Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars

Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars with Cream Cheese Filling is the cozy, delicious fall dessert you’ve been looking for. It combines the comforting flavors of spice cake mix and a velvety cream cheese filling. This is a family-pleasing autumn treat you need to try.

Their simplicity and rich flavor provide a comforting presence and an irresistible temptation. You’ll find yourself sneaking back for just ‘one more piece’ far more often than you’d like to admit.

Why you’ll love these harvest spice bars

Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars aren’t just your regular snack bars. They bring a certain warmth and spice that evoke the essence of fall, making them perfect for the harvest season. Even better, they’re so simple to make because they start with a boxed cake mix.

Now in all honesty, I prefer to bake from scratch when I can. But sometimes, cake mixes and other convenience products (like pudding mixes) make life easier. Because they’re fast. I discovered this when I created a delicious coconut cupcake recipe from cake mix. So good.

Now, I do have to admit that they’re pretty sweet. So, if you prefer an autumn snack with a little less sugar, try our Sweet Potato Muffins recipe. Or even these kid-friendly eggless Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins.

Or, if you’re making up a cookie and bar table or tray, whip up a batch of these White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. Then add some colorful Christmas Almond Bark made with leftover cereal and pretzels.

Harvest spice cake mix bar recipe

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making these bars.

Want the printable recipe card? It’s down at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients you need

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars.

Bar Ingredients

• 2 – 15.25 oz boxes of spice cake mix
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg

Filling Ingredients

• 1 – 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

How to make harvest spice cake mix bars

Here’s how to make these delicious Harvest Spiced Bars using two boxes of convenient spice cake mix.

For the batter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Once prepared, stir the cake mix, melted butter, and egg until combined and press this dough into the baking dish.

For the filling

Begin by beating the softened cream cheese until smooth, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Mix in the melted butter and vanilla.

Gradually add in the powdered sugar, stirring until combined.

Pour the cream cheese filling over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour.

Remember, the edges should be firm, but it’s okay if the middle still jiggles a bit. Once done, let it cool completely before slicing.

What to serve with harvest spiced bars

Wondering what would complement these delicious harvest bars perfectly?

• A dollop of whipped cream
• A sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg
• A scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream

Serve them with your favorite fall coffee or tea at your next coffee date or when you’re curling up with a favorite fall reading book.

Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars with Cream Cheese Filling are more than just a dessert; they remind me of the cozy comfort and spices of the harvest season. Simple to prepare, frugally efficient, and bursting with flavor, these bars are a sweet manifestation of autumn on a plate.

Harvest Spice Cake Mix Bars FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions about these tasty fall harvest bars.

Can I store the leftover harvest bars?

Absolutely. Store the leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This way, you can enjoy the bars all week without compromising the flavor or texture, making it a practical and frugal choice for those who do not wish to waste food.

They also freeze well. I suggest freezing them BEFORE cutting. Then cut them when they’re still almost frozen, as this makes a cleaner cut through the deliciously gooey cream cheese filling.

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?

Feel free to experiment with different cake mix flavors if spice isn’t your thing. Just be mindful of how the flavor of the cake mix will meld with the cream cheese filling, and you might stumble upon your new favorite combination. I suggest trying a couple of boxes of carrot cake mix. You could even use one box of carrot cake mix and one box of spice cake mix.

Can this recipe be doubled for larger gatherings?

You bet! You can easily double the recipe if you’re serving a larger crowd.

Just make sure to use a larger baking dish or multiple smaller ones and adjust the baking time as needed, keeping a close eye on the edges and the middle jiggle as mentioned before.

This would be an amazing autumn dessert bar recipe to take along to a family reunion, family get-together, or for a large family Thanksgiving Feast.

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