Easy cake mix fudge bars are rich, gooey, chocolaty, and delicious. Some people call them “can’t leave alone bars,” and it is for good reason, you will want to keep going back for more.
If you like chocolate, peanut butter, and soft cake like cookie bars, you are in the right place. These easy bars combine all of those things with some condensed milk to make a tasty fudgy treat.
These yummy fudge bars only take 7 ingredients. If you have a well stocked kitchen, you may already have them on hand.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to stock up on things like cake mixes, chocolate chips, and condensed milk when they are on sale at the grocery store. They all have a nice long shelf life, and I find it very convenient to have them on hand.
That way, when you want to make something delicious, you are likely to have the ingredients to make something fun. These fudge bars are a perfect example of a quick and economical treat you can have ready to go in the oven in just a few minutes.
Turning a Cake Mix into Delicious Bars
Having a cake mix or two in the pantry means you are just a few minutes away from baking up something delicious. There are so many fun ways you can turn a box of cake mix into something other than a cake.
Of course, they are great for making easy cakes as well. Then, all you have to do is make a delicious homemade frosting to turn it into a special treat.
This particular recipe starts with making a cookie/cake hybrid using the cake mix, oil, and eggs. Pat about 2/3 of the mixture onto the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch pan to form the bottom crust.
It won’t be a very thick layer, but it should be enough to cover the whole thing. Then it is time to turn your attention to the fudgy layer.
Luckily, this tasty layer is just as easy to put together as the crust. If your butter is cold, go ahead and start melting it in a medium glass bowl in the microwave.
Once the butter is most of the way melted, add peanut butter chips and chocolate chips along with a can of sweetened condensed milk. Cook the mixture in short 20-30 second bursts in the microwave until you can stir it smooth.
Chocolate scorches easily, so it is better to take it out and stir it frequently than to accidently burn it. Now pour this fudge mixture over the bottom crust.
Drop little bits of the remaining cake mix mixture over the top of the fudge. It won’t be enough to cover the fudge layer, so just try to distribute it relatively evenly.
Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes. The cake parts should be golden brown and look cooked.
These bars are really gooey when hot, so I would recommend cooling them completely or even chilling them a bit before cutting them. That will make getting nice-looking pieces easier.
That is it! These bars are rich and fudgy.
They have a nice mix of peanut butter, chocolate, and vanilla. It really doesn’t get much better!
Substitutions and Adaptations
Of course, you can play with the chips you use in the fudge layer. Use all chocolate chips if you don’t want the peanut butter.
We used milk chocolate because they are Little Dude’s favorite. However, using semi-sweet chocolate chips would help to cut the sweetness of the condensed milk.
If you really like peanut butter, you can stir some in with the cake mix mixture. I have seen people use as much as a cup of peanut butter in the crust.
For big chocolate fans, you could use a chocolate cake mix instead of yellow. Or experiment with different flavor combinations of chips and cake mixes to match your preferences.
More Great Cake Mix Recipes:
If you love a good shortcut, you are in the right place. Our favorite white cupcakes start with a cake mix but add lots of extras to make them perfect.
Of course cake mix cookies are a fun option as well. Chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies are a huge hit with our family as are funfetti cake mix cookies.
If bars are more your style, caramel pecan dream bars are a good option. Or make chocolate turtle bars with caramel and pecans.
There are so many great ways to turn a cake mix into something special. Check out my full collection of cake mix recipes for more inspiration!
Fudge Cake Mix Bars
Ingredients
- 1 yellow cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. Stir until uniform.1 yellow cake mix, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
- Place about 2/3 of the cake mix dough into the prepared pan and press to form a thin crust on the bottom of the pan.
- Melt the butter in a medium glass mixing bowl in the microwave. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and condensed milk.¼ cup butter, ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup peanut butter chips, 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- Microwave on high in 20-30 second spurts, until you can stir the mixture smooth.
- Pour the fudge mixture over the crust in the pan. Spread to form an even layer.
- Drop small spoonsful of the remaining cake mix dough over the fudge layer. It won't be enough to cover all of the fudge, so just try to get it somewhat evenly distributed.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake parts of the bars look golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.
Thursday 4th of May 2023
Andrea Nine
Friday 21st of April 2023
Fudgy goodness that I can’t wait to try!
Carlee
Friday 21st of April 2023
They'll be perfect when the kids come to visit!