So you guys.
I have this book. It’s called Desserts In Jars. I have talked about it before a few times…
I love it.
It’s written by the sweet Shaina Olmanson who also happens to write the site Food For My Family, which is great!
Since it’s the holiday season and everyone is gifting sweet treats, there hasn’t been a more perfect time to get the Desserts in Jars and invest in some sweet jars (HERE are the ones I use for most recipes in the book).
While I was flipping through the pages of the book I came across the fun recipe for “Campfire Bars”…
While everyone else is giving cookie trays, I thought it would be fun to give a jar with all the ingredients for a sweet treat that my friends could make when they weren’t being inundated with already made treats.
So that’s what I did.
And while “Campfire Bars” sound all outdoorsy and camp-ish, I guarantee you they are not. You bake these inside your warm home with your oven. No campfire needed.
I mean, if you want to eat them BY a fire, well, that’s totally your choice…and I think a nice fire in the fireplace would work perfectly well!
So back to my bars.
All you ‘ll need is a 1 quart jar (like THESE)
Just layer your ingredients…
It’s totally easy.
Also, you can attach a cute label on the top of the jar, or on your ribbon with the directions.
Shaina has some already made labels for these HERE.
Giving this as a gift along with the Desserts in Jars book would make such a sweet hostess gift!
So I decided, just for quality control I needed to make the bars.
I’m a good friend like that.
And the thing about these bars is they couldn’t be simpler. All you have to add to your ingredients is melted butter.
Yep.
That’s it.
Spread it into your pan and bake. That’s it.
They come out like a sweet, crunchy bar/bark.
Sweet and sticky and totally addicting.
Print
Campfire Bars
Description
makes 1 jar mix, enough to make 16 bars prepared
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, chopped into 1 inch squares
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips (I used Hershey’s Baking Kisses
- 1/2 cup granola
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Instructions
- Layer all ingredients in a 1 quart jar in order they are listed. Seal with a lid.
- To make bars, mix all ingredients with a bowl with 8 tbsp of melted butter.
- Spread in an 8×8 baking pan and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
recipe adapted from Desserts in Jars
I have never made desserts in a jar, but I really want to make these. What a great gift idea! And so affordable!
I made these applesauce cakes in a jar once. They were very good and made cute gifts. You should try them. I am sure you can jack them up with some candy or something. My oldest has food allergies so we are sort of limited.
http://homegrownbeanes.blogspot.com/2011/08/applesauce-cake-in-jar.html
Around the holidays I like to give away jars filled with a homemade mix for gingerbread cookies. Tie a little gingerbread man cookie cutter to the jar and bam! Perfect little gift.
i actually did this for christmas gifts this year. i made chocolate dipped pretzels and put them in jars.
So a few years ago, my department had a “secret santa” gift exchange.
I drew my boss.
Scratch that: I drew my BOSS’ boss – the head of the entire department. Oh, and also: I had only been working there six months. No pressure or anything.
This was about 2007, before the Jar Craze hit the Internets. But I had remembered someone mentioning the idea of cookie mixes in jars, so I decided I would be all crafty-creativey and make THAT my gift.
Except I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I had no jars, so I think I cleaned out a pickle jar (or maybe it contained paint, I can’t remember) to the best of my ability and began layering ingredients.
Only I didn’t layer them right, so they sort of started to settle together.
Oh, and I decided to put this together in the half-hour before I was to present the gift.
And I couldn’t find the cute ribbon I SWORE I HAD IN THE CLOSET! SERIOUSLY WHERE DID IT GO?! so I think I ended up tying some brown twine around the jar. Oh, and you’ll remember the jar lid was CLEARLY a pickle jar or paint jar. But I didn’t have time to paint it. So I sort of taped some construction paper to the top.
And hoped that I could sneak out of the party early.
Your post makes me want to give it the ol’ college try again. Thanks!
I’d love to see something red velvet in a jar!
I have never made anything in a jar, though I might have to make these now. I love the idea of this!!!
I’ve made mousse in jars before!
Those bars look amazing. I might have to try them.
Several years ago we made cookies in a jar and my children gave them out as Christmas gifts. I have to say that it is one of the best Christmastime memories that we have, everyone enjoyed the gifts.