These chewy Cake Mix Cookie Bars are the easiest way to turn a box of cake mix into a warm, chocolate-studded dessert. With pudding mix for extra moisture and a mix of mini M&M’s and milk chocolate chips, every bite is totally delish. They are truly the best cake mix cookie bars you will ever taste.
These bars are gooey in the center and golden brown around the edges. It’s the perfect quick dessert for a birthday party, holiday gathering, or weeknight sweet treat. I always make these cake mix cookie bars for Christmas!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This easy dessert recipe is totally foolproof! You only need a few simple ingredients. The best part? You can mix and match flavors with any boxed cake mix you like. You can use yellow cake mix, chocolate cake mix, or even red velvet cake mix work beautifully.
Ingredient Insights
- Boxed cake mix: Yellow cake mix gives these bar cookies a buttery, rich flavor. Cake mixes are a great base for easy recipes like this one. I like Betty Crocker the best.
- Pudding mix: A small box of instant vanilla pudding (just the dry powder) adds moisture and makes the finished product tender and chewy.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cookie bars soft and moist without the need for melted butter. Be sure to use enough to maintain the best texture for your cake mix cookie bars.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients and give the bars a slightly cakey, chewy texture.
- Chocolate chips and M&M’s: The combo of mini M&M’s and milk chocolate chips adds color, crunch, and a touch of nostalgia—just like classic chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Cake Mix Cookie Bars
The great thing about this recipe is how quickly it comes together. You don’t even need a mixer.
Step one: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Step two: In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, pudding mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and chocolate chips or M&M’s until combined. A rubber spatula works best since the batter will be thick.
Step three: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it into the corners to create a smooth, single layer.
Step four: Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center looks set. About 25 minutes is the sweet spot for me. The bars may look slightly gooey in the middle when you pull them out, but that’s the best part—they firm up as they cool.
Step five: Cool completely before cutting into squares. These cake mix cookie bars are fantastic served slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Don’t forget, I always include a full printable recipe card with detailed instructions toward the bottom of the blog post.
Substitutions & Variations
- Switch up the chips: Use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips instead of milk chocolate for a new flavor twist.
- Try a new cake mix: Swap the yellow cake mix for white cake mix, lemon cake mix, or red velvet cake mix next time you bake a batch.
- Add a fun topping: For a gooey texture, gently press mini marshmallows or pieces of Hershey bars into the top of the batter before baking.
Crissy’s Cake Mix Cookie Bar Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients: They mix more evenly and create a smoother batter.
- Grease well: A quick spray of cooking spray is crucial.
- Avoid overbaking: Pull them when the edges are golden brown for soft, chewy cookie bars.
- Cool completely: Cutting too early can make them crumble. Letting them rest creates perfect, clean slices.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: It’s the easiest way to turn this into a restaurant-worthy dessert.
Storing Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Store leftover Cake Mix Cookie Bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days. To keep them extra soft, place a piece of wax paper between layers. These bars also freeze well—wrap tightly and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cake mix?
Yes. I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but truly, any boxed cake mix works. Try white, chocolate, or even funfetti cake mix!
Can I make these with melted butter instead of oil?
You can, but vegetable oil gives the bars a softer, chewier texture.
Can I double this Cake Mix Cookie Bars recipe?
Absolutely. Use two 9×13 pans if you’d like to make a double batch of cake mix cookie bars.
More Holiday Treats
Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix (I like Betty Crocker)
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding unprepared
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup mini M&M's candies (holiday colors if desired!)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and chocolate chips or M&M’s. Mix until fully blended.
- Pour the thick batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. A light coat of nonstick spray works well.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, removing when the edges are golden and slightly crisp. (Mine were perfect at 25 minutes.)
- The center may look slightly soft, but that’s normal—once cooled, the bars set beautifully.
- Cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
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Nutrition
Did you make this?
I would love to hear from you! Make sure to leave your review below and follow on Pinterest for more!
Can you make these a head of time? How do you store them without drying out?
Did you prepare the cake mix or did you just add the powder to the other items?
Can I make these into cookies? I need a good, easy recipe for a cookie exchange. If so, any guess on baking time?
Cookie BARS are considered cookies…I take them to cookie exchanges all the time and they are a HIT!…everyone wants a good recipe that has shortcuts and this takes much less time than individually dropping raw balls of cookie dough…
can you make cookies out of this recipe and not bars?
Thanks Nancy
How many servings should come out from this? Also instead of doing bars, would individual cookies bake fine?
did you use the cake mix that used oil or butter?
Oil!
Can you use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow?
Will this work with sugar free cake mix and sugar free pudding?
Hey Marissa, I haven’t tried it, but I would think so!
Do you think a sugar free cake mix and jello would work for this recipe?
Thank you for the great recipe, I made this sugar free by using sugar free cake mix, sugar free vanilla pudding and sugar free chocolate chips..
Tried this today. Very fast and easy. Thank you!!