Easy S'mores Cheesecake Bars (Toasted Marshmallow Topping)

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Listen, if you need a dessert that will get inhaled, these s’mores cheesecake bars are it!! I brought a pan over to Kyle’s family on our pool day last weekend (the kind of summer afternoon where everyone is half-wet, sun-tired, and starving by 3 pm) and they were gone in five minutes flat. Five. Minutes. I barely even got a square for myself, and I was the one who made them.

If your summer needs a dessert that disappears before you can grab the camera, this is the one. Make them for your next pool day. You have been warned!!

Since you’re here check out my S’mores cookies bars as well as my Starbucks s’mores copycat bars.

Overhead view of toasted marshmallow s'mores cheesecake bars on a wood board with chocolate ganache and charred marshmallows

Why You’ll Love These S’mores Cheesecake Bars
ngredients You’ll Need
How to Make S’mores Cheesecake Bars
Tips for the Best S’mores Cheesecake Bars
s’mores cheesecake bars Variations
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions About s’mores cheesecake bars
S’mores Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Why You’ll Love These S’mores Cheesecake Bars

No springform pan. Just a simple 8×8 pan lined with parchment, which means no leaks, no fuss, and easy lift-out. A quick hot-water tray on the rack below is all it takes to keep the top crack-free.
Marshmallow fluff makes the filling foolproof. It blends in smooth and stable, so the bars set creamy and slice into clean squares with no cracking.
Real toasted flavor on top, the campfire way. Mini marshmallows torched directly on each square until deeply golden, so every bite has that genuine charred s’mores taste.
Three s’mores layers in every square. Graham crust, marshmallow cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and mini marshmallows, all in one handheld bite.
Make-ahead and crowd-friendly. Bake a day ahead, cut into squares, and you have dessert for a party with zero stress.

ngredients You’ll Need

Ingredients including cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, graham crumbs, chocolate, sugar, sour cream, butter, and an egg

Full measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom. Here is what each component does.

For the graham cracker crust

Graham cracker crumbs. The s’mores foundation, finely crushed.
Granulated sugar. Helps the crust crisp and hold together.
Salted butter, melted. Binds the crust and adds a rich, toasty base.

For the marshmallow cheesecake filling

Cream cheese, full fat and softened. The backbone of the filling. Use full-fat blocks only, not the spreadable tub.
Marshmallow fluff (marshmallow creme). The smooth, stable marshmallow body of the filling. This is the easy-mode hero of these bars.
Granulated sugar. Sweetens and smooths. You need less than usual because the fluff is already sweet.
Sour cream, room temperature. Adds tang and a silky texture.
Egg, room temperature. Sets the bars. Bars need less egg than a tall cheesecake.
Vanilla extract. Rounds out the flavor.

For the chocolate ganache layer

Chocolate, finely chopped. Use what you like: all semisweet, all dark, or a mix like half milk and half dark. Milk leans sweeter and more classic campfire s’mores, dark balances the sweet fluff, and a mix gives you the best of both. We use a chocolate-heavy ratio (6 oz to 1/2 cup cream) so the ganache sets into a firm, visible, clean-slicing layer instead of a thin glaze.
Heavy cream. Melts the chocolate into a smooth, pourable ganache.
Light corn syrup. A teaspoon adds a glossy sheen and keeps the set layer flexible so it slices clean instead of cracking when cold.

For decorating

Hershey’s chocolate squares. The most recognizable s’mores cue there is. (I totally forgot to add them on mine for the photos here, oops!)
Crushed graham crackers and graham shards. Scattered over the top, they instantly read s’mores in photos.
Mini marshmallows. Torched right onto each cut square for that real charred campfire flavor. Mini marshmallows are the move here because they pack tighter on top and toast more evenly than jumbos.

How to Make S’mores Cheesecake Bars

Step-by-step photos go between these sections in WordPress. Full timing is in the recipe card.

Step 1: Make and par-bake the crust

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the bars out later.
Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together until it looks like wet sand and holds when squeezed.
Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan using the flat bottom of a measuring cup. Par-bake 8 to 10 minutes, then set aside to cool. This keeps the crust crisp under the creamy filling.

Graham cracker crumbs and melted butter being stirred together to form the crust

Graham cracker crust pressed evenly into a parchment-lined 8x8 pan

Step 2: Make the marshmallow filling

Beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping the bowl often so there are no lumps.
Add the marshmallow fluff, toast it with a torch, and beat until fully blended and creamy. The fluff folds in smooth and stable, no fighting the batter.

Toasted marshmallow being whipped into beaten cream cheese for the s'mores cheesecake bar filling

Sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract added to the marshmallow cream cheese mixture for s'mores cheesecake bars

Beat in the sugar, then the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.
Add the egg on low speed and mix just until combined. Do not overmix once the egg goes in.

An egg being added to the marshmallow cream cheese filling for s'mores cheesecake bars

Marshmallow cheesecake batter poured smooth into the prepared 8x8 pan for s'mores cheesecake bars

Step 3: Bake

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
Set a baking dish full of hot water on the oven rack directly below the bars, and stagger the pans so they are not stacked directly on top of each other. This adds gentle humidity and steadies the oven temperature for a smooth, crack-free top, without the leak risk of a real water bath.
Bake at 325F until the edges are set and the center has just a slight jiggle, about 27 to 30 minutes. Bars bake much faster than a full cheesecake, so start checking at 27 minutes.
Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the bars cool inside for about 30 minutes for a gentle cooldown.

aked s'mores cheesecake bars cooled in the pan, set and ready for the chocolate ganache layer

Step 4: Chill

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until fully set and firm. Cold bars cut cleanest.

Step 5: Ganache layer

Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chopped chocolate, let it sit a minute, then stir smooth and glossy. Stir in the corn syrup at the end while still warm.
Let the ganache cool and thicken until it is spreadable and drizzleable, almost like a thick frosting (not hot, or it will melt the cheesecake surface and muddy the layer line). Spread it over the cooled, chilled bars right in the pan. This visible layer is part of the s’mores look. Chill until the ganache is fully set.

Chocolate ganache being spread over the baked marshmallow cheesecake layer for s'mores cheesecake bars

Step 6: Slice the bars first

Once the ganache is fully set, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and set on a board. Slice into clean squares with a warm, clean knife, wiping between cuts. Slicing before adding the topping is the key trick here. Your knife only has to cut through the firm crust, cheesecake, and ganache, so your layer lines stay crisp and photogenic.

Sixteen s'mores cheesecake bar squares cut with a chocolate ganache top, ready for the toasted marshmallow topping

Step 7: Top with toasted marshmallows

Arrange the squares on a sheet pan with a little space between them. Top each square with a small handful of mini marshmallows, pressing gently so they stick to the ganache.
Torch the marshmallows until they are deeply golden and a little charred. Push the char, this is where all the real toasted s’mores flavor comes from.
Scatter crushed graham crackers and pieces of Hershey’s chocolate over each toasted top. Serve right away while the marshmallows are at their best.

Cross-section of a s'mores cheesecake bar showing graham crust, marshmallow cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and toasted marshmallow topping

Tips for the Best S’mores Cheesecake Bars

Warm your knife. Run it under hot water and wipe between every cut for clean edges.
Room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and egg. Cold ingredients give you a lumpy filling no amount of mixing fixes.
Line the pan with a parchment sling. The overhang lets you lift the whole slab out for clean cutting and easy decorating.
Do not overbake. Bars set up in the fridge, so pull them while the center still jiggles slightly. Overbaking makes them dry and prone to cracking. At 325F, mine were done right around 27 to 30 minutes.
Use a hot-water tray to prevent cracks. Set a baking dish of hot water on the rack below the bars and stagger the pans. It gives you the crack insurance of a water bath without ever letting water near your crust.
Cool the ganache before it goes on. Let it thicken to a spreadable, drizzleable consistency first. Pour it on too hot and it melts the cheesecake surface and blurs that clean layer line you want in the photo.
Chill fully before cutting. A cold, set slab gives you sharp, photogenic squares. Warm bars smear.

s’mores cheesecake bars Variations

Extra chocolatey: scatter mini chocolate chips over the crust before adding the filling.
Marshmallow swirl: dollop a little extra fluff on the filling before baking and swirl with a knife for a marbled look.
Milk vs dark ganache: milk chocolate for true campfire s’mores, dark for a more grown-up balance against the sweet fluff.
Double batch: scale to a 9×13 pan for a bigger crowd and add a few minutes to the bake time.

Storage

Refrigerator: store covered up to 4 days.
Freezer: freeze the cheesecake bars wrapped well up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge.

Three finished s'mores cheesecake bars from above with toasted mini marshmallows piled over chocolate ganache

Frequently Asked Questions About s’mores cheesecake bars

Can I use marshmallow fluff instead of toasting marshmallows?

You can do that, just make sure you toast it well so you get that campfire look in every bar.

Do I need a water bath for cheesecake bars?

Not a true water bath where the pan sits in water. Instead, set a baking dish of hot water on the rack directly below the bars and stagger the pans. It adds gentle humidity and steadies the oven temperature for a smooth, crack-free top, with none of the hassle of a real water bath.

Why are my bars cracking?

Usually overbaking or overmixing the egg. Mix the egg in just until combined, and pull the bars while the center still jiggles slightly. They finish setting in the fridge.

Can I make these ahead?

Definitely, and this recipe is built for it. Bake and chill the bars, then spread the ganache and leave it overnight. The next day, top with mini marshmallows, toast those, and decorate with crushed graham crackers and Hershey’s pieces right before serving for the freshest topping. Splitting it across two days makes it almost stress-free.