These gooey butter bars are a crowd-pleaser and are perfect for any occasion. Consider them for potlucks, as they are a perennial favorite, or serve them cut into small pieces for holiday parties. They require minimal effort, are irresistible, and pair well on a dessert sampler tray.
Easy Dessert
If you are looking for a delicious dessert that’s easy to make, you’re in for a treat. Gooey Butter Bars, also known as Ooey Gooey Bars or Gooey Butter Cake, are a layered bar recipe made with a cake mix and cream cheese —the perfect combination of sweet, creamy, and satisfying. The crust consists of cake mix, butter, and eggs, forming the bottom layer. The top layer has a creamy, ooey-gooey texture reminiscent of fudge brownies.
Perfect Bars for Entertaining
These bars are perfect for gatherings when you are short on time or need an impressive but uncomplicated dessert. The key is to cut them neatly and serve them beautifully. To make cutting easy, line your pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the sides. This will let you lift the bars out of the pan and move them to a cutting board for slicing. When serving as a main dessert, cut the bars into larger sizes. If you are taking them to a gathering, such as a potluck or a party with other desserts, cut them into smaller bites. This will allow them to serve more people when there are several guests.
Presentation Matters
Present desserts bakery-style. In other words, make your dessert stand out when competing with others at a party or potluck. Why? There is nothing more disheartening than spending your time preparing a delicious dessert, only for it to go untouched. Unless everyone knows and anticipates your desserts, you may have to draw their attention to entice them to try them.
Foods generally looked stunning and appetizing when served in white or clear dishes. Place your bars on a plain or decorative white platter or a pedestal platter. For easy transport, use a melamine pedestal platter or a white tray that won’t break. Arrange them artfully and add some garnish to highlight your dessert. For example, I added some dill stems for these photographs. The dill shape is intriguing and adds visual interest. Now imagine your bars placed on a pedestal platter, artfully arranged, and garnished with edible pansy blossoms. Visual appeal can make all the difference in enticing guests to sample your treats.
Ingredients for Gooey Butter Bars
This dessert requires no unusual ingredients; instead, it relies on a handful of everyday pantry items.
Cake Mix: Use a packaged white or yellow cake mix.
Butter: Binds and flavors the bottom crust layer.
Eggs: Help bind and leaven the bottom crust and top filling layer.
Cream Cheese: Provides a creamy texture to the top layer.
Vanilla: Adds flavor to the cream cheese.
Almond Extract: Adds subtle flavor to the bars.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens the top layer and dissolves more easily than granulated sugar, ensuring the cream cheese is smooth rather than grainy.
Steps for Making Gooey Butter Bars
Bake the bars in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Follow these steps to make the bottom layer or crust.
Prepare the Filling
The easiest way to remove all the lumps from the cream cheese is to use a mixer. However, if the cream cheese is room temperature and soft, it can be stirred with a spatula until smooth.
Serving and Storing Gooey Butter Bars
Bake the dessert until the top is lightly browned and the center is still jiggly. Cool the bars before cutting and serving them. Although they taste fantastic warm, the richness can be a little overwhelming, so give them time to cool. And as a bonus, these bars taste even better the next day.
Store them in the refrigerator, then set them out for 30-45 minutes before you plan to store them so they are room temperature. For longer-term storage, freeze them in an airtight container with a sheet of waxed or parchment paper between each layer.
Other Bar Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Bars
Delectable Gooey Butter Bars
Equipment
- (1) 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 package of white cake mix–approximately 15 ounces (may substitute yellow mix)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- cooking spray
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1 block)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Pour the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add it to the mix.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl and then pour it into the cake mixture. Stir until combined. Use your hands, if necessary, to blend.
- Pat the crust mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Filling
- Place the cream cheese into a large mixing bowl. If it is soft enough, stir it with a spatula until creamy. If it is too stiff to stir by hand, beat it with a mixer until smooth.
- Beat the eggs and add them. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir or beat until smooth. Add the sugar and stir until well combined. Spoon the filling over the crust and spread it out until the crust is completely covered.
- Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. The center should be jiggly when it comes out of the oven.
- Cool completely and then cut into 16 bars. Store in the refrigerator.