Ahhh, Chess Bars 😍—that rich, buttery Southern classic with the gooey top and cake-like base. Simple ingredients, big payoff.
🟨 Classic Chess Bars
⏱ Time
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Bake: 35–40 minutes
- Serves: 12–16 bars
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 large egg
Top Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3¾ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Instructions
1️⃣ Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking pan
2️⃣ Make the crust
- Mix cake mix, melted butter, and egg
- Press evenly into the bottom of the pan
3️⃣ Make the filling
- Beat cream cheese until smooth
- Add eggs and vanilla
- Mix in powdered sugar
- Slowly beat in melted butter until creamy
4️⃣ Bake
- Pour filling over crust
- Bake 35–40 minutes
- Center should be slightly jiggly—do NOT overbake
5️⃣ Cool & serve
- Cool completely before cutting
- Bars firm up as they cool
🌟 Pro Tips
✔ Gooey center = perfection
✔ Chill before cutting for clean slices
✔ Dust with powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy
🔄 Variations
- Lemon Chess Bars: Use lemon cake mix + add lemon zest
- Chocolate Chess Bars: Chocolate cake mix + chocolate chips
- Pumpkin Chess Bars: Add ½ cup pumpkin + spices to filling
These are dangerously easy and wildly addictive—the kind of dessert that disappears at potlucks.
If you want, I can share:
- A from-scratch chess bar version
- A small-batch recipe
- A no-mixer version
- Or how to store/freeze them perfectly
Just say the word 😄
