Monster Cookie Bars From Cake Mix

Monster cookie bars from cake mix with white cake mix or yellow cake mix, chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats and more! Baked in a 9×13 pan and sliced into squares you are going to love this easy boxed cake mix dessert.

Cake Mix Bar Cookies

The only really big difference between these and cake mix crinkle cookies is that you slice them and there are more add-ins. They are a bit more tender too since you don’t get the crisp outer edges on each one. Especially the center pieces won’t have any of that. Either that is a huge plus to you or if not then you might prefer cookies.

I guess I would say they are a cross between those and our cake mix brownies. Yes, if you can tell I am all about tweaking a boxed mix into something else entirely. Not to say that we don’t bake it as directed on the back every once and a while, but more than half the time we don’t. 😉

Monster Cookie Bars

Just like kitchen sink cookies you can really add what you love. If you’d prefer Reeses pieces to chocolate pieces then by all means use those. I would stick to our measurements and not omit the oats because that helps with the texture and keeping them together.

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix 15.25 oz is the right (normal) size
  • yellow or white are usually best
  • you can try others like red velvet with a white chocolate chips combo
• Brown sugar will add more sweetness, just like homemade batter would need
• Butter at room temperature is ideal to cream everything together
• Smooth peanut butter is best, or any nut butter works
• 1 egg or egg substitute product
• 1.5 c quick oats will add some texture and fiber
• Mini chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
• Small candies or chocolates like m&ms are great
• 4 tbsp water
• Large bowl and rubber spatula to mix ingredients

And then a baking sheet is necessary. You can use a piece of parchment paper on the bottom or spray with cooking spray so they don’t stick. I like to only bake one cookie sheet at a time so they all come out with the same consistency.

If you use two racks with one over the other the bottom one will get too done on the bottom for my liking. Just my opinion. Biggest thing is also making sure they’re all the same size. I like using a small cookie scoop. A heaping Tbsp. works well too if you don’t have one of those handy and don’t want to buy one.

This is an easy cake mix recipe that can be altered to your liking. Just tweak the add ins if you use a flavored mix like chocolate cake or something. I think all of these would work well with that but for lemon I might use white chips, no peanut butter but maybe nuts would work better for that instead.

You can jump to recipe below but this is a quick rundown of how we made this cake mix cookie bar recipe over the weekend. Get out a 9×12 baking pan and let’s get started;

How to Make Cookie Bars with Cake Mix

• Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, egg, butter and peanut butter. Add oats and brown sugar, mix well.
• Gently fold in chocolate chips and M&Ms.
• Spread the dough into a prepared pan. (I used parchment paper for easier removal.)  **If you would like thicker bars, you can use a smaller 9×9 baking dish as well.
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes cook time, or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan, before slicing.

It is important to not bake this too long or it will dry out. I would rather have it a bit underdone than over.

How do you know when a cookie bar is done?

This is KEY when you are baking this or a pan full of homemade brownies. The texture is everything!! Set for the minimum bake time listed and then turn on the light. What you want is the outside edges to start cracking and firming up and the middle to be tender but not wet. If it looks like it is close use a toothpick.

Insert into the center and if it is still wet and liquidy, give it 5 more minutes and check again. However when you pull it out if it is clean but with very moist crumbs attached, pull it out. Do NOT slice it yet though. Set it on a cooling rack until it is at room temperature. That gives it time to continue baking in the pan. Then it is will be perfect!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

You can go really simple too if you wanted to. With just chips and maybe some crushed walnuts you’ll love these just the same. Use what is in your cupboards y’all. That is what I do when I am in a real pinch. If you do have all the things though you should really go for it. even some crushed pretzels will give it a sweet savory combo.

M&M Cookie Bars

Candies of all kinds can be used, these are most common though. With fun colors you can just use red and green for Christmas time or a rainbow for every day.