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This S'Mores Shortbread Tart might look fancy, but it's a fun and super easy version of the old American campfire classic, perfect for parties, picnics and potlucks!
What do you get when you cross a fun, universally beloved American camping classic with a delicious, elegant, deceptively easy dessert? I'm pretty sure you already know the answer, since you've just read the title of this post, but I'll reveal it anyway. It's this wonderful S'Mores Shortbread Tart!
History of S'mores
If you're not from the United States, you might not be familiar with S'mores. S'mores are a beloved American summer treat consisting of marshmallows that are toasted (usually over an open campfire or hot grill) until they are melty and gooey. A chocolate bar is tucked inside two graham crackers to make this "sandwich" which begins to melt from the heat of the toasted marshmallow, yielding a delicious (and as you can imagine, messy and gooey) sweet confection.
The first time the word "s'mores" appeared in print was in a 1927 guidebook, Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts, published by the Girl Scouts of America. Their explanation of the unusual name was that combining these ingredients yielded ".... a tasty treat that is so good you will want ‘some more". The rest of the story is history with millions of American kids (and adults!) growing up with s'mores as a classic summer staple; especially popular on our patriotic holidays.
A new (kind of) twist on an old favorite
I love to come up with new and unique s'mores treats. Last year it was these Easy S'Mores Blossom Cookies and a few years ago, these Blondie S'Mores Bars. This year's S'Mores Shortbread Tart is an adaptation of my Strawberry Shortbread Tart (which was an adaptation of my Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart). So many of you have loved the sweet crumb-topped shortbread tarts, it wasn't necessary to reinvent the wheel.
What are the adaptations? I swapped out the almond flour in the jam tarts for graham cracker crumbs. And instead of a jam filling, this S'Mores Shortbread Tart calls for 1 jar of marshmallow creme and a layer of milk chocolate chips. Just like in the other shortbread tarts, the crust and crumb topping are made from the same easy dough. This tart gets a sprinkle of chocolate chips on top and, when it cools down, the crowning glory is tucking in pieces of Hershey bar, the beloved chocolate bars used in most campfire s'mores.
This would be a fun recipe for a get together with family or friends and is the perfect treat for an American patriotic holiday celebration.
Just a little heads-up though, if you plan to set this dessert out for self-serving, hide a little sliver (not too little) for yourself to savor after the guests have left. Guaranteed, there will be nary a crumb left on the serving platter!
Café Tips for making this Easy S'Mores Shortbread Tart
- This recipe calls for marshmallow creme (or fluff). I know from the past that this isn't available all over the world. You can make your own with this recipe and an even easier version can be made with marshmallows and corn syrup. Don't try to substitute marshmallow for the marshmallow creme. It's not the same.
- Be sure to spray (or grease) the tart pan well as the marshmallow creme is sticky and, as you can see in the pictures above, does ooze to the edges of the tart.
- It helps to spray a spoon or spatula with non-stick cooking
- Spread the marshmallow creme layer to within a half-inch of the edge of the bottom crust. This will make the tart easier to remove from the pan.
- When patting the dough into the pan for the bottom crust, it helps to have a small bowl of flour nearby to dip your fingers in if the dough seems sticky.
- This recipe calls for 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. 7-9 whole (double) graham crackers will yield 1 cup of crumbs, depending on the bran. To crush graham crackers, I just put them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to pulverize them. You can also use purchased graham cracker crumbs.
- Be sure to give the tart one hour to cool before tucking in the Hershey bar pieces. I tried shorter amounts of time but the candy bar melted into pools of chocolate and didn't look very pretty.
- This recipe calls for a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. This is a really handy size pan to have, not only for desserts but also for quiches and savory tarts. You could also make it in an 11-inch tart pan but it won't be as tall.
Thought for the day:
And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer. Psalm 78:35
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 1 Hershey milk chocolate candy bar Regular size - 1.5 ounces (43g)
- 8 ounces very soft butter 2 sticks
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme (1 jar)
- 1 cup chocolate chips milk chocolate or semisweet
- 2 tablespoons semi-sweet mini chips (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a 9 or 10-inch tart pan thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. With a sharp knife, cut the Hershey bar into individual rectangles the cut each rectangle in half on an angle, widthwise. Set aside.
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Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Using a sturdy spatula or Danish whisk, beat until creamy.
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Add the all-purpose and graham cracker crumbs and continue to mix until flour is incorporated and large crumbles start to form.
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Press approximately one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Dip your fingers in a bit of flour if the dough is sticky.
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Stir the remaining dough with a fork to form large crumbs then refrigerate (uncovered) while the bottom crust is baking.
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Place the tart pan on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is just beginning to turn golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 325. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.
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Spread the marshmallow creme over the baked base of the tart, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle approximately ½ of the chocolate chips over the marshmallow creme.
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Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator. With your fingers, sprinkle it in big crumbles over the marshmallow creme, making it slightly higher in the center.
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Return the pan to the oven (on top of the sheet pan) and continue baking for 25-35 minutes or until crumbs are firm and the top is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Allow to cool for one hour, then tuck the Hershey bar pieces (cut sided down) into the top of the tart.
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Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 1 hour. Tuck the Hershey Bar pieces randomly into the crumb topping. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and extra tips.
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INGE KOHL says
I am baking this tonight and was wondering how well it keeps. I didn't make it to take it to any group gathering, so I wouldn't mind if I can eat some in 2 days. I have a question about your metric weight conversions. I always prefer using grams, except when it comes to tsp or Tbsp. In this recipe I noticed that the weight for the 1 cup of chocolate chips was listed as 236.59 grams. Just for the fun of it, I used my measuring cup to weigh the chips. It was way more than 1 cup. I usually refer to King Arthur's weight chart for ingredient conversions. They have it listed as 170g, which was closer to what I had. The weight for the flour was accurate, but the sugar was off by about 25g (more) as well. I know there are a lot of conversion charts out there, but white sugar is generally pretty stable across the charts. Flour seems to vary more. Do you use a specific chart or formula? I hate to second guess the recipes and then wonder if I did something wrong.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy this tart, Inge. It will keep well for 1-2 days. You could freeze whatever you don't eat the first day and then take out a slice at a time to thaw and enjoy. That way, each piece will be fresh and delicious.
Regarding your question about the metric measurements, I have a conversion program built into my recipe plugin that does it for me. I will put this one through one more time as generally, it's quite accurate. Since the majority of our readers, here in the US, use cups and tablespoons, that's how I cook, although I also really like to use weight measurements.
Bonnie says
I made this for a 4th of July party. It truly was easy to make and took about an hour. It came right out of the tart pan - I used Baker’s Joy spray. It was a hit and people thought it looked like something I got at a fancy bakery. And who doesn’t love s’mores? This will be a a much repeated dessert at our house. As always, your recipes are my go-to s often.
Thanks Chris-
Bonnie
PS. Love the scriptures and songs
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Bonnie!
INGE KOHL says
This may just be a visual thing, but it almost looks like you put Hershey's kisses on top as well. Am I wrong?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Inge, those are actually chocolate chips from step 9. I used a combination of mini chips and Ghiradelli chips (which are a little larger) but any chips will work!
Elizabeth Geary says
I just made this recipe and it is fabulous! I will be making it again. It was so easy to do and really impressive. I'm going to pass it on to my niece in California. That graham cracker crust is a keeper. I just love your food blog and all the recipes I've tried are so good. You are a lot like Ina, I have all her cookbooks and I'm never disappointed when I make one of her recipes either. It must come from a lot of testing. Thanks Chris!
denise cunningham says
I made this for a Bible Study tonight. When I saw the recipe I immediately ordered the tart pan and had it on hand for when I made the recipe. Everyone loved it! It was so pretty just like the picture. (Maybe not as pretty as the picture,but very close, lol). Great recipe! I have also made the sweet basil dressing recipe twice. It is wonderful too! I am becoming convinced that the recipes here are very good! Thank you for sharing them with me! Blessings!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Denise! I appreciate your kind words 🥰 and I'm so happy everyone enjoyed this dessert! Yay!
Julie says
I made this as a last-minute dessert when the weather did not cooperate for our Labor Day campfire with s'mores. Very tasty and just as gooey and sumptuous as the real thing!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Julie!
Susan says
I am making this for the first time and noticed the recipe says 1 cup chocolate chips but the instructions say to sprinkle 1/2 of the MILK chocolate chips over the marshmallow cream. Perhaps you need to change the ingredients to specify milk chocolate chips.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, thanks for the heads up. I have actually used both milk chocolate and semi sweet with good results. I have clarified that in the recipe and instructions. Sorry that was confusing.
Rachel R Crawford says
Delicious!! Will make again My daughter loved it and had to have the recipe to make for her friends Thank you! Any thoughts on a fig cake or dessert using fig jam?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rachel, I'm so happy you enjoyed this tart! Thanks for sharing your results. I don't have a fig cake recipe but you've got me thinking about fig desserts! I love that idea!
Karen says
I made this for the 4th of July! Wow, did it get rave reviews! My son, not a dessert person, had a slice and went back and said, "I have to have more of this", because it was soooo good. I have another jar of marshmallow creme, so I think I will make it again next week. Thanks for a great, easy recipe. I make so many of your recipes and they always turn out well.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Karen, for sharing your results! I love the story about your son 💕
Connie says
This was delicious, so easy to make and it looked fantastic. I can’t wait to try the lemon tart.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Connie! Enjoy!
rach says
Loved “The God Who Sees”!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Rach! We love that song too!
Debra Minogue says
I made this for our Father’s Day celebration, yesterday, substituting dark chocolate chips for the milk chocolate. It was a hit with everyone!
I made your Irish Blackberry Fool a couple of weeks ago...also delicious! Thank you for keeping my guests well fed!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results and your adaptations, Debra! So happy you enjoyed both of these recipes!
Liz says
Yum! I'm more into s'mores inspired desserts than s'mores themselves!! And streusel??? I'm all in! Hope you're having a terrific weekend 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Liz! Happy Father's Day 💕
Karen says
Thanks for sharing Chris. I’ve made your other tarts and they’ve been so good! What size (oz) chocolate bar did you use for this recipe? Looking forward to making it!
Chris Scheuer says
Oh, thanks, Karen, for asking that question. I'll add the weight of the Hershey's bar to the recipe. It's a 1.5 ounce bar (43g).