Our 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars are a great choice for a patriotic dessert! Made from a cake mix, these sweet bars are so easy, yet so delicious! You’ll want to make a version for every holiday and even birthdays!
These Gooey Bars have a tender, cakelike base, with a melt-in-your-mouth ooey gooey layer on top. White chocolate chips and red, white, and blue sprinkles are mixed in to give this dessert a patriotic twist!
SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR 4TH OF JULY GOOEY BARS TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
I absolutely love this decadent treat! The classic Gooey Butter Cake recipe has been around for decades and was made famous by the TV personality Paula Deen. They look fancy but are so easy to make, and the taste? Absolutely scrumptious.
You can adjust these for any holiday just by changing the mix-ins, or leave them out entirely for a classic version of this famous recipe.
Ingredients for 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars
This recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s what you need:
White cake mix
Unsalted butter, melted
Large egg
Pure vanilla extract
White chocolate chips
Red, white, and blue star sprinkles
Sweetened condensed milk
Be sure to scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card, which contains a full ingredient list and directions!
How to make Gooey Butter Bars
Prepare: First, preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper. Leave the sides a little higher than the pan so the bars can be lifted out easily after they’ve cooled. Spray the parchment paper-lined pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Cake Mix: In a large bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until fully combined (or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment). Do not overmix. Stir in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.
Assemble: Press about 2/3 of the cake mixture into the bottom of the pan. This cake layer will be thick, almost like cookie dough. If you are having difficulty spreading the dough into the pan, lightly spray a rubber spatula with non-stick cooking spray to help spread out the bottom layer.
Spread the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the first dough layer.
Press the remaining 1/3 of the dough into super flat pieces and cover as much of the sweetened condensed milk layer with the top layer of dough as possible.
Bake: Place baking tray in oven and bake bars for 29 to 31 minutes – the middle will look set and edges will be just a little bit golden brown. Do not over-bake, or these bars will lose their gooey texture.
Slice and Serve: Let gooey butter bars cool in pan for at least 60 minutes before removing from pan and slicing into 16 squares.
Helpful Tip for Slicing
Make sure to leave the sides of your parchment paper a little higher than the pan so the bars can be lifted out easily after they’ve cooled.
For clean-edged squares, wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cutting each row.
FAQs
How do I store leftover 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars?
Store gooey bars in a sealed food-safe storage container (or cover tightly with aluminum foil) at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge up to a week.
Can I freeze these Gooey Bars?
Yes, store them in an airtight container or wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Can I use a different cake mix?
Yes, you can. I used a white cake mix for 4th of July Gooey Bars to showcase the red, white, and blue colors of the holiday. The original recipe for Ooey Gooey Bars are made with a box of yellow cake mix, and others like to experiment with different flavors like lemon cake mix or chocolate cake mix.
How do I serve these Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Bars?
You can serve them plain or with a scoop of ice cream or dust them with some powdered sugar. Some people enjoy them best at room temperature, while others like them chilled. There’s no right or wrong way to eat these!
More Bar Dessert Recipes
Dessert Bars are some of my favorite treats to make because they are so easy and feed a crowd. Here are some of my favorites:
O’Henry Bars
Snickerdoodle Bars
Millionaire Bars
Easy Lemon Bars
Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars
Turtle Ooey Gooey Bars
4th of July Dessert Recipes
The next time you need a red, white, and blue treat to celebrate the holidays, make one of these easy recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth:
Patriotic Poke Cake
Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats
Patriotic Layer Cake
Patriotic Pinwheels and Star Cookies
What’s your favorite dessert to make for the 4th of July? Be sure to pin or print this recipe for 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars so it’s ready for your next summer gathering!
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4th of July Gooey Butter Bars
Our 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars are a great choice for a patriotic dessert! Made from a cake mix, these sweet bars are so easy, yet so delicious! You’ll want to make a version for every holiday!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword 4th of July Gooey Butter Bars
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 16bars
Calories 269kcal
Author Lynne Feifer
Ingredients
15.25ounceswhite cake mix
½cupunsalted buttermelted, and slightly cooled
1large egg
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1cupwhite chocolate chips
½cupred, white and blue sprinkles
½cupsweetened condensed milk
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper. Leave the sides a little higher than the pan so the bars can be lifted out easily after they’ve cooled. Spray the parchment paper lined pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the dry cake mix, butter, egg and vanilla extract until fully combined (about 30 seconds). Do not over mix.
Stir in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.
Press about 2/3 of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. This dough will be thick (cookie dough consistency). If you are having difficulty spreading dough into the pan, lightly spray a spatula with non-stick cooking spray to help spread out the bottom layer.
Spread the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the first dough layer.
Press the remaining 1/3 of dough into super flat pieces and cover as much of the sweetened condensed milk layer with the dough as possible.
Place baking tray in oven and bake for 29 to 31 minutes – the middle will look set and edges will be slightly browned. Do not over bake or these bars will lose the gooey texture.
Let gooey butter bars cool in pan for at least 60 minutes before removing from pan and slicing into 16 squares. For clean edged squares, wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cutting each row.
Store gooey bars in a sealed food safe storage container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in fridge up to a week.
Notes
I used these Red, White, and Blue Star Sprinkles purchased from Amazon, but you can use just plain red, white, and blue or a combination of both.
