Gooey Bars (aka Cream Cheese Bars)

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Gooey Bars (aka Cream Cheese Bars)

I have no idea what these bars should actually be called or where this recipe really came from… It’s likely to have come on the back of a cream cheese box for all I know. (Actually, Google helped me to find this recipe which is the same). This is another recipe that my family loves. My sisters practically know this recipe by heart. Similar to the “best dang thing ever bars”, my sisters also prefer to underbake these bars, hence the name gooey bars. I tend to like my bars fully cooked so they hold their shape better. If you prefer an even gooier texture, take these out of the oven a couple minutes early.

I know some of you will shudder at the thought of using a box cake mix. I agree that in general, I would much rather make a cake/cookie/brownie from scratch. For starters, it’s a lot more fun as a baker to measure everything out and follow a recipe that has more than two steps. Not to mention knowing exactly what is in your food (and being able to pronounce it all!) I do however believe that boxed cake mix has a time and a place. One of those places being in this bar.

These bars taste almost like a cheesecake with a great chewy shortbread crust. Everyone that tried one really enjoyed them and Hubby ate an embarassingly large number of these bars.

Gooey Bars

Yield: 30

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
1 8-oz package cream cheese

Directions:

Mix cake mix, margarine & 1 egg with fork. Press into bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan, set aside.

Beat powdered sugar, cream cheese and 2 eggs for 4 or 5 minutes. Pour over cake mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Recipe from my step mom

Don’t forget – I’m offering a chance to win a cute tote if you donate $5 or more to my Avon Walk by the end of January. See details here.

Bars and Brownies, Dessert, Family Favorites

27 comments »

11 Responses to “Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Bars”

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1

stephchows — October 27, 2009 at 2:26 pm

mmm they look so super moist!
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2

Cupcake Activist — October 27, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Yum! Those look really good! I’ve never tried white chocolate with pumpkin.
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3

nutmegnanny — October 28, 2009 at 1:41 am

Wow white chocolate and pumpkin! What a delicious combination…yum!
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4

Erin — October 28, 2009 at 2:02 am

I made those last year, and MAN OH MAN aren’t they good!
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5

Sweet and Savory — October 28, 2009 at 4:01 am

I have in the oven, a chocolate-pumpkin streusel brownie. Now, I want to make this too.

You have great recipes. Thanks.
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6

The Novice Chef — October 28, 2009 at 4:03 am

These look delicious! And I totally do not blame you for having a couple before taking them to give away!
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7

bridget {bake at 350} — October 31, 2009 at 12:44 pm

I love that you ate 2 while you were cutting them! 🙂 That sounds familiar!

They look wonderful!
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8

Tessa — October 31, 2009 at 5:33 pm

These are the same bars I made, but I added cinnamon chips per recommendation from Maria at Two Peas in their Pod. They were great! Glad to see they turned out well for you too!
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9

Ingrid — November 2, 2009 at 7:05 pm

I totally agree I’m not crazy about chocolate and pumpking together. Another great flavor with pumpkin (in my opinion) is gingerbread.

I’m definitely adding this to my list of pumpkin recipes that will be baked from here until the kiddos say no more! 🙂
~ingrid
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10

Jade — November 3, 2009 at 10:13 pm

I love making bars. These look amazing. I will definety try these soon!
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11

Jessica — October 29, 2010 at 1:21 pm

I made these last night to take tailgating at a college football game tonight and they are SO yummy! I used semisweet chips instead of white chocolate, but I bet they’d be good either way! I’m Really glad you warned that the mixture might look like it curdled after adding in the pumpkin, because I think it would have freaked me out and I would have thought I did something wrong!