A deliciously buttery graham cracker crust, topped with a dense and fudgy brownie, and finished off with homemade toasted marshmallow fluff!
Well, we’ve officially made it to summer, people! This past Saturday marked the summer solstice (aka, longest day of the year), and I can’t help but feel as though it got here so suddenly. Depending on where your mindset has been for this crazy year, spring either felt like a few seconds, or a few years. I still feel like I’m in a dream state…anyone else?
But despite how bizarre the world is right now, at least there’s always one constant in my life…desserts. So with summer being the unofficial kickoff of s’more season, what better way to satisfy those s’more cravings than with these S’more Brownies?
These are basically s’mores on steroids…allow me to explain why.
First off, instead of a lame ol’ graham cracker, you’ve got a buttery, toasted graham cracker crust. Secondly, instead of a simple square of chocolate, you’ve got a thick, dense, and ultra fudgy brownie loaded up with chunks of rich milk chocolate. And lastly, instead of a boring (and in most cases overly-charred) marshmallow, you’ve got the softest, gooiest layer of perfectly toasted marshmallow fluff. It’s an absolute BEAST of a brownie, to say the least.
And while this treat might seem like it requires a lot of work with the different layers that are involved, it actually comes together really quickly and much easier than one might assume. But regardless of the work involved, I GUARANTEE you won’t be disappointed. I mean, the homemade marshmallow fluff ALONE is worth making these.
Speaking of, don’t let the marshmallow fluff scare ya! Although it can be intimidating when you’re dealing with heating ingredients to specific temperatures, it’s actually not that difficult. In fact, I don’t know why I don’t make this stuff more often since it only requires four ingredients (egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla), and it would be delicious on so many different things–peanut butter sandwiches, crackers, cookies, or even to just eat by the spoonful. Honestly, I would bathe in the stuff if I could. (My mom would second that!)
Similar to how toasting a marshmallow makes it 100 times better, the same goes for this fluff. It creates a super thin outer shell while also enhancing the flavor immensely. I use a small kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow fluff since it gives me more control (I’m also a bit of a pyromaniac), but an oven will do the job too! Just place it under your broiler, and watch it CLOSELY. It really only takes seconds to achieve that nice brown color, so keep your eyes glued to that oven door.
For those of you wondering if you can shortcut the homemade marshmallow fluff by using the store-bought can of fluff, I would strongly advise against it. That stuff tends to be really runny, and you won’t be able to get that nice THICK marshmallow layer like you do with homemade.
You really won’t find a more indulgent s’more experience than these brownies. They’re honestly some of the best brownies I’ve ever made. And that’s saying A LOT with the amount of brownies I’ve baked/devoured in my lifetime!
Before I leave you with the recipe, one thing to note about the graham cracker crust. I always add a little ground cinnamon to my graham cracker crusts because it really amplifies the flavor of the graham crackers. Trust me, it makes SUCH a difference.
S'more Brownies
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham crackers crushed
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Brownies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chunks/chips
Marshmallow Fluff:
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF, and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper leaving extra overhang on the sides for easy removal. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Make the Brownies:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder until smooth and glossy. Whisk in both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring until fully incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the Marshmallow Fluff:
- Add the egg whites* and sugar to a large heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until it the temperature hits 160ºF on a candy thermometer, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove bowl from saucepan, add the cream of tartar, and beat mixture with an electric hand-mixer (or in a stand mixer) on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vanilla near the very end. Spread on top of the cooled brownies. Toast the topping with a kitchen torch or under the oven broiler.
- Run a knife along the edges of the brownies. Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, by using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares and serve.