Ooey Gooey Bars

These Ooey Gooey Butter Bars are a spin on a classic gooey butter cake! I’ve added lots of white chocolate chips that make these bars rich, soft, creamy, and extra buttery.

Sweet Ooey Gooey Butter Bars

Did the name of this recipe grab you? I feel like if you put “butter” in the title, it’s definitely click-bait material. So, whether you’re here for the eye candy, or are truly looking for a melt-in-your-mouth dessert recipe, I’d like to welcome you.

These Ooey Gooey Butter Bars are sweet, chewy, and, well, gooey – in the best way! The recipe starts with a basic cake mix, an egg, and some butter. On top of that, we’ll sprinkle a healthy dose of white chocolate chips, and then pour a filling made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. The result is dessert bars that are out-of-this-world delicious.

Ooey gooey bars are perfect for a midday sweet treat, a birthday party, a dinner party, you name it. You can serve them anywhere because they’re always a hit!

(If you’re looking for more buttery dessert bars, try these salted caramel butter bars, these cranberry pistachio bliss bars, or these pecan pie bars.)

Why You’ll Love These Ooey Gooey Bars

As far as dessert bars go, these ooey gooey butter bars are definitely up there with my all-time favorites! Here’s why they’re so great:

• Sweet and buttery. The bottom of this treat is tender and buttery (like moist cake), while the top is wonderfully soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. You simply have to try them to see how good they are!
• Super easy. These bars are made with just 7 ingredients – they’re a major win when it comes to entertaining because you can whip them up in 45 minutes and then focus on the other parts of your menu!
• Freezer-friendly. Eat a few of these ooey gooey bars today, and then freeze some for later. They’ll be just as good then, too!

What Are Ooey Gooey Butter Bars?

Ooey gooey butter bars are a fun twist on gooey butter cake, which is a dessert that was created in St. Louis, MO. Gooey butter cake has a few different variations. I’ve had it in multiple states and it’s different each time. Usually, though, it is made as a relatively dense cake, with butter, sugar, and eggs, and it is dusted with powdered sugar before serving.

The base recipe for this dessert bar version, however, has been around for years, and it’s the one that my mom made when I was growing up, except she always added white chocolate chips. So, that’s what we’re doing here today!

Recipe Ingredients

The ingredient list is simple and straightforward. You might even have all of the items needed in your kitchen right now! To see the exact ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.

• Butter: You can use salted butter or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer.
• Cake Mix: I use a yellow cake mix, but if you have a white mix or french vanilla those will work too!
• Eggs: You’ll need these for both the cake layer and the filling layer.
• White Chocolate Chips: These are technically optional, but I love the extra buttery sweetness they add.
• Cream Cheese: Full fat cream cheese is best for this recipe.
• Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar before you get started to get rid of any lumps.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract offers the best and boldest flavor.

How to Make Ooey Gooey Bars

Ooey gooey bars come together with about 15 minutes of prep work. Here’s how it’s done (full directions can be found in the recipe card below):

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 9×13- inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Make the cake layer. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and cake mix until combined, yet crumbly. Add in the egg and mix on medium for a minute. The batter will be stiff at the end.
• Add the white chocolate. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly over the batter.
• Make the filling. In the same mixing bowl, still fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar for a minute, or until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Pour this evenly over the white chocolate chips and spread it to the edges of pan.
• Bake the bars. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is set. Then remove the pan from the oven and dust the top of the bars with powdered sugar. Let them cool completely in the pan before cutting them into squares. Serve with ice cream, fresh fruit, or as-is, and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Easy peasy! Here are a few more tips that will help you get the best ooey gooey butter bars possible:

• Let the bars cool. If you try to cut them immediately, they will likely fall apart. Give the filling a little time to set and then go ahead and cut them into squares.
• Let the eggs and butter come to room temperature. They will incorporate better with the other ingredients when they are room temperature rather than cold.
• Don’t over-bake the bars. It may be tempting to leave the bars in the oven since the top layer is so gooey, but you don’t want to burn the bottoms or over-bake the filling. If the bars are golden brown, they’re ready to come out!

Substitutions & Recipe Variations

These ooey gooey butter bars are actually pretty customizable! For example, you can leave the white chocolate out entirely OR replace it with other flavors of chips! Here are a few ideas:

• Chocolate Chips: These would be amazing… either semi-sweet or milk chocolate!
• Butterscotch Chips: If you are a butterscotch lover, these are a fun option!
• Chopped Up Mint Andes Chocolates: This could give you a buttermint-type flavor and I think I would love that! You could even use a chocolate cake mix in place of the vanilla!

How to Store

You can store these ooey gooey bars in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I highly suggest warming them up again in the microwave or in the oven to regain that gooey texture!

Can I Freeze Ooey Gooey Bars?

Absolutely!! These are a wonderful make ahead dessert. Here’s how:

• Bake the bars according to the recipe instructions, then allow them to cool completely. (Don’t dust the bars with powdered sugar. Wait until you are ready to cut and serve them to do that so they’re pretty! The powdered sugar dissolves a little when you freeze and thaw them, so waiting to do this step is best.)
• Tightly cover the tray with plastic wrap, and then cover it again with aluminum foil.
• Freeze for up to 30 days.
• When you’re ready to eat them, allow the bars to thaw in the refrigerator, which will take 4-5 hours. I don’t recommend thawing at room temperature due to the cream cheese in the filling.
• PRO TIP: If you plan on freezing them using a disposable aluminum baking tray, this works great!

More Ooey Gooey Cake & Cookie Recipes

Ready to make some more ooey gooey desserts? Try out these ones!

• Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
• Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Gooey Butter Bars
• German Butter Cake
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake
• Funfetti Gooey Butter Cookies

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