Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (2024)

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This chess bars recipe is one of the easiest and best desserts out there! Sometimes referred to as chess cake or gooey butter cake, these bars use cream cheese and yellow cake mix for a delicious dessert that's requested year-round!

Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (1)

Does everyone have a favorite dessert from when they were growing up? I think this might be mine. Chess bars (also referred to as chess squares or gooey butter cake).

We've been eating these for years, ever since I was little, and this is a tried and true family recipe. Whenever I mention to my mom how much I love them, she'd say that they were so easy, she should make them more often.

And do you know what? They ARE so easy.

What are chess bars?

These chess bars have a layer of cake-likeness on the bottom and a layer of gooey cream cheese + powdered sugar on the top. I just love how the top tends to get all crackly too.

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix - this recipe has been tested with both 15.25 oz mixes and 13.25 oz. No adjustments are needed for a smaller size, the recipe still works great.
  • 1 stick butter (softened) - 4oz
  • 4 eggs
  • Cream cheese (softened)
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract

Recipe tips

  • I'd recommend letting the chess bars completely cool before cutting. You'll get much better results that way. And they are easier to cut. It's hard to resist eating them right away, but trust me.
  • I typically cook my chess bars in a parchment-lined pan so I can easily take them out and cut them, but you can also just make them in a cake pan with no parchment and then cut them in the pan. Either works!
  • I use my Kitchen-Aid Mixer to make these chess bars, because it makes it so easy, but a simple hand mixer like this works well too!

Do chess bars need to be refrigerated?

Yes! At least, I do. Most things that have cream cheese do better with refrigeration and it keeps them fresh.

If I'm serving for a gathering, they are fine if you have them out for a few hours. I do try to put them out at least 30 minutes before serving, just so they get that bit of gooeyness back.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Use wax paper in between each layer of chess bars so that they don't stick to one another.

Can you make other flavors?

Absolutely! I've made a pumpkin version of these before and they were delicious.

An easy way to mix it up is to use something other than yellow cake mix in the base. You can try strawberry, lemon, whatever you want. I can't guarantee they will come out perfectly since I've never tested it out, but it SEEMS like it should work!

If you like this recipe, you'll love these

  • Gooey confetti cake bars
  • No bake lemonade pie
  • Easy pecan banana bread
  • Dutch apple pie with crumb topping
  • Pineapple cherry dump cake

How to make the chess squares

Making the chess bars, or squares, is so easy!

First, make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened. Then you can get started!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cutting of the chess bars.

In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), mix together 1 egg, the softened stick of butter, and the cake mix. Mix until blended and combined.

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Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (4)

Take this mixture and pat down into a 9x13 pan.

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Wash and dry your mixing bowl, then add the cream cheese, 3 eggs, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the bowl. Then mix that until combined and pour over the cake mixture.

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Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, then turn down the oven to 325 and bake for another 45-50 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares!

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator with wax paper in between each layer.

Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (10)

Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (11)

Chess Bars

These chess bars (or chess squares) are an easy and sweet dessert using cream cheese and yellow cake mix.

4.87 from 72 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 28 bars

Calories 197 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 stick butter softened 4 oz
  • 1 egg for base
  • 3 eggs for topping
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 16 oz powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Take the cake mix, 1 egg, and softened stick of butter and mix together.

  • Pat down into a 9x13 pan.

  • Mix together remaining eggs, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and pour over cake.

  • Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

  • Reduce heat to 325 and bake for 45-50 minutes.

  • This cake will sink in the middle after it cools.

  • Let cool completely before cutting. Cut into squares and place any remaining bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container (between layers of wax or parchment paper).

Notes

This recipe has been tested with both 15.25 oz mixes and 13.25 oz. No adjustments are needed for a smaller size, the recipe still works great.

Some tips when making the chess bars recipe:

  • I'd recommend letting the chess bars completely cool before cutting. You'll get much better results that way. And they are easier to cut. It's hard to resist eating them right away, but trust me.
  • I cook mine in a parchment-lined pan so I can easily take them out and cut them, but you can also just make them in a cake pan with no parchment and then cut them in the pan. Either works!

Do chess bars need to be refrigerated? Yes! At least, I do. Most things that have cream cheese do better with refrigeration and it keeps them fresh. If I'm serving for a gathering, they are fine if you have them out for a few hours. I do try to put them out at least 30 minutes before serving, just so they get that bit of gooeyness back.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 244IUCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg

If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.

Tried this recipe?Tag @foodbanjo on Instagram and share your photos!

Gooey Chess Bars - Easy Family Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is another name for ooey gooey butter cake? ›

The cream cheese variant of the gooey butter cake recipe (also known as "Ooey Gooey butter cake", occasionally "chess cake"), while close enough to the original, is an approximation designed for easier preparation at home.

Why are they called chess bars? ›

Compared to other custard-based pastries, the chess pie holds up relatively well at room temperature. Often, it was stored in something called a "pie chest." The word "chest," some say, eventually became "chess." Southern gentlemen liked to enjoy the dessert after dinner while they played chess.

What is Queen Elizabeth cake made of? ›

Queen Elizabeth cake is a dessert cake prepared with sugar, flour, dates, eggs, and butter, and topped with a sugary icing infused with shredded coconut. The cake is named after Elizabeth II. It is a popular cake in Canada. The coconut topping is prepared by broiling or grilling.

How did chess cake get its name? ›

During a time when pecans and other nuts were hard to come by, she made a sugar pie, combining eggs, sugar, flour or cornmeal, butter, and spices or citrus to cut the sweetness. Asked what kind of pie she had made, the woman replied, “Oh it's jes' pie.” And so, supposedly, the name “Chess Pie” was coined.

Who invented Ooey Gooey? ›

Miller and Colman Andrews, believe it was the accidental creation of Johnny Hoffman, a baker at St. Louis Pastries Bakery, in the 1940s. Gooey butter cake traditionally starts with a yeasted crust, which gets filled with a mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla.

Why is gooey butter cake so good? ›

Regardless, the bottom layer more closely resembles the inside of a traditional cake than it does crust, and the top has a creamy, almost pudding-like texture, traditionally achieved with corn syrup, butter and eggs, and sometimes – in more modern versions – amped up with cream cheese.

Does ooey gooey cake need to be refrigerated? ›

To store: Store gooey butter cake covered, at room temperature, for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To freeze: Allow the cake to cool to room temperature and then decide on a freezing method. I like to cut gooey butter cake into smaller bars and place them in a gallon freezer ziplock bag.

What is chiffon pie filling made of? ›

The filling is typically produced by folding meringue into a mixture resembling fruit curd (most commonly lemon) that has been thickened with unflavored gelatin to provide a light, airy texture; it is thus distinguished from a cream pie or mousse pie, which achieve lightness by folding in whipped cream rather than ...

Are chess pie and buttermilk pie the same? ›

Both pies are very similar but have a few distinct differences. Like a chess pie, buttermilk pie starts with the same main components of butter, sugar, and eggs. But instead of milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), it uses straight buttermilk to give it a tart lusciousness.

Are egg pie and chess pie the same? ›

There are many theories but nothing definitive about how the term chess came to be associated with pie. Egg custard pie, chess pie and buttermilk pie all are variations on the same basic recipe: Eggs, sugar and milk with a little bit of flour for thickening.

What is a genoise cake What is it made of? ›

Genoise is a light and fluffy sponge cake, named after the city of Genoa, Italy. It's known for its delicate, foam-like texture and is often used as a base for various bakes, including madeleines and ladyfingers. It's made with eggs, sugar, flour and butter.

What is chess pie made of? ›

Classic chess pie pairs a traditional butter pie crust with a sweet, custardy filling made with sugar, butter, and eggs. Flour and cornmeal thicken the filling and vanilla enhances the creamy custard. And did we mention that the unlikely secret ingredient of this sweet and gooey pie is vinegar?

What is chess flavor? ›

What does a chess pie taste like? Chess pie is a decadent combination of butter, sugar, eggs, and milk—and tastes as sweet and custardy as you can imagine! Cornmeal gives the filling a little bit of texture and all of the sugar in the pie bakes to a crispy, caramelized layer on top.

Is chess made out of milk? ›

Chess pie is a dessert with a filling composed mainly of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and sometimes milk, characteristic of Southern United States cuisine.

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