Easy Southern Chess Squares Recipe

A super easy and tasty dessert, these Chess Squares are an old classic recipe with simple pantry staple ingredients that everyone will love.

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I’ve been on a baking kick lately in my house. Do you ever get into those moods? Because sometimes the baking urge just kicks in, and I love it! Enter the Chess Squares.

Usually, we freeze things to have for later, but we know we have it on hand. That is exactly what we love to do with Chess Squares recipe.

This has always been one of my favorite recipes since I was a kid. My mom would make them all the time, and they were always a huge hit!

And they have a surprisingly short list of simple ingredients. We’re only using five of them! Sometimes, that’s the best part about baking. When you can take something simple and make a masterpiece.

Over the years, they have become a staple easy recipe in our house for so many different occasions, mostly because they are so tasty and super easy.

When you have easy and flavor then you know that the recipe is good. You don’t need hard recipes to have a dessert to taste amazing.

These Chess Squares are just amazing on their own with the minimal ingredients that they do take, they are an absolute must-make.

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1. Pantry staple ingredients help these come together in no time.
2. Makes a big batch, perfect for a crowd.
3. They are kid and adult-approved.

• Yellow cake mix
• Unsalted butter
• Eggs
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar

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1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer mix together the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and 1 egg until combined. 
3. Press into the bottom of the baking dish, set aside.
4. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer add the remaining 2 eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. 
5. Mix until smooth.
6. Pour over the crust. 
7. Bake until the top appears dry and it is crinkly. The crust along the edges will be lightly golden brown, 40-45 minutes.
8. Let the bars cool in the pan completely. Use the parchment paper to help you lift it out and cut it into bars. Add a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

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WHAT CAN I TOP THESE WITH?

While traditionally, they are topped with powdered sugar, you can really top them with whatever you like. 

Some of our favorite things to top them with include: ice cream, dark, milk, or white chocolate, chopped nuts and berries, the berries have a tartness that offset the sweetness of the bars.

CAN I USE ANOTHER CAKE MIX?

Yes! These will work with any cake mix that you’d like, try chocolate, red velvet, carrot, strawberry, etc. This makes them great for any occasion.

CAN I FLAVOR THE FILLING?

I have added extracts to the topping to switch up the flavors, so good options are almond, strawberry, cherry, maple, lemon, or peppermint.

ANY ADDITIONS?

Whether it’s your first time, or not, you can certainly try out some different ingredients.

• Sprinkle chocolate chips over the cream cheese layer for a chocolate chess pie twist.
• Add lemon zest to the pour cream cheese mixture for a zesty sweet treat kick.
• Top with chopped pecans for a nutty crunch on these ooey-gooey bars.
• Dust extra powdered sugar for a snowy dessert table look.
• Mix vanilla extract into the cream cheese mixture for a richer tasty treat flavor.
• Include toffee bits for a caramelized chewy corners surprise.
• Drizzle caramel sauce over the chess bars for a gooey Southern thing vibe.
• Add white chocolate shavings for a fancy family fun finish.
• Stir dried cranberries into the cake mix crust for a tart delicious dessert.
• Garnish with fresh berries for a colorful pop on this favorite dessert.

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

Really, the whole thing can be swapped out, haha. Take your pick!

• Use lemon cake mix instead of box of yellow cake mix for a citrusy chess cake flavor.
• Swap unsalted butter with melted margarine for the cake mix crust in this easy chess squares.
• Replace block of cream cheese with mascarpone for a creamier oz cream cheese layer.
• Use brown sugar instead of powdered sugar in the cream cheese mixture for a caramelized sweetness.
• Substitute large eggs with egg whites for a lighter soft dough texture.
• Swap all-purpose flour (if adjusting the recipe) with cake flour for a softer basic ingredients base.

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ROOM TEMPERATURE: These can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 3 days.

REFRIGERATOR: Also in an airtight container, these can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.

FREEZER: They can also be frozen, place in a freezer container and they will keep for up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight until thawed.

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Love easy and simple recipes that pack a punch of flavor and that are versatile? Then these Chess Squares are exactly what you need.

If you’ve tried these CHESS SQUARES let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!