Brown Butter Ooey Gooey Bars Recipe Using Cake Mix

top down view of ooey gooey bars sprinkled with powdered sugar piled on plate

5 from 1 vote

Brown Butter Ooey Gooey Bars Recipe Using Cake Mix

These Brown Butter Ooey Gooey Bars are rich, buttery dessert bars with a crisp golden crust and an irresistibly soft, gooey cream cheese layer. The brown butter adds a deep, nutty flavor that takes this classic treat to a whole new level of indulgence.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Cooling Time1

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert, treat

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: bars

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Sarah Jenkins

Ingredients

For the Crust:

½ cup salted butter browned
15.25 oz yellow cake mix
1 egg

For the Filling:

½ cup salted butter browned
8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Brown the butter. In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the full cup of butter. Stir constantly until golden brown and nutty-smelling (4–5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Make the crust. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment or foil. In a medium bowl, mix cake mix, 1 egg, and ½ cup of the browned butter. Press this mixture firmly into the pan to form the bottom layer/crust.
Make the filling. In a large bowl, beat the 8 oz of cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining ½ cup of browned butter and mix. Beat in the remaining 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Slowly add the 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. (Note - it's a good idea to sift the powdered sugar before adding it if you don't want any clumps!)
Assemble & bake. Pour the filling over the crust and spread it in an even layer. Bake the ooey gooey bars for 40–45 minutes until golden on top but slightly jiggly in the middle. Cool completely before slicing into bars. (This may take up to 1 hour!) Sprinkle with extra powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Watch the butter carefully as it browns - don't let it burn. Remove it from heat as soon as it turns a nice golden brown and has a nutty aroma.
If using unsalted butter, add a pinch (about ¼ tsp) of salt to the filling mixture.
Using parchment paper allows you to easily lift the full batch of ooey gooey bars out of the pan prior to slicing. This helps them to cool a bit faster (yay!) and also makes it much easier to slice on a cutting board.
Allow the bars to cool completely. You can speed this up a bit by allowing the ooey gooey bars to cool on the counter for about 20 minutes, then placing them in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes or so.
Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

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