No-Bake Indoor S'mores Bars w/ Golden Grahams Cereal

Melty chocolate, gooey marshmallows, and crunchy graham crackers—my Indoor Golden Graham S'mores Bars satisfy all the requirements of the childhood campfire favorite without needing access to an open fire. Better yet, you only need a box of cereal plus 4 pantry staples and 10 minutes to make a batch.

There's something about s'mores that screams childhood happiness, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate with cravings. Enter: indoor s’mores. But how? I've tried making traditional s'mores in the toaster oven, but it’s never quite right. The graham crackers get kinda stale, the marshmallows don't react the same as they do over fire, and the chocolate gets a little too melty.

But, on a day during the pandemic when I was pining for some chocolatey, marshmallowy, graham cracker-y comfort, I opened my pantry to find a box of Aldi’s Honey Grahams cereal. Sure enough, I also had a bag of marshmallows and some chocolate chips, so I knew I was in s’mores-making business!

Since that fateful afternoon 5+ years ago, I’ve made these s’mores cereal bars probably 2 dozen times with at least 5 different customizations—like making them gluten-free, vegan, or nutty—and they always hit the snacking spot. And, like other cereal bars, they’re perfect for packed lunches, picnics, or anytime you need a make-ahead treat.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love Golden Grahams S'mores Bars
• Ingredient List & Substitutions
• How to Make Indoor S’mores Golden Grahams Bars
• Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
• Expert Recipe Tips
• Storage Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• FAQs
• More Easy, Inexpensive Dessert Recipes
• Indoor S'mores Bars
• 💬 Reviews

Why You’ll Love Golden Grahams S'mores Bars

• Cheap & Easy - Using some smart shopping hacks (read the Expert Tips section for details), I was able to buy all 5 ingredients for just $3.75 (in 2025 $$$). And, just like making fruity pebbles cereal bars or chocolate peanut butter rice krispies treats, one pot and about 10 minutes of effort is all you need to make smores bars! 
• No-Bake & Weather-Proof - There's a saying here in Tennessee: "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes." That's because the weather here can change on a dime. It'll be sunny, humid and sweltering hot one minute, and before you know it, there's a torrential downpour with hail and high winds. When that happens, s’mores cereal bars are a perfectly wonderful substitute you can make on the stove—no oven required.
• Pantry-Based - Did your kid just have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at school? Or, do you have some friends dropping in for a last minute “crappy dinner party” hang? These beautifully basic cereal treats are the perfect no-bake dessert recipe to turn to!

Ingredient List & Substitutions

As promised, you only need a few ingredients to make this easy recipe for no-bake bars that taste like delicious s'mores. Here's what to grab:

• Golden Grahams Cereal - I’m partial to Aldi’s Honey Grahams cereal, but feel free to use any brand of golden graham cereal you like. (Why Aldi brand? They’re cheaper and even tastier than the original. Think of them like a Golden Grahams–Cinnamon Toast Crunch mashup where there’s a dusting of cinnamon sugar on the outside. 😋)
• Mini Marshmallows - These sticky little marvels help hold our cereal bars together. The smaller they are, the quicker and easier they’ll melt. That said, larger marshmallows can also be used! 
• Butter - I used salted butter, but you can just add a pinch or two of salt to taste if you only have unsalted. If it’s in the budget, cultured, organic, grass-fed butter is the healthiest (e.g. best fat make-up, most nutrients, etc).
• Vanilla Extract - For depth and warmth. Feel free to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or half as much ground vanilla bean.
• Chocolate Chips - Feel free to use either dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, chopped Hershey bars, or any mix of chocolate pieces you like.
• Light Corn Syrup - Optional, but useful in case your marshmallows are grainy or stale. This addition also helps keeps the bars softer for longer.

How to Make Indoor S’mores Golden Grahams Bars

These cereal bars come together in just a few simple steps:

Step 1: Prep. Grab a handful of marshmallows from the bag (about 1 cup) and set them aside. 

Step 2: Melt base. In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Toss in the rest of the marshmallows and stir until they’re completely smooth and gooey. NOTE: If your melted marshmallows are a little stale and grainy, stir in a splash of corn syrup to bring the mix back to life.

Step 3: Add chocolate. Once the marshmallows are smooth, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and silky.

Step 4: Mix in the cereal. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the cereal until everything’s evenly coated. Then, gently stir in the handful of marshmallows you set aside earlier.

Step 5: Set and slice. Pour the cereal mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Use a silicone spatula (lightly greased if needed) to press it down into an even layer. Let the bars rest for a couple of hours, or until firm. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations

What I love about this indoor s'mores recipe is how customizable it is. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• For vegan indoor s'mores: sub in vegan butter sticks, use plant-based marshmallows and chocolate, and your favorite vegan graham cereal (e.g. Malt-o-Meal graham toasters). P.S. The regular miniature marshmallows from Trader Joe's are vegan and these homemade vegan marshmallows are great, too!
• For gluten-free s'mores cereal bars: sub in Cascadian Farm Honey Vanilla Crunch cereal or Catalina Crunch Honey cereal. Alternatively, use another similarly-flavored GF cereal like Honey Nut Cheerios.

These s'mores cereal bars also offer lots of easy ways to riff on the original recipe. Here are some fun ideas to try:

• Toast the extra marshmallows first for a more classic, slightly burnt flavor profile. You can either use a kitchen torch or the broil function of your oven or toaster oven. (I recommend placing them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet if you’re broiling to make clean-up easy. For the torch method, stay away from paper. 
• Add a handful of chopped homemade marshmallows to the bars for serious bragging rights.
• Go nuts! Add in ½ cup of creamy peanut butter (not the natural kind that separates) and top with a handful of chopped roasted, salted peanuts.
• Get fruity. Stir in your favorite freeze dried fruit to add some tang and crunch. Bananas, raspberries, or strawberries would all be delicious
• Change the flavor profile! Use a higher cacao percentage for a deeper, more grown-up chocolate flavor. If you're going this route, try adding 1 teaspoon of instant espresso to intensify the flavor and/or add ½ teaspoon each of cayenne and cinnamon for a Mexican mocha twist. You can also add in ½ teaspoon of maple extract or 1 teaspoon of almond extract to tweak the taste.
• Swap cereal. Make s'mores rice krispie treats, or swap in Cocoa Krispies, Cookie Crisp, Kix, Chex, Cap’n Crunch, or any of your childhood favorites!
• Drizzle the tops of your bars with some melted chocolate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt for a pretty finish.
• Add-ins for fun. Want to take them over the top? Mix in a couple of sheets of crushed graham crackers, mini peanut butter cups, or pretzel pieces along with the cereal for extra flavor and crunch.
  

Expert Recipe Tips

• Fixing marshmallow mishaps. If your marshmallows start separating or looking grainy while melting, a drizzle of corn syrup (or another invert sugar like agave) will help smooth things out again. 
• Budget-friendly shopping hacks. Don’t feel tied to name brands—store-brand or “white label” cereals taste just as good and often cost half as much. Another smart move: look for bulk bagged cereal instead of boxes for big savings. Just make sure you have ample hard-sided storage at home to keep the critters out!
• Taming jumbo marshmallows. Only have the big ones? Spray your kitchen scissors with non-stick spray and snip them down to mini size. They won’t stick to your scissors, and you’ll save yourself a sticky mess.
• Grease your tools. A light coating of butter or non-stick spray on your spatula (or even your hands, if you’re pressing down the mixture) will keep the sticky marshmallow mix from clinging.
• Don’t press too hard. When spreading the mixture in the pan, gently press it into place. If you pack it down too firmly, the bars can turn hard instead of chewy.

Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead hack: These golden grahams bars are a great prep-ahead treat. Mix, press, and let them set the night before, then slice in the morning so they’re ready for lunchboxes, bake sales, or parties.
• Room temperature: Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3–4 days. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources so they don’t get melty.
• Refrigeration: You can stash them in the fridge for up to a week, but note that they’ll firm up quite a bit. If you like softer, chewier bars, let them come back to room temperature before serving.
• Freezing: Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap (make sure to let them cool completely!), then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. To enjoy, let them thaw on the counter for about an hour.

Serving Suggestions

Golden grahams cereal bars are great for crushing s’mores cravings on their own, but you can also easily dress them up for different occasions:

• Party platter style: Cut the tasty bars into small squares or bite-sized pieces and pile them high on a serving tray. Drizzle with extra melted chocolate or sprinkle with mini chocolate chips for flair.
• Lunchbox treat: Wrap individual bars in wax or parchment paper for a fun, no-mess surprise in lunchboxes. Any s’mores lovers will be stoked to find them!
• Holiday spin: Add festive sprinkles on top while the mixture is still warm—orange and black for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, or pastel for Easter. An instant seasonal treat!
• Sweet & salty combo: Pair the bars with bowls of pretzels, freshly popped popcorn, and salted nuts for a fun snack spread that balances out all the gooey sweetness. They’re also great on any game day buffet!
• Campfire-at-home: Turn on the TV fireplace, spread out a cozy blanket on the floor with some pillows, and serve with mugs of homemade hot chocolate from a mix for the ultimate cozy dessert. Turn off all the other lights and tell ghost stories for the full effect!

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