“Ooey Gooey Bars” is a classic dessert that lives up to its name. They are incredibly easy to make and feature a crisp crust with a soft, rich, and yes—ooey and gooey—topping.
The most famous version is often made with a cake mix base. Here’s that classic recipe, along with variations.
Classic Ooey Gooey Bars (Cake Mix Version)
This is the quintessential potluck and party dessert that people go crazy for.
Yields: 24 bars
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40-50 minutes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
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1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
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1 large egg
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the Gooey Filling:
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1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
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2 large eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
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Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
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Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine the dry cake mix, 1 egg, and ½ cup melted butter. Stir until a soft dough forms. It will be thick. Press this dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
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Make the Gooey Filling: In a large bowl (using a hand mixer or stand mixer is easiest), beat the softened cream cheese until it’s smooth and lump-free. Add the 2 eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until just combined.
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Incorporate Sugar and Butter: Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until it’s fully incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Finally, pour in the ½ cup of melted butter and mix until the filling is smooth and uniform.
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Assemble and Bake: Pour the gooey filling over the crust in the pan and spread it evenly to the edges.
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Bake: Bake for 40-50 minutes. The bars are done when the edges are light golden brown and the center is still slightly jiggly. This is the key to a gooey texture!
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Cool Completely: Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate them for another hour before slicing into squares.
From-Scratch Ooey Gooey Bars
If you don’t have a cake mix, this version is just as delicious.
Crust Ingredients:
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1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
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⅓ cup granulated sugar
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½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
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1 large egg yolk
Filling Ingredients: (Same as above)
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1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
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2 large eggs
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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4 cups powdered sugar
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½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
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Make the Crust: In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg yolk until a crumbly dough forms. Press firmly into the prepared pan.
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Make the Filling & Bake: Follow the exact same steps for the filling as the cake mix version (steps 3-7).
Chef’s Notes & Flavor Variations:
The beauty of this recipe is its versatility! Start with the base recipe and try one of these popular twists:
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Chocolate Lovers: Use a chocolate cake mix for the crust. You can also add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the filling.
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Peanut Butter: Use a chocolate or yellow cake mix. Add ½ cup of creamy peanut butter to the filling along with the cream cheese.
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Pumpkin Spice: Use a spice cake mix. Replace one of the eggs in the filling with ½ cup of canned pumpkin puree and add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
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Lemon: Use a lemon cake mix. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.
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Cookies & Cream: Use a chocolate or vanilla cake mix. Crush 15 Oreo cookies and fold them into the filling.
Pro Tip: Do NOT overbake! The jiggly center is what gives you that perfect, gooey texture once the bars have cooled.
Enjoy these decadent, irresistible treats