I am declaring Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores the official cookie bar of summer! Two must-have classics combine into one outrageously delicious, salty-sweet dessert. They’re dairy-free and can be made vegan and gluten free, too.
One of my favorite parts about baking is that, once you know some basics, you can create anything you want.
I first made Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores Cookie Bars several years ago after thinking about what iconic flavors or desserts would go well together. I already had a S’mores Cookie Bar flavor and a Chocolate Salted Pretzel Cookie Bar flavor. So I thought….what if we combine them?!
This is the result. A rich chocolate cookie that gives you nostalgic, gooey, s’mores (no campfire needed), combined with the crunch and saltiness of pretzels. It’s a flavor combination that is truly too good to resist.
Why I love Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores
- Festive & fun: Who doesn’t love s’mores?! And chocolate covered pretzels?! Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores Cookie Bars are beloved by both kids and adults.
- Inclusive: Dairy-free, with vegan and gluten-free options, because everyone deserves a sweet treat.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the ingredients in the recipe to your specific dietary needs. Need them to be gluten-free? Use gluten-free swaps (in recipe). Not vegan or dairy-free? Swap regular butter for plant butter. Adjustments can be made one-for-one so you bake exactly what you want.
- Simple to make: No complicated steps or hard-to-find ingredients (I’ve included links below to the marshmallows and grahams just in case, but they are available in many grocery stores, too.)
The beauty of cookie bars
I love cookies. Cookie Bars are cookies, but in square form, and even easier to make. They skip the scooping and shaping: just press the dough into a pan, bake, and slice. Whether you’re after big, chewy squares or bite-sized morsels, these bars are as versatile as they are delightful. If you’re busy and feel like you could use more time, cookie bars are a true life hack.
Baking in grams vs. cups
When I first started baking a couple decades ago, I was measuring by volume, in cups. And truth be told I did not have any issues with it. Then, one day, a friend of mine mentioned he makes homemade pasta measuring in mass (by weight in grams), and that I should try it with baking because it’s more precise. I made the switch and have never looked back.
Once you learn to bake by weight with a kitchen scale, it’s just easier. Scoop in your ingredients with a spoon. Easily scale recipes up or down. I showed my husband and now he makes cocktails using the kitchen scale, too.
Why? The main reasons are that it’s more exact and repeatable. One cup of flour can vary by weight depending on how you scoop and pack it. For example, if you pack your cup of flour too tightly you’ll end up with dry baked goods. If instead you weigh your flour, 120 grams of flour is always 120 grams (the weight of a *true* cup). So your baking will be more accurate, and your results more reliably consistently delicious. I personally also love to bake with a scale because it cuts down on dishes. No measuring cups to wash, easier to measure all in the same bowl or two. I just love it.
If you haven’t baked with a kitchen scale before and are curious exactly how to do it, I put together a quick guide to walk through using a scale step-by-step, the kitchen scale I use, and a conversion chart cheatsheet you can save or print and stick on the fridge. I hope it’s helpful! Let me know any questions.
Download your free How-to Guide + Grams Conversion Chart
Baking tools & equipment I use for Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores
- Kitchen scale: I bake everything by weight for accuracy and fewer dishes using this scale.
- Half sheet pan (13×18 inch): A high-sided half-sheet pan gives you the right depth and surface area for 24 cookie bars in a 6×4 grid. This is the one I use (comes with a lid!).
- Parchment paper: Line the pan and leave an inch of overhang on the sides. Makes cleanup a breeze and you can lift the bars out of the pan easily. My favorite.
- Rubber spatula: For scraping the bowl clean and spreading the dough evenly in the pan. My favorite.
- Wire cooling rack: Lets air circulate underneath the pan so the bars cool evenly and completely. The one I use, great for when you bake multiple things or have more than 1 pan to cool at the same time.
Where to find the ingredients
All of the ingredients in this recipe are available in most major grocery stores or Whole Foods. If you can’t find them in store, or if you’d rather have them shipped right to your door (which is often what I do), here are a few links to make it easier for you:
- Gluten-free option: For gluten-free, I use + recommend King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten-free flour.
- Vegan marshmallows: I use Dandies. These are the minis. Regular size are great for campfire s’mores, too.
- Vegan + gluten-free graham crackers: Partake Foods brand are my favorite and go-to.
- Vegan graham crackers: Nabisco graham crackers are vegan (not gluten-free). (Many other brands are not vegan because they contain honey).
Want a quick resource with what vegan and gluten-free ingredients to use? I put together this free guide with all my favorites — the ones I use every day and what used for my cottage bakery. Once you have the essentials, you can bake anything that you (or those around you) are craving.
Chocolate Salted Pretzel S’mores Cookie Bars | Dairy-Free with Vegan & Gluten-Free Options
Description
I am declaring these the official cookie bar of Summer! Two must-have classics combine into one outrageously delicious, salty-sweet dessert. No dairy and can be made vegan and gluten free, too.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F and position the rack in the middle. Line a 13×18 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch overhang on the sides for easy removal after baking. Set aside.
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Whisk together dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
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Cream together the wet ingredients: In the bowl of your stand mixer, measure together the butter (softened), brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until it's light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
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Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat again on a medium speed to incorporate evenly into the batter, about 1 minute.
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Add the dry ingredients: With the mixer on its lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Mix until the dry ingredients are just combined — avoid over-mixing to keep the bars soft and tender.
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Add in the mix-ins: Gently mix in the chocolate chips, marshmallows, graham crackers, and pretzels. If the dough feels too thick for the mixer, switch to a wooden spoon to finish combining everything by hand.
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Spread the dough evenly into your prepared baking pan, using a spatula to smooth it out. Press 24 pretzels onto the tops of the bars (6 across and 4 down), so they're in the center of each bar. For an extra fetching touch, sprinkle additional chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs over the top before baking.
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Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 28–30 minutes, until the top is just set (no longer shiny) and the edges just start to pull away from the pan.
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Cool: Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
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Slice: Once cooled, use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. To make 24 bars, cut 4 x 6. Or, make them as large or small as you'd like.
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Place them on a tray or plate to serve, or pop them into plastic bags to take with you on-the-go, pack with lunches, or give to friends and family. Enjoy!
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Freeze for later: Place leftover bars in an airtight, freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag. Store them for up to 6 months and thaw individual bars whenever you need a quick snack!
Note
- I include both the volume (cups) and weight (grams/ounce) measurements in the recipe. I highly recommend baking by weight (i.e. 198 grams per cup of sugar, rather than 1 cup of sugar). It’s more accurate, consistent, and results in fewer dishes! That said, baking by volume is also fine. Do whatever is most convenient for you.
- For plant butter, I use Earth Balance and Country Crock brands.
- For chocolate chips: Trader Joe's has delicious dairy-free chocolate chips. I also often use Wegman's brand for vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free. There are other brands too, check labels.
- For gluten-free, swap King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free flour.
- For vegan, swap 4 flax eggs for the regular eggs. 1 flax egg is 7 g of ground flaxseeds mixed with 45 g of water. For 4 flax eggs, mix together 28 g of ground flaxseeds with 180 g water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before using.
