Description
These Chocolate Gooey Bars combine a rich strawberry cake mix base with melty white chocolate chips and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, creating a delightfully decadent dessert with a gooey center and a tender crumb. Perfectly baked to a golden edge with a soft, slightly jiggly center, these bars are an easy-to-make treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (very soft)
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box strawberry cake mix
- 1 large egg
Filling and Topping
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- About 8 ounces (60% of 14-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk (fat-free recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup and spray it lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl, beat the very soft unsalted butter using a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add Cake Mix and Egg: Add the strawberry cake mix and one large egg to the bowl. Beat on low speed until the mixture forms a tacky, thick dough, moving from pea-sized crumbles to a more cohesive dough.
- Form Base Layer: Spread between half and two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula or your (spray-coated) hands to form the base layer. Reserve the remaining dough.
- Add White Chocolate Chips: Evenly sprinkle the cup of white chocolate chips over the dough base layer.
- Drizzle Sweetened Condensed Milk: Drizzle about 60% of the sweetened condensed milk (approximately 8 ounces) evenly over the white chocolate chips.
- Add Remaining Dough: Drop the rest of the dough in approximately 1-inch pieces over the sweetened condensed milk, lightly pressing them down. It’s normal that the dough does not completely cover the surface.
- Bake: Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden brown and the center is mostly set but may still jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan.
- Cool: Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably overnight, until firm enough to cut into bars.
Notes
- Using foil to line the pan makes cleanup much easier and helps with lifting the bars out after baking.
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray makes handling sticky dough easier.
- The center may look slightly underbaked when you take the bars out, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Fat-free sweetened condensed milk can be used to reduce calories but traditional versions work well too.
- Storage: Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American