Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

As I’ve mentioned, the weather has really heated up around here. Backyard cookout time has arrived! Lucky for us, the mosquitoes haven’t arrived yet to spoil our party, so the grill is working overtime! I think I have also mentioned that I have a thing for S’mores and can’t seem to resist S’mores recipes. (Take a peek at my S’more Stuffed Cookies and S’mores Brownies)

So for our last cookout, I thought these Peanut Butter S’mores Bars would be nice to have on hand for folks who didn’t really have the patience to invest all that time into make their own by the fire pit. Now, being a S’mores fanatic, as well as a dedicated peanut butter fan, I thought these bars would be awesome. And truth be told, I wasn’t too concerned if they weren’t popular with my guests, since I knew I wouldn’t have any trouble polishing off the whole pan of these gems all on my lonesome!

But that was not to be. Let me tell you, folks went wild for these little bars, coming back for seconds and dare I say thirds! Which is awesome, primarily because it made it easier for me to fit in my britches the next day, but also because they are very, very easy to make! And although they look like they would be a super heavy, dense dessert bar, they actually are quite light, perhaps due to all of those airy marshmallows.

They come together very quickly as well, so you won’t be spending too much time in that hot kitchen. Throw some together today!

Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

recipe from: idle wife

yield: 16 squares

Ingredients:

For Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

 For Peanut Butter Chocolate Marshmallow Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (lite is all right)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 250 grams mini marshmallows

 Directions:

Line a 8 x 8″ square baking dish (or any dish you think will work. Smaller = thicker; larger = thinner) with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt together.

Add the melted butter and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Press evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

In a medium-sized pot, melt the margarine and peanut butter together.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until they’ve completely melted into the peanut butter mixture. Allow the mixture to cool to the point where you can comfortably place your hand on the bottom of the pot (be careful not to touch it too soon).

Add marshmallows and stir to coat.

Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust and put the whole thing in the fridge until fully set. Lift out of the dish using the parchment paper, cut into squares. It’s best to keep these refrigerated.

Enjoy!

{note} The Idle Wife adapted this recipe from Butterscotch Confetti Bars. In order to make this treat, you skip the graham cracker crust entirely. Use Butterscotch chips in lieu of the chocolate chips. Pour the mixture directly into a 8X8″ pan lined with plastic wrap. I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try since folks absolutely loved the Peanut Butter S’mores version!