The iconic combination of toasted marshmallows, melting chocolate, and crunchy graham crackers is a nostalgic flavor profile that never goes out of style. However, setting up a campfire just to satisfy a sweet tooth isn’t always practical. Enter the brilliant solution: S’mores Rolls.
These rolls take everything you love about a classic cinnamon roll the soft, pillowy yeast dough and the gooey, spiraled center and give it a spectacular summertime makeover. Instead of cinnamon and sugar, the dough is slathered with softened butter, a generous dusting of crushed graham crackers, a layer of rich chocolate chips, and a thick ribbon of marshmallow fluff. Baked until golden brown and topped with a sticky marshmallow glaze, these rolls are an absolute showstopper.
They are the perfect weekend baking project for a cozy morning or a fun dessert to share at a summer gathering. Serve them alongside a refreshing, colorful Blueberry Pretzel Salad or some elegant Rhubarb Cheesecake Creams to create a dessert spread your friends and family will never forget!
Why These Sweet Rolls Are a Baking Masterpiece
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No Campfire Needed: You get all the smoky, sweet, chocolatey flavors of a traditional s’more right from your oven, completely weather independent.
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The Perfect Dough: The homemade yeast dough is enriched with milk and butter, resulting in an incredibly soft, bakery style texture that melts in your mouth.
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Double Marshmallow Goodness: Utilizing marshmallow fluff inside the rolls and in the glaze ensures that the signature sticky sweet marshmallow flavor isn’t lost during the baking process.
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Stunning Presentation: The dark chocolate spirals against the golden dough and white glaze look incredibly impressive, making them perfect for holiday brunches and parties.
The Essential Ingredients
To build these bakery style sweet rolls, you will need ingredients for the enriched dough, the s’mores filling, and the sticky glaze.
For the Soft Yeast Dough:
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Warm Milk (1 cup): Whole milk works best. It must be warm (about 110°F), but not hot, or it will kill the yeast!
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Active Dry Yeast (1 packet / 2 ¼ tsp): The leavening agent that makes the rolls rise.
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Granulated Sugar (¼ cup): Feeds the yeast and sweetens the dough.
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Unsalted Butter (¼ cup): Melted and slightly cooled.
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Egg (1 large): At room temperature, to provide structure and richness.
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All Purpose Flour (3 ½ to 4 cups): You can also use bread flour for a slightly chewier roll.
For the S’mores Filling:
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Unsalted Butter (¼ cup): Softened to room temperature so it spreads easily over the dough.
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Graham Cracker Crumbs (1 cup): About 7 or 8 full sheets, crushed. This replaces the traditional cinnamon sugar mixture!
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Brown Sugar (½ cup): Adds a hint of caramel sweetness to the graham crackers.
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Mini Chocolate Chips (1 cup): Mini chips are highly recommended because they roll up into the dough much easier than standard sized chips.
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Marshmallow Fluff (1 cup): Fluff is superior to mini marshmallows inside the rolls, as actual marshmallows tend to melt away completely and disappear into the dough when baked.
For the Marshmallow Glaze:
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Powdered Sugar (1 cup) & Milk (2 tbsp): The base of the icing.
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Marshmallow Fluff (½ cup) & Vanilla Extract (1 tsp): To give the glaze that authentic s’mores flavor!
Looking for a savory, hearty dinner to balance out your sweet baking project? This easy BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe or an Easy 5-Ingredient Casserole Recipe are fantastic, low effort options!
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Activate the Yeast In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly.
2. Knead the Dough Add the remaining granulated sugar, the melted butter, the egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Gradually add 3 ½ cups of flour, mixing with a dough hook until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. (Add up to ½ cup more flour if the dough is overly sticky).
3. The First Rise Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a warm, damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
While your dough is rising, you can mix up a fun, tropical Amaretto Island Punch Recipe to enjoy!
4. Roll and Fill Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread the ¼ cup of softened butter evenly across the dough, leaving a small ½ inch border around the edges.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Next, drop dollops of the marshmallow fluff over the crumbs (it helps to spray your spoon or spatula with non stick spray!), and sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top.
5. Roll, Cut, and the Second Rise Starting from the long end, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Cut the log into 12 even slices. Place the slices into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for another 30 to 45 minutes until puffed up and touching each other.
6. Bake and Glaze Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top and the chocolate is melted.
While they are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle the glaze generously over the rolls while they are still warm so it melts slightly into the spirals. Serve immediately!
Decadent S'mores Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warm (about 110°F)
- 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened for filling
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff for filling
- 1 cup powdered sugar for glaze
- 2 tbsp milk for glaze
- ½ cup marshmallow fluff for glaze
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for glaze
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Add remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, and salt. Gradually mix in flour until the dough pulls away from the sides. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch down dough and roll into a 12x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface.
- Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a small border. Sprinkle with brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Add dollops of marshmallow fluff and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Roll dough tightly into a log and cut into 12 slices. Place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes until puffy.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Drizzle glaze over warm rolls and serve immediately.
Notes
Pairing Ideas for Summer Parties
These rolls are a phenomenal addition to any summer spread. If you are hosting a 4th of July party or a neighborhood barbecue, consider serving them alongside other vibrant, fruity desserts like this Red, White & Blue Mixed Berry No-Bake Dessert or a cooling No-Bake Berry Lasagna Layered Dessert.
And if you want to keep the Southern comfort food theme going, you can never go wrong with a classic, warm Southern Banana Cobbler!
Storage and Reheating Tips
To Store: These S’mores Rolls are at their absolute best when eaten warm on the day they are baked. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To Reheat: The dough will naturally firm up as it cools. To restore that fresh from the oven softness and melt the chocolate centers, place a roll on a microwave safe plate and heat it for 15 to 20 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I make these S’mores Rolls ahead of time? Yes! You can utilize an overnight rise method. Once you have cut the rolls and placed them into the baking dish (Step 5), cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, take the dish out and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours to complete the second rise before baking.
Why did my marshmallows disappear in the oven? If you opted to use standard mini marshmallows instead of marshmallow fluff for the filling, they tend to melt completely into the dough due to the high heat of the oven, leaving empty, sticky pockets. Marshmallow fluff retains its texture much better!
Can I use store bought dough to save time? If you want to skip the yeast and rising times, you can substitute the homemade dough with two tubes of store bought crescent roll dough or refrigerated pizza dough. Pinch the seams together to form a rectangle, add your fillings, roll, and bake according to the dough’s package instructions.