the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Halfway through the creaming process, stop your mixer, scrape down the sides of your bowl and the paddle.
- Once your butter and sugar are light and fluffy, add your egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Cream for 30 seconds, stop your mixer and scrape down the sides and paddle, and continue to mix for an additional 30 seconds.
- With the mixer running at a low speed, add your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Make sure to scrape down the sides to ensure all the dry ingredients get incorporated.
- The graham cracker cookie dough will be very soft. Allow for it to chill in your fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will make assembling the S’mores Cookie Bars easier.
Assemble the Gluten Free S’mores Cookie Bar for baking
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F, and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with foil and make sure to leave some extra overhang. Spray with Non-Stick Spray. If you do not want to use foil, please use parchment paper. Foil is easier to manage with the sticky marshmallow creme.
- Depending on how long you chilled your graham cracker cookie dough, spread with an offset knife or press with your fingers, ⅔ of the cookie dough on the bottom of the pan. You can eyeball the amount. You want an even layer.
- Top with 120 grams of marshmallow fluff. The easiest way to spread out the marshmallow fluff is by heating up a spoon or offset knife with very hot water (or a torch). Spread out in an even layer but don’t get all the way to the edges.
- Evenly sprinkle the marshmallow fluff with the chocolate chips.
- Use your hands to press the remaining cookie dough into thin disks and top the chocolate marshmallow layer with them. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough to cover everything. You actually want some of the marshmallow and chocolate chips to show.
- Bake at 350F for 18 minutes, carefully rotate your baking pan and bake for an additional 10-14 minutes. The total baking time will be between 28-32 minutes. You want the cookie dough to be golden brown. The marshmallow fluff will look very puffy.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to fully cool on a wire rack. While it may seem very tempting to cut the s’mores bars right away, please allow for them to cool.
- For easy cutting, I recommend freezing the gluten free s’mores cookie bars for 10-15 minutes. This will set up the marshmallow cream and make it less sticky to cut.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385
Calories are a guestimate.
Tammy says
This was amaaaaaaaazing!! Thank you this simple and delicious recipe. Love your blog and your dogs! I cut mine into 16 pieces and felt they were the perfect size for an after dinner treat.
Courtney Evans says
This was an easy, delicious spin on s'mores that we all loved! My 8 year old son helped me make them and then declared "Who knew gluten free could taste so good!"
Thank you again for an easy recipe that pleases everyone! And this is definitely far from boring, despite what anyone might think!
(I used cup4cup and it turned out beautifully. It already includes milk powder so I didn't add the additional amount.)
Daniela Weiner says
This is like the highest praise someone can get - a compliment like this means a lot to me! I am so happy to hear that he is helping you in the kitchen. This makes my heart so happy!
Lindy says
So good and so simple to make! They were a hit at the party I brought them to. They are quite sweet, so I cut mine into 12. I love the strong graham cracker flavor you get.
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you, Lindy. Yes - they are on the sweeter side that's for sure. I don't blame you for cutting them into 12th. I actually cut them into 16th originally but that was almost too small 🙂
Jamie says
Making this tonight and don't see the vanilla measurement. I used 1 tsp 😬 hopefully that's abou right!
Daniela Weiner says
Thank you so much for catching that! I updated the recipe and included 1 teaspoon of vanilla (when in doubt, that's always a good amount to add) Thank you!
Jamie says
Oh I figured that was OK, glad I was right! Recipe came out spectacular! I love how simple this one is. The Graham cracker cookie texture is awesome! The fluff was fun to see rise between the top layer.
I was conservative on the chocolate. Next time will be sure to add the whole amount. I used mini chips and it just looked like a huge layer but in reality who are we kidding? Eat all the chocolate. Never skimp. My mistake! Thanks for another winning recipe!
Jen says
I followed the recipe exactly and they came out so good! Easy and tasty - a really nice end of summer treat.
Jacqui says
I used flax eggs instead of regular eggs, and it still turned out perfectly! What a fantastic recipe
nancy says
wow !! just wow. so chewy! everyone loved it at the office when I brought it in
Jessica says
Gave these a shot today and woo wee - delish! I somehow ran out of graham crackers, so I subbed for cherrios and it seemed to work out somehow. Next time I will include more marshmallow fluff as mine came out with less fluff than I’d like. Overall, great recipe and super easy to follow!
Daniela says
Awww love hearing this, Jessica. I actually used gluten-free ice cream cones in the past when I ran out of gluten-free graham crackers. The amount of marshmallow fluff is a personal choice. Clearly, you can add more if you like.
Kaitlin says
Used equal weight Better Batter and these turned out scrumptious! Next time might cook them a bit longer so they can hold their shape up a teeny bit! I've made this recipe 3x already and they have been a huge hit!
Daniela says
All ovens work differently so baking times do have to get adjusted if needed 🙂
Cindy Wysocki says
These are so good and a real go-to recipe at our house. Thank you!!
Dena Logan says
Thanks for listing how much xanthan gum to add if the gf flour mix doesn’t contain it.