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 9×13 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.

Old Fashioned Chess Bars

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

1. It’s EASY!
2. You simply spread everything into the pan and bake it! 
3. Soft cakey vanilla body with a graham cracker crust! 
4. 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 (1/2 cup)  in the mix for Chess Bars with Pecans
• CHESS BARS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS:  Throw about 1/2 Cup chocolate chips in the mix for Chess Bars with Chocolate Chips.
• HOW ABOUT COCONUT: Add 1/2 cup coconut to the mix for Chess Bars with Coconut.
• CHESS BARS WITH BUTTERSCOTCH:  Scotchie Chess Bars are delightful! Add 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips to the mix for Chess Bars with Butterscotch!

Step by Step Photos of Old Fashion Chess Pie

Prepare the pan with aluminum foil – and then SPRAY the foil – otherwise – sticky mess!

The crust, once it is mixed

The crust patted into the bottom of the 9×13 pan

The filling batter

The batter poured over the crust

The final baked chess bars – OH SO GOOD!

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…

Chess Pie

Old Fashioned Lemon Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess pie

Vinegar Pie

Fudge Chocolate Pecan Pie

Kentucky Bourbon Pie

Old Fashion Pecan Pie

Old Fashioned Chess Pie

YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK?

Leave me a 5 STAR  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Comment below. If you made this recipe, I would love for you to share it with me on social media or just email me at wendi(at sign)loavesanddishes.net. Reader comments are the best. I answer right back!

Ya’ll MAKE MY DAY when you leave me a comment  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 or send me an email!

Join me on social media by clicking the links at the top of the page!

THE RECIPE FOR OLD FASHIONED CHESS BARS

Old Fashion Chess Bars

These creamy cheesy delicious and delicate chess bars will take you right back to grandma's kitchen!  Ready quickly and makes a lot!  Perfect!

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chess bars, chess cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 20

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

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 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp 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

Use room temp ingredients for the best result. 

Light cheese cake texture is what you want. 

Make sure to put foil in the bottom of the pan so that your chess bars don't stick. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Old Fashion Chess Bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 300

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

***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.

Spooky – that really is her name – she picked it out herself