3-Ingredient Easy Cookie Bars from a Cake Mix
Use any cake mix to make cookie bars! Add mix-ins to the base recipe to make your own signature treat.
Boxed cake mix is a fantastic kitchen shortcut — it’s cheap, it’s flavorful, and it makes a fantastic base for lazy cookie bars. These bars are so darn easy to make, you’ll be signing up for the bake sale with a smile on your face.
I think the best part of these bars is how versatile they are. You can use any cake mix flavor, and add any mix-in you’d like to create your own gooey cake bars. The recipe here is a great base for you play around with to create a ton of delicious recipes from the same basic ingredients!
What’s in 3-ingredient cookie bars?
This recipe is made with three simple ingredients to create a base. You can add mix-ins to the main ingredients to make your perfect quick dessert.
- Cake Mix: You can make this with any box of cake mix — Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, etc. Any flavor of cake mix works. The one in the pictures is a yellow cake mix.
- Melted Butter: I recommend unsalted butter, since the cake mix already has salt. You can sub this with vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, or melted margarine.
- Eggs: You will need 2 medium or large eggs for this recipe.
Making your super easy cookie bars
Step 1 | Mix the Batter
In a large bowl combine cake mix, melted butter, and eggs with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. You will get a thick, sticky batter, like this:
If you’re adding in mix-ins, you can add them now. I did M&Ms.
Step 2 | Spread it Out
This step is a little harder than it appears at first glance. Start by lining a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Then, plop your cookie bar batter into the prepared pan.
Because the batter is so thick, it can be a little tough to push it into the corners. Feel free to use (clean) hands to get the job done.
Step 3 | Bake
Bake your cookie bars for 25-30 minutes at 350°. The bars are done when a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 4 | Enjoy!
Let your bars cool to room temperature. You can pop them into the freezer for a few minutes to decrease the cooling time. Then, use a sharp knife to cut them into squares. Serve them on their own, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Winning Flavor Combinations
Here are a few of my favorite cake mix flavor + mix-in combinations:
- Triple Chocolate: One box devil’s food cake mix+ milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips
- Red Velvet: Red velvet cake mix + white chocolate chips
- Strawberry: Strawberry cake mix + white chocolate chips
- Funfetti: White cake mix + rainbow sprinkles
- Toffee Spice: Spice cake mix + toffee bits
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: Chocolate cake mix + peanut butter chips
More Cake Mix Desserts
FAQs
Yes! These bars stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the bars and thaw as needed.
If the dough is too sticky, lightly grease your hands or use a piece of parchment paper to press it into the pan evenly.
No, there’s no need to chill the dough. These bars are quick and easy to make—just mix and bake.
3-Ingredient Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- optional: mix-ins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and mix-ins, if using.
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper. Press cookie bar batter evenly into pan.
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow cookie bars to cool before cutting. Cut into squares and enjoy!
