Buttery, gooey and so addictive- these Neiman Marcus bars are sure to become your next all time favorite dessert!
Also known as gooey butter cake, these rich and delicious cookie bars come together in just a few minutes, and you’ll only need a few pantry staples to put them together.
They’re simple, versatile and totally party-worthy!
For me, the holidays are all about experimenting with different desserts, and after the success of my Krokan and baked yogurt recipes, I knew I was on a roll, and I needed to try my hands at some more sweet treats.
And that’s when I tried these humble yet amazing dessert bars.
They’re like a mix between a cheesecake bar and a blondie, and bring both the deliciousness of both together in one chunky, gooey bar.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about these rich and buttery cookie bars is the fact that they taste so incredible, no one will be able to tell you actually used a box of cake mix to make them.
Plus, they’re totally customizable too- I love the idea of trying out different flavor variations and unique toppings to go with them.
Also Read: Greek Yogurt Cake
Ingredients For the Neiman Marcus Bars Recipe
You’ll need a few simple ingredients to make the Neiman Marcus bars
Yellow cake mix: Yellow cake mix or even just some butter cake mix will act as the starting point for the recipe.
Butter: Melted butter, when teamed up with the eggs and the dry cake mix will form the batter for the bars.
Eggs: You’ll need about 4 eggs- two for the cake mix and 2 eggs for the crust.
Vanilla: A dash of vanilla will help bring some deliciousness to the crust for the bars.
Cream cheese: Cream cheese, teamed up with eggs and vanilla will be the top layer for these delicious bars.
Sugar: You’ll also need some powdered sugar or granulated sugar to sweeten the cream cheese mixture.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Neiman Marcus Bars
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make this easy to make recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the crust ingredients - cake mix, egg and butter until you get a thick batter.
Use a whisk to mix all the ingredients evenly.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom.
In the same bowl, combine the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well using an electric mixer. Pour the mixture on top of the cookie mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
Allow to cool down before cutting into squares.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can also bring a bit of flavor variation to these cake bars by simply using a different flavored cake mix. Lemon cake mix is a great choice if you’re inclined to make some lemon bars.
- Another great idea is to try out different toppings for the crust. Toasted coconut flakes, chocolate chips or even some chocolate quinoa granules can all be great choices.
- If you want, you can also top the squares with some crunchy nuts of your choice. Pecans and hazelnuts are two good options.
💭Top Tip
A 9x13 baking sheet of tray is perfect for a single box of cake mix. This will make sure the bars have the perfect thickness. If you use a smaller pan, the bars will be thicker.
Equipment
Also Read: Almond Milk Rice Pudding
How to Store the Leftover Cake Mix Bars
If you have any leftovers that you want to store for later, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Before you serve them, get them out and let them get to room temperature and soften before you enjoy them.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Remember to use room temperature cream cheese as the topping for these cookie bars.
- Make sure you don’t end up overcooking the bars. You still want them to have a slightly chewy texture.
- You can also choose to spray the baking pan with some cooking spray to make them easier to get out.
- This one’s optional, but you can also choose to top the Neiman Marcus bars with some mini chocolate chips towards the end- about 25 minutes into the cooking time.
- If you’re doing this, you may want to press the chocolate chips into the top layer just a little bit using your spatula.
How to Serve Chewy Neiman Marcus Bars
These Neiman Marcus bars have to become among my most favorite dessert recipes.
You can enjoy them just as is or team them up with some other sweet treats and desserts like blondies and muffins if you’re making them a part of your holiday table.
Also Read: Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
FAQs
You can! You can make these in a big batch, cut them into squares, transfer them to a freezer safe container, and have a sheet of parchment paper between each layer to keep the bars from sticking to each other.
Check if the bars have started to turn slightly golden brown. If they have, it is probably time to get them out.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Neiman Marcus Bars
Ingredients
- 1 18.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- ½ cup butter melted
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the crust ingredients - cake mix, egg and butter until you get a thick batter.
- Use a whisk to mix all the ingredients evenly.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom.
- In the same bowl, combine the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well using an electric mixer. Pour the mixture on top of the cookie mixture.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
- Allow to cool down before cutting into squares.