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A pumpkin cookie, homemade marshmallow, dark chocolate, and graham crackers walked into a baking pan…and somehow it works. These Pumpkin S’mores Dessert Bars are the kind of dessert that will make you curious and will have you coming back for more. They’re soft, chewy, and slightly irresistible.
The magic of these bars is in the layers. They start with a warm, spiced pumpkin sheet-pan cookie that is baked and cooled completely before warm homemade marshmallow is spread over the top. The marshmallow needs about 4-5 hours to set before the final toppings. Once the fluffy marshmallow is set, a thin layer of dark chocolate is spread across the top before it’s finished with a generous sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.
They are cut into small squares before serving. Each bite of these bars is soft and fluffy, with a slight crunch of graham cracker on top. They’re the perfect fall dessert that’s a bit more interesting than your average sheet pan cookie or fall pumpkin loaf. Bring these to your next Halloween party, cozy movie night in or fall gathering with friends.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin S’mores Bars
- Every layer is a reason to love these bars! These bars do take some time to make, but if you trust the process of making each layer of these bars, the end result is pure magic. They are a little over-the-top, but that’s the kind of baking project that’s perfect for the fall.
- The texture is everything! The soft cookie, thick layer of marshmallow, and a silky glaze of chocolate create a deliciously fluffy treat!
- They surprisingly taste like fall-flavored Moon Pie squares! If you’re a fan of Moon Pies, this is the perfect dessert for you to make this fall. We were shocked at how similar they would taste, but to he honest, they’re even better than the little packaged treats – more marshmallow-to-cookie ratio!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pumpkin Cookie Layer
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin puree
Marshmallow layer
- Gelatin
- Water
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
Chocolate toppings
- Dark chocolate chips
- Graham crackers
How to Make These Pumpkin S’mores Bars
Step 1. Make the Pumpkin Sheet Pan Cookie layer & cool completely.
These Pumpkin S’more Dessert Bars start with a layer of pumpkin cookie. It gives these cookies some warmth and creates a sturdy base for these bars.
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and prepping your baking dish. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper to create a sling to remove the bars.
Next, make the pumpkin cookie dough. Mix your wet and dry ingredients separately before you combine them. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set this bowl to the side while you cream your butter and sugars.
Using an electric handheld mixer or a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until they are whipped and fluffy. Once the butter and sugars are evenly blended, mix in a couple of eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until just combined.
Mix the pumpkin-spiced flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a dough forms. Pour the dough into the baking dish and spread it in an even layer.
Bake the sheet cookie for about 20-25 minutes. Once the cookie is cooked through and golden brown on top, remove the cookie from the oven and let it cool completely.
Tip: Make sure to get as much moisture out of the pumpkin as you can before adding it to the dough. Blot the pumpkin with a paper towel to remove extra moisture.
Step 2. Make the homemade marshmallow and spread it over the cookie.
Once the cookie has cooled, make the marshmallow layer. Add cold water and gelatin powder to the bowl of your stand mixer. Attach the whisk attachment and make the hot syrup over the stovetop while the gelatin activates in the water.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar, corn syrup, and water. Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature of the mixture. When the mixture reaches 240°F, remove the pot from the heat. Turn the stand mixer to medium speed and slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin.
When you’ve emptied all the syrup, increase the mixing speed to high and whisk for 10 minutes. As it beats, a fluffy marshmallow mixture will form.
Spread the soft marshmallow mixture over the top of the cookie and let it set.
Step 3. The waiting game: let the marshmallow set for 4-5 hours.
Waiting is easily the hardest part of this recipe. The marshmallow layer will have to set at room temperature for at least 4 hours. Once the marshmallow is set, you can add the final layer.
Step 4. Spread a thin layer of chocolate over the top and finish with graham cracker crumbs. Slice and enjoy.
Carefully melt some dark chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments until it is just warm. Spread the melted chocolate in an even layer over the top of the marshmallows. Sprinkle the top of the bars with some graham cracker crumbs for a s’more finish.
Blast chill the bars in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Use a knife to cut along the edge of the pan to release the bars from the sides. Lift on the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan.
Use a sharp knife to slice the sheet pan into squares. They will be sticky, but as they set some more, they will dry a bit on the edges and firm up. Plate them and enjoy!
Tips for Making Pumpkin S’more Bars
- Blot out extra moisture from the pumpkin puree. You want to make sure you remove some of the moisture from the pumpkin puree before adding it to the batter. Extra moisture can make the cookie base too soft and cakey. Place the pumpkin puree over a paper-towel-lined plate and blot out any excess moisture.
- Line the pan with plenty of parchment paper. The last thing you want is for your bars to stick to the pan. You don’t want the cookie stuck to the bottom or the gooey marshmallow to stick to the edges. Once the bars are set, they should be able to easily peel away from the parchment paper.
- Give the marshmallows plenty of time to set. The marshmallows need about 4 hours to set. You want them to be firm enough to support the chocolate layer and not fall apart when you cut the bars. When they are fully set, the marshmallows will be fluffy but hold their shape.
Recipe FAQ
Why didn’t my homemade marshmallows set?
Make sure you do these two things:
- Whip the mixture until it becomes thick and fluffy and significantly increases in volume. This takes about 10 minutes of whipping the mixture at high speed.
- The syrup mixture should reach 240°F as it is cooking. This is essential to give the marshmallows that soft, chewy texture.
Storing Pumpkin S’more Bars
Store the finished bars in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
If your kitchen is warm, you can refrigerate them but allow them some time to come to room temperature before serving.
More yummy fall recipes to try:
Pumpkin S’more Bars
- Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 dessert bars 1x
Description
These pumpkin s’more bars combine a soft pumpkin cookie base, gooey homemade marshmallow, melted chocolate, and crunchy graham crackers for a cozy fall dessert that tastes like a s’more—no campfire needed.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cookie Layer
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
Marshmallow Layer
- 3 envelopes gelatin
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13 inch baking dish. Double-line the dish with parchment paper so that all the sides are covered.
- Make pumpkin cookie dough. In a medium bowl, gently whisk together your flour, salt, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric handheld mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer, add chilled butter and cream on medium speed until it forms a whipped texture.
- Add in sugars and mix on medium speed until creamed together and fluffy. Make sure all butter is evenly blended into the sugars.
- Mix in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until just combined. (Make sure to get as much moisture out of the pumpkin as you can. To do this, place pumpkin puree on a paper towel-lined plate and blot out as much moisture as possible.)
- Pour in your flour mixture in 1/3 portions, waiting to make sure the flour mixture is incorporated completely before adding more.
- Pour the dough into the baking dish and press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Cook the pumpkin sheet cookie for 20-25 minutes. Once the cookie is cooked through the center, place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely. This should take 45-60 minutes.
- Make the marshmallow layer. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add cold water and gelatin packets to a stand mixer bowl. Let it set to activate while you make your hot syrup.
- In a medium pot, over medium heat, heat your sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water. Attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pot and carefully watch until the temperature reaches 240°F (soft ball).
- Once your syrup has reached 240°F, remove from heat. Turn your stand mixer on to medium speed with the whisk attachment and gently and slowly pour your hot syrup into the mixer. Once you have emptied all the syrup, increase the mixing speed to high. Mix for 10 minutes until your marshmallow mixture has increased in size and is fluffy. Add in your vanilla and whisk for 30 more seconds.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture over the chilled pumpkin cookie and spread in an even layer. Let the marshmallows form at room temperature for 4 hours.
- Once the marshmallows are set, melt some milk chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments until just melted.
- Spread the melted chocolate in an even layer over the top of the marshmallows and chill immediately in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Lift the bars from the pan and use a sharp knife to slice into squares.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Setting Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
