Ohhh, Chess Bars 😍—that rich, gooey, Southern church-potluck classic. Here’s the real deal.
Southern Chess Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9×13 pan.
- Make the crust:
Mix cake mix, melted butter, and egg until thick.
Press evenly into the bottom of the pan. - Make the filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla, melted butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until creamy. - Pour filling over the crust and spread evenly.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until edges are set and center is slightly gooey.
- Cool completely before cutting (hard part, I know).
Pro Tips (Southern Auntie Energy)
- Center should jiggle slightly—that’s the magic.
- For clean cuts, chill for 1 hour before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy.
Fun Variations
- Lemon Chess Bars: add 2 tbsp lemon juice + zest
- Pecan Chess Bars: sprinkle chopped pecans on top
- Chocolate Chess Bars: use chocolate cake mix
If you want the from-scratch, no cake-mix version or a small-batch 8×8, I got you 😌
