S'mores Brownies

Rich Gooey Brownies//Salted Graham Cracker Crust//Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream

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Okay, I did a thing. I took my famously gooey, underbaked brownies — the ones with the salted graham cracker crust that people beg me to bring to every party — and I gave them a ridiculous little upgrade. I topped them with ROASTED. MARSHMALLOW. BUTTERCREAM. That’s right. I literally burn marshmallows on purpose (with great joy, I might add), then whip them into a silky frosting, which I then generously pipe on top of the brownies.

But somehow, even with all that chaos and indulgence, these brownies still feel like home. There’s something about them — so rich and chocolatey, soft in the middle with that buttery, salty crust — that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a fork and not share. I’ve been making this brownie base for years (always with the graham crust, because honestly, why wouldn’t you? And because gooey > cakey, always), but this version is my new favourite to date. They’re outrageous in the best way — the whole thing tastes like a s’mores party decided to ditch the campfire and crash your kitchen instead.

The base is underbaked on purpose so the middle stays ultra-gooey, almost ganache-like. I scatter a handful of chocolate chips or chunks over top before baking, just to add a little extra texture. And then comes that buttercream — toasted, nostalgic, and perfectly balanced....It’s straight from my S’mores Cake, and honestly, I just couldn’t resist bringing these two recipes together.

Here’s how to get that signature roasted marshmallow flavour at home:

• If you have a gas stove, roast marshmallows on skewers directly over the flame until they’re charred and gooey.

• If not, place marshmallows on a foil-lined pan, toast them with a kitchen blowtorch until golden (read: burned), then pop them in a warm oven or air fryer for about a minute to let the insides soften up.

  Once they’re gooey all the way through, whip them into your buttercream and thank me later.

  
  

These S’mores Brownies are a little bit nostalgic, a little bit over-the-top, and a lotta bit impossible to stop eating. Basically: you need them in your life.

Recipe:

Makes 1 (8x8x2) tray; double to make a 9 x 13-inch tray

Notes

• The measurements provided below are to make an 8 x 8 x 2 inch tray. Essentially a standard home-sized square pan. I have also made this doubled to make a more party-sized 9 x 13 inch tray. I will reiterate this in the instructions, but you’re going to want to bake the graham cracker crust for the bigger version for 15 minutes, but the brownies bake for the exact same time, 20 minutes, regardless of which size you’re making.

• The marshmallows called for are the usual sized ones that you would roast on a stick over the campfire.

• When you’re roasting the marshmallows, it’s vital that the outsides be charred and that the insides be slightly warm and gooey (otherwise they won’t whip into the buttercream in a homogenous way—you don’t want lumps of marshmallow!). If you’re going the skewer route, I suggest keeping a plate and fork nearby during this process, as a couple of random ones sometimes melt more quickly than the others and start to fall off, so be ready for those. Alternatively, if you’re going the pan with a blow torch, followed by the oven route, make sure you don’t overheat them in the oven (stick to about 1 minute). Otherwise, they’ll be too hot and make your buttercream melt. So it really is a sweet spot to hit - just making you aware!

• For the dark chocolate, I like to use Valrhona or Green & Black’s. Those are my favourites! Use whatever brand you prefer, however, ensuring that it is 70%-85% cocoa, and doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients. Ditto for the bittersweet dark chocolate chips—for best results, all natural or Organic ingredients only.

• I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.

• I recommend using pink Himalayan salt for the graham cracker crust, as the larger granules are desirable. The tiny “pockets” of salt yield a pleasant sweet and salty contrast. I should note that I am referring to pre-ground Pink Himalayan salt—not from a salt grinder, as this will be finer. A finer salt will fully blend into the mixture, which I don’t recommend.

• The eggs called for are cold from the fridge, as opposed to room-temperature, as eggs normally should be for baking. This is because we are not cooling the chocolate-butter mixture down before mixing with the other components of the brownie batter. The cold eggs will be warmed up by the heat. To be clear, it doesn’t matter if the eggs are room-temperature. But I am highlighting that you don’t need to take the extra step of bringing the eggs to room temperature, as you normally would.

• I haven’t yet tried it, but I imagine that using brown butter (in its melted state of course) for the graham cracker crust could be a good time.

  
  

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

• 360 g graham cracker crumbs

• 225 g unsalted butter

• 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

  
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.

2. Butter a 8x8x2 inch tin (or spray it with a natural oil for ease). Line it with a parchment sling (Google that if you don’t know what it is - it’ll let you remove the brownies easily).

3. Melt butter in a small saucepan, or microwave.

4. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and salt with a spatula. Add in the melted butter (no need to let it cool down first), and combine.

5. Pour the contents into the baking tray. Roughly disperse the mixture with your hands first, then use a spatula to help you to press it down neatly and firmly.

6. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. If you’ve doubled the recipe, and are making a 9 x 13 inch tray, bake for 15-17 minutes. [Make the brownie batter while this bakes.] Remove from oven. Take a spatula, or a spoon, and lightly pat down the edges which will have risen, to make sure that the whole thing is flat all the way across. [Now pour in your brownie batter, or finish making it if you’re not done yet.]

Brownies

Ingredients

• 170 g unsalted butter

• 113 g dark chocolate

• 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder

• 95 g all-purpose flour

• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• 3 eggs, cold from the fridge

• 125 g sugar

• 80 g brown sugar

• 113 g bittersweet dark chocolate chips (or more regular chocolate cut into chunks)

Instructions

1. Ensure that your oven is still preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (from the graham cracker crust).

2. Melt butter and chocolate (not the chocolate chips) in a Bain Marie over medium-low heat, stirring often with a whisk once it begins to melt.

3. Once fully melted, turn off the heat, and sift in the cocoa powder. Whisk in immediately.

4. Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add in baking powder and salt, and whisk together.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and both kinds of sugar.

6. Pour the chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture, in a stream, whisking quickly and continuously as you pour.

7. Add in the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined, achieving a homogenous batter. Do not over-mix.

8. Pour batter into baking tray, overtop the baked graham cracker crust. Use the back of a spoon to even out the top.

9. Evenly disperse chocolate chips on top.

10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top of the brownies looks set. In other words, it should look just hardened, not liquidy. The inside should still be molten, however, so don’t bother pricking it with a toothpick to see if it comes out cleanly—it won’t and mustn’t! Both the single and the doubled version of the recipe bake for 20 minutes (I’ve tested it many times!).

11. Let the brownies cool down at room temperature, and once the tin is cool enough to handle, place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. If you skip this last step, the graham cracker crust will be crumbly, and not hold together perfectly. And, the centre won’t be set and will ooze out. Feel free to leave them to set for many hours, or overnight.

12. Make the Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream below while the brownies set.

13. Once ready, remove the brownies in their parchment sling from the tray. Cut into squares. Pipe the buttercream on top.

14. I like to let the brownies come to room temperature, or close to room temperature, before enjoying them - that’s when they’re at their most gooey! Otherwise, they’ll be more of a hardened ganache consistency. You can store the brownies in the fridge for several days, but every time you take one out to eat, I recommend letting it sit out for a bit, just so that it’s less hard from the cold of the fridge. You do you, but those are my recommendations!

15. Enjoy!

Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream

Ingredients

• 425 g unsalted butter, room-temperature

• 2 egg yolks, room-temperature

• 115 g powdered sugar

•  1.5 tbsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• 13 marshmallows

Instructions

1. Place butter and egg yolks in a large bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

2. Sift in powdered sugar, and beat on high for 3 more minutes.

3. Add vanilla and salt; beat on medium until combined.

4. Read the options below, and toast your marshmallows according to the method that you have available to you.

Option A: Gas Stove or CampfireThread the marshmallows onto metal skewers, and hold over a gas flame or campfire until marshmallows are charred on the outside and gooey inside.

Option B: No Open Flame? Foil + Torch + Warm Oven/Air FryerPlace marshmallows on a foil-lined pan, toast with a kitchen blowtorch until charred, then put the pan in a warm oven or air fryer for about 1 minute to soften the insides. The oven temperature doesn’t matter — just warm is fine (e.g., 350°F/180°C turned off after preheating).

Tip: Don’t overheat the marshmallows in the oven/air fryer — if they get too hot, whipping them into the buttercream will cause it to melt. If this happens, it’s fixable, don’t worry! Chill the buttercream in the fridge, and re-whip every 20 minutes until it’s firm enough to pipe. This process will be a hassle, so try to avoid overheating.

5. Slide marshmallows off skewers (or from the pan) into the buttercream bowl. Whip on high for 2 minutes.

6. Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled and set brownies. To reiterate: I like to let the brownies come to room temperature, or close to room temperature, before enjoying them - that’s when they’re at their most gooey! Otherwise, they’ll be more of a hardened ganache consistency. You can store the brownies in the fridge for several days, but every time you take one out to eat, I recommend letting it sit out for a bit, just so that it’s less hard from the cold of the fridge. You do you, but those are my recommendations!

7. Enjoy!

   
   

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