There is something universally nostalgic about the combination of toasted marshmallows, melting chocolate, and crunchy graham crackers. But what if you could enjoy those exact flavors without smelling like a campfire or fighting off mosquitoes? Enter your new baking obsession: Gooey S’mores Rolls.
Think of a classic, fluffy cinnamon roll, but completely reimagined for the ultimate sweet tooth. We swap the traditional cinnamon sugar filling for a generous layer of crushed graham crackers, rich chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallow fluff. Wrapped in a pillowy soft yeast dough and topped with a toasted marshmallow glaze, these rolls are an absolute showstopper.
They are the perfect weekend baking project. Imagine serving these warm, sticky rolls for dessert after a comforting family dinner of BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole or an Easy 5-Ingredient Casserole! Or, pair them with a frosty Amaretto Island Punch for a fun, indoor “glamping” party.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
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Nostalgic Flavors, Elevated: It takes the classic summer campfire treat and turns it into a gourmet, bakery style pastry.
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The Ultimate Comfort Food: Just like a warm, buttery Southern Banana Cobbler, these rolls are pure, unapologetic comfort food.
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Fun for the Whole Family: Kids love helping crush the graham crackers and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough!
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Holiday or Weekend Perfect: Need something spectacular for a holiday brunch? While others bring cool treats like a Blueberry Pretzel Salad or Rhubarb Cheesecake Creams, you will steal the show with a pan of these warm, gooey rolls.
Essential Ingredients
Creating the perfect sweet roll requires two components: a rich, soft dough and a decadent filling.
For the Sweet Dough:
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Whole Milk: 1 cup, warmed to about 110°F (45°C). This activates the yeast.
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Active Dry Yeast: 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) to give the rolls their fluffy lift.
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Granulated Sugar: ⅓ cup to feed the yeast and sweeten the dough.
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Butter: ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted.
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Egg: 1 large egg, at room temperature.
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All Purpose Flour: 3 ½ to 4 cups. (Bread flour also works wonderfully for a slightly chewier roll!)
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Salt: 1 teaspoon to balance the sweetness.
For the S’mores Filling:
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Butter: 4 tablespoons, very soft (but not completely melted), for spreading over the dough.
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Graham Crackers: 1 ½ cups of finely crushed graham cracker crumbs.
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Chocolate Chips: 1 cup of semi sweet or milk chocolate chips (or chopped Hershey bars for authenticity!).
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Marshmallow Fluff: ½ cup of marshmallow crème. (Fluff works better than whole marshmallows inside the rolls, as whole marshmallows tend to melt and disappear into the dough during baking).
For the Marshmallow Glaze:
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Marshmallow Fluff: ½ cup.
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Powdered Sugar: 1 cup.
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Milk: 2-3 tablespoons to thin the glaze.
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Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.
Prepping a summer party menu? Contrast these warm rolls with a cool, refreshing Red, White, and Blue Mixed Berry No-Bake Dessert or a beautiful No-Bake Berry Lasagna!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Activate the Yeast In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir gently and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is dead. Start over!)
Step 2: Make the Dough Add the remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, salt, and 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed using a dough hook. Gradually add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Step 3: First Rise Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 4: Roll and Fill Punch the dough down and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Dollop and gently spread the marshmallow fluff over the butter. Sprinkle generously with the graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips.
Step 5: Roll and Cut Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Using unflavored dental floss or a very sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 12 even slices. Place the rolls into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
Step 6: Second Rise Cover the baking dish and let the rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes until puffed up and touching each other.
Step 7: Bake Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Step 8: Glaze and Serve While the rolls cool slightly, whisk together the marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle generously over the warm rolls. Sprinkle with extra graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips if desired!
Gooey S'mores Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 110°F/45°C
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 packet
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter very soft (for filling)
- 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff for filling
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff for glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk for glaze
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for glaze
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix on low speed, gradually adding remaining flour until dough pulls away from the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over the surface, then spread marshmallow fluff. Sprinkle evenly with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips.
- Roll the dough tightly from the long side and cut into 12 slices. Place into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes until puffed. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Whisk together marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over warm rolls before serving.
Notes
Storage and Freezing Tips
To Store: Keep leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To Reheat: Yeast rolls harden slightly in the fridge. Microwave individual rolls for 15-20 seconds to make them soft, gooey, and fresh tasting again! To Freeze (Baked): You can freeze baked, unglazed rolls for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before glazing. To Freeze (Unbaked): After cutting the rolls and placing them in the pan (Step 5), cover tightly and freeze. When ready to bake, let them thaw and rise at room temperature for a few hours before baking.
FAQs
Why did my marshmallows disappear inside the rolls? If you use regular mini marshmallows inside the dough, they consist mostly of sugar and air. When baked at high temperatures, they melt completely into the dough and vanish! Using Marshmallow Fluff (crème) ensures you keep that gooey, sticky marshmallow texture inside the roll.
Can I use a shortcut dough? Yes! If you don’t have time to make a yeast dough from scratch, you can use two tubes of store bought refrigerated crescent roll dough or pizza dough. Pinch the seams together, roll it out, and proceed with the filling steps.
How can I make the topping look toasted like a real S’more? If you have a kitchen blowtorch, you can lightly torch the marshmallow glaze right before serving to give it that authentic, campfire charred flavor and appearance!