These gooey and fudgy s'mores brownies are made with a graham cracker base, rich brown butter brownie layer, and toasted marshmallows on top. It's the iconic campfire treat in brownie form!
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Notes from the baker
I'm super excited about these s'mores brownies! I've made s'mores-inspired desserts before like my s'mores tart and s'mores cupcakes but I wanted to make these brownies easier by using actual marshmallows on top instead of making a meringue from scratch.
The result is even better than I imagined. The marshmallows stay gooey and bouncy and you simply have to broil them in the oven to get them perfectly toasted. The only part of this recipe that you actually have to make from scratch is the brownie layer which is still easy.
I was adamant about not using a hand mixer to make this recipe more accessible to everyone. Typically, brownie recipes will have you beat the eggs and sugar together with a hand mixer for several minutes to get that shiny, crackly film on top. Since we're immediately going to cover the brownies with marshmallows, it doesn't matter what they look like.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Fudgy brown butter brownies. These brownies are decadent and get fudgier if you chill them in the fridge. No hand mixer needed!
- Easy graham cracker crust. We're literally just laying down the graham crackers in the pan for the crust - easy peasy.
- Gooey toasted marshmallows. The marshmallow layer is broiled in the oven to get them nicely toasted without a kitchen torch.
- Easy to make. The only part you need to make from scratch is the brownie layer. No hand mixer or kitchen torch needed!
Tools
- 9x9" pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9 square pan. If you're using an 8x8" pan, you don't need to make any adjustments to the recipe but your brownies will be thicker. You can easily double the recipe for a larger pan.
Ingredient notes
As always, the fullย recipe cardย with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to theย recipe.
- Graham cracker squares - We'll be using honey graham crackers as the base for these brownies. Mine came in squares but they also come in rectangles (two squares with a perforation in the middle). You'll need to break some of the crackers into smaller pieces and jigsaw them to get them to fit perfectly in the pan.
- Dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate -ย Use your favourite dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. I like both and used dark chocolate in mine but some people may find dark chocolate to be too bitter. You can also use a mix of both! Finely chop the chocolate so that they melt quickly and evenly.
- Natural cocoa powder - If you're not sure what kind of cocoa powder you have, it's most likely natural cocoa powder because it's the most common kind you can find at grocery stores as opposed to dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder - Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavour. It's not absolutely necessary but recommended in almost all chocolate baked goods.
- Unsalted butter - We're going to brown the butter to give the butter a nutty and deep flavour.
- Eggs -ย Take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time and let them come to room temperature before using.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar - Using a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar makes these brownies fudgier and chewier.
- All-purpose flour
- Large marshmallows - Large-sized marshmallows happen to fit perfectly in a 9x9" pan and create a pillowy and satisfying look on top of these brownies but you can use mini marshmallows as well. Note that "large" marshmallows may vary in size across brands so use your discretion when selecting the size of your marshmallows.
How to make s'mores brownies
Prep:ย Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper on all sides.
Graham crackers:ย In the bottom of your lined pan, arrange a single layer of graham crackers. You might need to cut some of the graham crackers into smaller pieces to fit into the pan. Set aside.
Chocolate:ย To a medium bowl, add chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside.
Brown the butter:ย In a medium pan, heat the butter on medium heat. Shortly after it has melted, the white milk solids will start to separate out and it will start to fizz and bubble. Stir occasionally. When the fizzing slows down, it will start to foam. Keep stirring and keep watching at this point because the milk solids will brown very quickly. Once the milk solids are golden brown and the butter smells nutty, immediately remove it from the heat.
Melt chocolate:ย Pour the browned butter into your bowl of chocolate to bloom the cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool for at least 10-15 minutes while you mix the rest of the batter.
Mix the batter:ย In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk them together for about 2 minutes until thoroughly mixed. Slowly stream in the chocolate mixture while whisking at the same time and all combined. Add the flour and fold together until just combined.
Fill pan:ย Pour the brownie batter into your pan on top of the graham cracker layer. Spread it into the corners of the pan by shaking the pan or smoothing it with an offset spatula.
Bake:ย Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean but with some wetness.
Broil marshmallows:ย Immediately after taking the brownies out of the oven, move the oven rack to the top of the oven. Arrange a layer of marshmallows on top of the brownies. Return the pan to the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil the marshmallows for 2-3 minutes or until they're toasted to your liking. Watch them the entire time as they will toast (and burn) very quickly!
Cool:ย Let the brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before lifting them out of the pan by the parchment paper overhang. Let the brownies cool on a wire rack completely before slicing.
Slice:ย To release the marshmallow layer from the parchment paper, rub a bit of cooking oil on an offset spatula or knife and run it in between the marshmallow layer and the parchment paper. When slicing, rub a bit of cooking oil on your knife to prevent the marshmallow from sticking to the knife.
Storage
These s'mores brownies can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Storing brownies in the fridge will make them fudgier (which I prefer). Let them come back to room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can toast the marshmallows with a kitchen torch if you don't have a broiler. This is one case where a broiler will create a better and more even toasted look but a kitchen torch will also work. Use a low heat setting and do quick passes over the marshmallows to prevent them from burning.
Yes, you can. You'll have to check how much your brownie mix makes and make sure it's enough or not too much to fill a 9x9" pan.
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions.ย To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ยผ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More brownie recipes to try
Recipe
S'mores Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9x9" pan
Ingredientsย ย
- 12 graham cracker squares
- 100 g dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 50 g natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 230 g unsalted butter, roughly cubed
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 36 large marshmallows
Instructionsย
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper on all sides.
- Graham crackers: In the bottom of your lined pan, arrange a single layer of graham crackers. You might need to cut some of the graham crackers into smaller pieces to fit into the pan. Set aside.
- Chocolate: To a medium bowl, add chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a medium pan, heat the butter on medium heat. Shortly after it has melted, the white milk solids will start to separate out and it will start to fizz and bubble. Stir occasionally. When the fizzing slows down, it will start to foam. Keep stirring and keep watching at this point because the milk solids will brown very quickly. Once the milk solids are golden brown and the butter smells nutty, immediately remove it from the heat.
- Melt chocolate: Pour the browned butter into your bowl of chocolate to bloom the cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool for at least 10-15 minutes while you mix the rest of the batter.
- Mix the batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk them together for about 2 minutes until thoroughly mixed. Slowly stream in the chocolate mixture while whisking at the same time and all combined. Add the flour and fold together until just combined.
- Fill pan: Pour the brownie batter into your pan on top of the graham cracker layer. Spread it into the corners of the pan by shaking the pan or smoothing it with an offset spatula.
- Bake: Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean but with some wetness.
- Broil marshmallows: Immediately after taking the brownies out of the oven, move the oven rack to the top of the oven. Arrange a layer of marshmallows on top of the brownies. Return the pan to the oven and turn on the broiler. Broil the marshmallows for 2-3 minutes or until they're toasted to your liking. Watch them the entire time as they will toast (and burn) very quickly!
- Cool: Let the brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before lifting them out of the pan by the parchment paper overhang. Let the brownies cool on a wire rack completely before slicing. I usually stick them in the fridge after about an hour to cool them down faster.
- Slice: To release the marshmallow layer from the parchment paper, rub a bit of cooking oil on an offset spatula or knife and run it in between the marshmallow layer and the parchment paper. When slicing, rub a bit of cooking oil on your knife to prevent the marshmallows from sticking to the knife.
Notes
- Graham crackers: The graham crackers I used came in squares but they also come in rectangular sheets. If yours are rectangles, you'll need about 3-4 sheets to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Broiler: The broiler is the heating unit built into the top of most ovens. Some ovens will allow you to select the temperature of the broiler. It doesn't matter what you choose - somewhere around 450ยฐF is fine. Always watch the marshmallows the entire time you're using the broiler because they will toast and eventually burn very quickly! If your oven doesn't have a broiler, you can use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows but use a very low heat setting and do quick passes over the marshmallows as they can burn very quickly.
- Storage: Storing the brownies in the fridge will create a fudgier brownie texture. Let the brownies come back to room temperature slightly before eating for the best texture. Otherwise storing them at room temperature for 1-2 days is also fine.
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