Ooey gooey Butter Cake Bars is such a dessert that’s a breeze to whip up!
It’s soft, fluffy, a little gooey, and has that perfect touch of crispiness. They’re sweet but not overwhelmingly so—basically, they’re the ideal treat.
At first glance, these bars might seem like simple little goodies, but once you take a bite, you’ll discover an incredible flavor that’s simply delicious. These bars are fantastic for bringing to potlucks, picnics, and parties.
And here’s the best part: this recipe can feed a crowd! So you’ll have plenty to share and enjoy. 🧈🍰😋
TO MAKE THESE OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE BARS, YOU WILL NEED
Cake mix – Yellow Cake Mix is the popular choice, but I’ve also used Butter Cake Mix and had great results! Want to change things up? Try a Lemon Cake Mix or Chocolate Cake Mix for fun variations!
Melted butter – I always use salted butter. Unsalted butter would work just as well, but you may want to add a pinch of salt to the cake batter.
Eggs – large eggs are great for this recipe. Also, always use eggs at room temperature – they bake better that way!
Cream cheese – regular cream cheese is the best choice here. I would not recommend substituting the low-fat version.
Vanilla extract – vanilla extract always amps up the flavor of any dish. Make homemade vanilla extract for an even better experience!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
HOW DO YOU MAKE OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE BARS?
For the bottom layer:
To kick things off, we don’t need to bake the first layer just yet, but it’s a good idea to preheat your oven. Then, grab a trusty baking dish and give it a light coat of non-stick cooking spray.
Now, for the crust, it’s time to have some fun. In a large bowl, combine the first three ingredients with a fork. Don’t worry if it’s a bit dry and clumpy that’s exactly what we want. Dump this concoction into the baking dish, spread it out, and press it down with your hands.
For the ooey gooey cream cheese layer:
This is where the magic happens. Start by mixing the softened cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla until they combined. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar while mixing. The result should be a silky-smooth cream cheese mixture.
Bake at 325° for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. It’ll be so light and flaky too… yum!!
Remove from the oven and let stand to cool, then enjoy your freshly made Butter Cake Bars!
RECIPE NOTES AND HELPFUL TIPS:
Wait for these to cool before cutting into squares/bars. Otherwise, they’ll tear easily.
Do not overcook the bars or you will not have the ooey gooey texture for the top layer. As soon as they’re golden brown, remove them from the oven!
Spray your pan with non-stick spray, or better yet, use a disposable pan for easy cleanup!
You can use butter cake mix or vanilla cake mix if you don’t have yellow cake mix on hand.
ESTIMATE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Yield: 12 | Serving size: 1 (approx. 1/12th of pan)
Calories: 328 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.5g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 14.7g | Cholesterol: 73.9mg | Sodium: 330.2mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A 106.2µg
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FQAs):
1. What are Butter Cake Bars?
Ooey gooey Butter Cake Bars are rich, sweet, two-layer bars that have a crust made from cake mix, butter, and eggs and are topped with a sweet cream cheese layer that is baked until it’s flakey, beautiful, and delicious!
2. Where did ooey gooey Butter Cake Bars originate from?
Gooey butter cake is believed to have been created in the 1930s in St. Louis, Missouri, and was primarily a local dish until Paula Deen made it famous. The original cake was from scratch and did not include any cream cheese.
3. Do these Butter Cake Bars need to be refrigerated?
While I almost always refrigerate these bars if we don’t eat them all the first day, this cake can safely be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. I
f you want to do this, be sure to store it in an airtight container OR cover the bars with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to help keep them from drying out.
Let’s Make These Butter Cake Bars !
And there you have it – these ooey gooey, melt-in-your-mouth Butter Cake Bars are ready to take their place on your table. If you decide to give it a shot, make sure to snap a photo and share it with us on Facebook and Pinterest.
Be sure to follow us for more yummy recipes in the future. Until next time, happy baking! 🧈🍰😋
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Bars
Print ThisIngredients
- >>>FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 box yellow cake mix, I use Pillsbury (18.25 ounce)
- 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- >>>FOR THE GOOEY FILLING:
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 box (16 or so oz.) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 eggs
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat an oven to 325°F.
Step 2: Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 3: For the crust, mix the first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl with a fork until mixed together as thoroughly as possible. The texture of the mixture will be, well, bizarre. Dry and clumpy.
Dump into a greased 9″x13″ pan, and press down with your hands. Cover the bottom and slightly up the sides of the dish.
Step 4: First, set aside about ¼ cup of the powdered sugar. Now, for the gooey filling, in a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla.
Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar while mixing (and I mean slowly, else you’ll end up with a huge cloud of powdered sugar all over your kitchen!) When you’re done mixing, the goo in the bowl should be nice and creamy.
Step 5: Pour the gooey stuff over the crust in the 9″x13″ dish. Bake at 325° for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. It’ll be so light and flaky too… yum!!
Step 6: Remove from the oven and let cool; the gooey stuff will appear all puffy, but will settle upon cooling. After about 10 minutes or so, sprinkle the remaining powdered sugar over the top.
Step 7: Cool completely before serving. Personally, I like these still a little warm, but my friends also like to chill and eat them cold. Either way – they’re plain deliciousness!!
