These Old Fashion Chess Bars are sweet creamy cookie bars with a delicate flaky upper crust and a soft browned cake-like bottom crust. The taste will remind you of a combination of cheese cake, graham cracker crust and fluffy cloud!
Old Fashion Chess Bars make a full 9x13 pan and are simply mouthwateringly delicious! They make their own crust and are EASY! You won't want to miss giving chess bars as a treat for any special occasion.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It's EASY!
- You simply spread everything into the pan and bake it!
- Soft cakey vanilla body with a graham cracker crust!
- It uses a cake mix!
WHAT IS A CHESS BAR?
Chess Bars are a take off on Chess Pie which is a simple pie using butter, eggs and sugar (all the good stuff!). These chess bars are simplicity at their best.
CHESS BAR VARIATIONS:
There are a number of ways that you can jazz up these chess bars! Here are some suggestions:
- CHESS BARS WITH PECANS: Throw some pecans (½ cup) in the mix for Chess Bars with Pecans
- CHESS BARS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Throw about ½ Cup chocolate chips in the mix for Chess Bars with Chocolate Chips.
- HOW ABOUT COCONUT: Add ½ cup coconut to the mix for Chess Bars with Coconut.
- CHESS BARS WITH BUTTERSCOTCH: Scotchie Chess Bars are delightful! Add ½ cup of butterscotch chips to the mix for Chess Bars with Butterscotch!
Step by Step Photos of Old Fashion Chess Pie
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR OLD FASHIONED CHESS BARS
CAN I FREEZE CHESS BARS?
Yes, chess bars freeze well. Place in a freezer safe plastic bag, label and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to three months. You may note that your chess bars are more crumbly after freezing.
HOW LONG WILL CHESS BARS KEEP?
Chess bars do best when refrigerated, but will even do fine in a sealed room temp container for 3 days. Last in the fridge for 5-7 days.
WHAT DO CHESS BARS TASTE LIKE?
Chess bars resemble cheesecake in texture and flavor. They are light, fluffy and just perfect!
IF YOU ENJOYED THESE CHESS BARS, YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY THESE CHESS PIES...
YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK?
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THE RECIPE FOR OLD FASHIONED CHESS BARS
Old Fashion Chess Bars
Ingredients
- I package of yellow cake mix
- 1 stick of butter – softened
- 4 eggs divided
- 3 ½ cups confectioners sugar powdered sugar
- 1 block of cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish as follows: Line with aluminum foil and then spray the aluminum foil with a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with your hand mixer – or if you are really strong – with a big spoon), combine cake mix, butter and ONE egg.
- Pat the cake mixture into the bottom of the 9x13 pan.
- Mix together the sugar, eggs, cream cheese, extracts and pinch of salt (will look like cake batter or pancake batter) and pour this over the cake mix layer.
- Bake in center of the oven for 35-45 minutes (my oven takes more like 45 mins +) – it is done when it gets puffy and starts to brown on the top. Shake the pan and when the center has just stopped jiggling, it’s done. Allow to cool before serving so that the center can gel. Don’t bother with the toothpick test – doesn’t necessarily work on this one.
Notes
Nutrition
***THIS CONTENT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON LOAVES AND DISHES ON JULY 7, 2015 and has been updated with new information***
A VERSE TO SHARE
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ~ Romans 12:9
As a note, any of you who have been reading my monthly “Behind the Scenes” will know that our sweet dog, “Spooky” has been having some health issues. Last week, Spooky’s health took a sudden turn for the worse and we had to say goodbye to our dear sweet friend. I miss her terribly, we all do.
Shirley says
I lost my old recipe! Thank You so much! I love these bars! I use bacon grease! Best thing for canned veggies! ❤️🙏💕A sister from the South! I was born in Atlanta, Georgia!
Thank You so much!
Shirley
Wendi Spraker says
I'm glad you found a recipe you enjoy that replaces your old lost recipe! I'm guessing you read a couple of recipes here and add the bacon grease to vegetable and not to chess bars. lol. Have a great week!
Annie says
Can you use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil? I don't like using aluminum foil for baking
Sarah Blackwell says
Yes!
Terri says
They were awesome my family keeps asking for them.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Terri! Thanks for coming back to leave me a comment! The nice thing about chess bars being demanded is that they are fairly easy to make! 🙂 Enjoy!
CLYNELL MCPHERSON says
@Terri, I love this recipe. been making them for past 3 yrs. every
one in family loves them.
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks Clynell!
Dianna Gardner says
I believe this is the best chess bar recipe that I've made!! Thank you for sharing!!
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks Dianna! I appreciate you letting me know and leaving a comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Leslie says
I know this is an old post, but I just have to say that I love chess cake! However everytime I make it my crust is not solid like yours is and then when it cooks it fluffs up like a cake and the two "layers" Intermingle. What could I be doing wrong?
Wendi Spraker says
Leslie,
You haven't done a single thing wrong! You are right, it DOES puff up when you cook it. Then after you take it out of the oven, it flattens back down and there isn't usually a solid layer bottom piece that is distinctly different than the top. I am not really sure WHY the ones I produced for a photo did that way! No worries, you are doing this right! Maybe I just need to redo my photos. Thanks for your comment Leslie!
Mary Marshall says
Gonna take these to my next family reunion! Thanks!
Wendi Spraker says
Oooooo Mary! They are good! Did Sarah bring some to your house over the holidays? She loves these things.
Moxie says
Made these for Christmas for friends and they were perfect!
Kwamsia Hudson says
I made this and they turned out good but my batter didn't look like yours. Did you use 2 backages of cream cheese or less eggs?Thanks for sharing!!!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Kwamsia, Nope, I used just what it says in the recipe. Did you put the one egg in the base crust and then the rest in the top part? Was your batter thicker than mine or thinner?
Moxie says
Chess bars = yum!
Smithc195 says
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Marcia says
Thanks for the Chess Bar recipe! My husband's family is coming to visit, and since Chestnut/Amber pie was an old favorite of theirs, these bars will be a big hit! Also, so sorry to hear about your pooch! I can sympathize completely. But as a Christian and a reader of what C.S. Lewis and others have written, I really believe we'll see them again! Nothing lovingly created will be totally destroyed. All the dogs you've ever loved will come running up to greet you!
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Marcia! I so hope and pray you are right!! Wouldn't that be great? I have a meme on my face book page of a dog looking down through a hole in the clouds and the caption says, " what the entrance to heaven looks like". I can only hope so. :). Thanks for leaving a comment and for visiting. Let me know how they turn out. You might also like the old fashioned sugar cream pie. So delish!
Amber Hudson says
Any tips on cutting these babies?
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Amber! Thanks for visiting! I always cut them with a butter knife in two inch squares.
Stephanie @ Sustaining the Powers says
I love Chess Bars!! My sister has a similar (top secret) recipe for what she calls "chess cake" that she used to make and sell back in high school. People would pay her $25 to make a pan of these! She always had toms of spending money. Haha. I wasn't allowed to have her secret recipe until I was married, and I have respected her wishes to never share it with anyone else. (Even though that's really hard to do as a food blogger.) I may just have to make a pan of these later this weekend. (And share your recipe around since I can't share hers!)
Wendi Spraker says
Chess Bars are simply the best! Thanks for sharing about your sister's secret recipe - now you have me wondering! lol. My husband's grandmother had a secret recipe for fudge. I've considered sharing it here - and might closer to Christmas in her honor. 🙂 Have a good one Stephanie!
April says
My twin brother loves these and his wife asked me to make them for Easter and his birthday again.. I made them last year and was thrilled that they wanted more.
Wendi Spraker says
Awwww April! That is great news!! I'm so glad I could be a small part of your celebration!!
Krystle says
I love chess pie, but have never had chess bars, yum! I don't want to share! 🙂
Wendi Spraker says
LOL. Krystle - you'll love sharing these bars! 🙂
Cakespy says
These look absolutely perfect. I love chess pie so I imagine I would have no problem at all with chess bars 🙂
Wendi Spraker says
Thank you so much. I hope you love them!