S'mores Bars (vegan)

S'mores - a perfect, toasty combination of three lovely flavors and textures. The chocolate, the graham cracker, and the marshmallow. But no gelatin around here! Vegan marshmallows are great, but you may not always see them at your local grocery store. (I use these by the way.) So here is a longer lasting, less messy (try my s'mores truffles for a nonvegan snack) s'mores inspired vegan dessert.

Let's review the layers:

1) A thick, chewy cinnamon graham cracker cookie base
2) Fudgey chocolate ganache center
3) Fluffy white frosting top

The cookie base definitely brings a strong graham cracker feel. Honey graham crackers are not preferred by most vegans, but lots of cinnamon graham crackers are plant based. I decided to use that theme! 2 cups of crushed cinnamon graham crackers plus a dash of cinnamon both go into this layer, creating the perfect color and taste.

I used Nabisco cinnamon graham crackers, though there are other brands with vegan ones as well.

Next is the chocolate - super important! I decided to make a ganache :) It wouldn't crack like hardened chocolate, but it would stand out from the cookie base, unlike a brownie or cake layer would. I haven't made ganache many times at all, much less vegan ganache. I did some searching on Pinterest and used this recipe. Instead of heavy cream, we're using coconut cream. It's the thick stuff that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk. Super cool! And with this recipe, I couldn't even taste the coconut - not one bit! And the chocolate I used wasn't even too strong (70%). Chocolate chips or bars work🍫

The "marshmallow" layer was a real struggle! I'm not experienced with homemade meringue frosting, especially vegan versions which may be 75% butter, so that didn't go too well. I've never toasted marshmallows with a tool in the kitchen, and vegan marshmallows are not in high demand. In the end, I went with store bought fluffy white frosting. (I used Duncan Hines, and I think Pillsbury is vegan too.) It's one of those "accidentally vegan" products. The fluffy white one is more melted-marshmallow-like, where as the vanilla is so sweet, it tastes like a headache and a half. So one can of fluffy white frosting, and the final layer is completed easily.

I've never seen vegan mini marshmallows, but how cool would that be?! They'd make the greatest topper. Chocolate chips or graham cracker crumbs would be amaaazing!!

So cute and fun!⛺ See you all super soon..Stay humble, creative, and kind!❤

Vegan S'mores Bars

Makes about 18 bars

Ingredients

For graham cracker layer:

• 3/4 cup of softened vegan butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce (can be plain or cinnamon)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups crushed vegan cinnamon graham crackers
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

For chocolate layer:

• 1 cup of coconut cream
• 10 oz vegan chocolate (chopped bar, chips, chunks, etc.)

For marshmallow layer:

• 1 can store bought fluffy white frosting (check ingredients)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. To make the cookie layer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until it's smooth and combined. Then beat in the applesauce completely.
3. Slowly beat in the graham cracker crumbs (easiest to crush in food processor) one cup at a time. The dough should then be darker and possibly chunkier due to the crumbs.
4. Gently beat in one cup of the flour, plus the baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Once combined, add the rest of the flour and beat the dough until it comes together.
5. Knead the dough into the bottom of a 8x12 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
6. To make the chocolate layer, heat the coconut cream in a saucepan on medium-low heat until it is warm and barely simmering. See recipe linked above for more detailed instructions.
7. Take the cream off of the stove and add it to the chocolate, letting it sit for two minutes. Then, stir until smooth and creamy.
8. After the ganache has cooled down, pour it on top of the cooled cookie layer, smoothing it out evenly to the edges. Once it is assembled, let the layers harden or chill in the fridge.
9. To add the marshmallow layer, add the can of fluffy white frosting to the top of the cooled ganache and smooth it out evenly with a spatula. Feel free to add any garnish to the top of the frosting. 
10. Slice into rows and columns and enjoy!😋