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!! And if you’re a total s’mores person like me, my S’mores cookie bars and my Starbucks s’mores copycat bars are on repeat all summer too.

Overhead view of s'mores cheesecake bars topped with toasted mini marshmallows and chocolate ganache on a checkered wood board.

Why You’ll Love These S’mores Cheesecake Bars
Key Ingredients
How to Make S’mores Cheesecake Bars
Tips for the Best S’mores Cheesecake Bars
s’mores cheesecake bars Variations
Storage
S’mores Cheesecake Bars FAQs
More S’mores Recipes
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, which makes them a perfect pick for your 4th of July cookout.

Key Ingredients

S'mores cheesecake bar ingredients: cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, heavy cream, sugar, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla, 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. Want to make it yourself? Here’s my homemade marshmallow fluff.
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. Feeling extra? Cut my homemade marshmallows into small cubes instead.

How to Make S’mores Cheesecake Bars

Graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a glass bowl for the crust.

Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 8×8 pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together until it looks like wet sand and holds when squeezed.

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

Press and par-bake. Press firmly and evenly into 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.

Torched marshmallow fluff on top of beaten cream cheese in a glass bowl.

Add the toasted fluff. Beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping the bowl often. Add the marshmallow fluff, toast it with a torch, then beat until fully blended and creamy.

Sour cream and vanilla added to the marshmallow cream cheese mixture in a glass bowl.

Add the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat in the sugar, then the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Eggs added to the marshmallow cheesecake filling in a glass bowl.

Add the egg. Mix in the egg on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix once the egg goes in.

Marshmallow cheesecake batter smoothed over the crust in a parchment-lined 8x8 pan.

Pour into the pan. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles.

Baked marshmallow cheesecake layer cooling in a parchment-lined 8x8 pan.

Bake, cool, and chill. Set a baking dish of hot water on the rack below the bars, staggering the pans. Bake at 325°F for 27 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and cool inside for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Chocolate ganache poured over the baked cheesecake layer in the pan.

Add the ganache. Pour steaming hot cream over the chopped chocolate, let it sit a minute, stir until glossy, then stir in the corn syrup. Let it cool until thick and spreadable (not hot, or it melts the cheesecake), spread it over the chilled bars, and chill until set.

Sixteen ganache-topped cheesecake squares cut on a checkered board, with graham crackers and mini marshmallows nearby.

Slice the bars first. Lift the slab out with the parchment and cut into squares with a warm, clean knife, wiping between cuts. Slicing before the topping goes on keeps your layer lines crisp and photogenic.

Close-up cross-section of a s'mores cheesecake bar showing the graham crust, cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and toasted marshmallows.

Top and torch. Arrange the squares on a sheet pan, press a small handful of mini marshmallows onto each, and torch until deeply golden and a little charred. Push the char, that’s where the real s’mores flavor lives! Finish with crushed graham crackers and Hershey’s pieces and serve right away.

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. If you want fudgy over creamy, my s’mores brownies are the way to go.
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 s'mores cheesecake bars from above with toasted mini marshmallows piled on chocolate ganache.

S’mores Cheesecake Bars FAQs

Can I use marshmallow fluff instead of toasting marshmallows on s’mores cheesecake bars?

You can top s’mores cheesecake bars with fluff instead, just make sure you toast it well so you get that campfire look in every bar. For even more toasty marshmallow flavor, serve them with a latte made with my toasted marshmallow syrup.

Do I need a water bath for s’mores cheesecake bars?

Not a true water bath where the pan sits in water. For s’mores cheesecake bars, 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 s’mores cheesecake bars cracking?

Cracked s’mores cheesecake bars usually come from 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 s’mores cheesecake bars ahead of time?

Definitely, s’mores cheesecake bars are 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. Need something even faster for a party? My s’mores dip is ready in minutes.

More S’mores Recipes

bars

S’mores Cheesecake Bars (Toasted Marshmallow Filling)

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love These S’mores Cheesecake Bars