This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
Malted Gooey Cake Bars are an Easter Cookie Bar made with cake mix, Ovaltine and Whoppers or Robins Eggs. These are easy to make and super gooey – perfect for Easter.
Easy Easter Cookie Bars
If you’re like me and could eat a whole bag of Robin Eggs in one sitting, then you are going to LOVE these Easter cookie bars. They are filled with Robin Eggs and malted flavor, giving you a classic taste from when you were a kid. This is the perfect easy Easter dessert recipe you must try!
These Easter cookie bars bake up with the texture of a bar but they taste like a malted cake with a gooey center. I have a lot of versions for gooey bar recipes but I think this may be my favorite one so far.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- These make a fantastic Easter treat! The mini egg cookie bars are colorful and so festive for Easter, everyone will love them!
- You are sure to enjoy the gooey texture that comes from the sweetened condensed milk. That’s the magic added in between this multi-layered dessert.
- You can swap Whoppers for those times you want gooey bars when it’s not Easter!
- The mini egg cake bar is a basic yellow cake mix that’s been jazzed up with some Ovaltine (malted milk powder). I’m sure there are other brands, but Ovaltine is what I grew up on and still use.
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow cake mix: you can use any cake flavor you like
- Malted milk powder: you can use any brand but I love Ovaltine
- Sweetened condensed milk: for the extra gooey texture in the center of the bars
- Robin Eggs candy: or malted milk balls, lightly crushed
How to make Easter Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a metal 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper and spray liberally with cooking spray so that the bars don’t stick.
- Add cake mix, butter, egg, milk, and Ovaltine to the bowl of an electric mixer then mix until a thick dough forms.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir the Ovaltine into the sweetened condensed milk and pour over the top of the base. Sprinkle a cup of crushed malted candy over the top.
- Separate the remaining dough into small balls and evenly space them over the top of the magic bars. Press down to flatten. Sprinkle with the remaining malted candy and press lightly to stick.
- Bake the chocolate cookie bars for about 25-30 minutes, or until they just begin to brown. Let the cookie bars cool completely before slicing, otherwise, the mixture will be too gooey to cut.
Expert Tips
- To make your Easter cookie bars more chocolatey, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on the dough before baking.
- Chill them before slicing so they’ll slice easily.
- Swap Whoppers if you can’t find the Robins Eggs.
FAQs
Why should I use a metal pan to bake these?
Using a metal pan helps bake the cookie dough better.
Can I use another cake mix flavor?
Yes, you can use any flavor of cake mix you like.
Can you freeze cookie bars?
Yes, you can freeze these Easter magic bars for up to 3 months.
Malted Gooey Cake Bars
Gooey cake bars are the easiest dessert you’ll ever make. Add some Ovaltine and Whoppers or Robin Eggs and you have a malted version! These are perfect for a potluck because everyone will love them.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 approx 15 ounce yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon nonfat milk
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons Ovaltine (malted milk powder), divided
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ¼ cups malted milk balls (Whoppers or mini Robin Eggs), lightly crushed, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray liberally with cooking spray so that the bars don’t stick.
- Add cake mix, butter, egg, milk, and ¼ cup Ovaltine to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until a thick dough forms. Note: you can do this with a hand mixer but it will take a long time for the dough to come together, so just be prepared.
- Press about half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir 3 tablespoons of Ovaltine into the sweetened condensed milk and pour over the top of the base. Sprinkle 1 cup of the crushed malted candy over the top.
- Separate remaining dough into small balls and evenly space over the top of the bars. Press down to flatten. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of malted candy and press lightly to stick.
- Bake bars for about 25-30 minutes, or until they just begin to brown. Cool completely before slicing, otherwise the mixture will be too gooey to cut. Optional: eat straight from pan with a fork.
Recipe Notes
- To make your Easter cookie bars more chocolatey, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on the dough before baking.
- Chill them before slicing so they’ll slice easily.
- Swap Whoppers if you can’t find the Robins Eggs.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Other Gooey Bar Recipes
Last Updated on March 10, 2023
When I was a kid I used to drink Ovaltine for breakfast every day. It was magical! I’ve missed it so much. This recipe is so inspiring! I’ll have to go to the grocery store today and get all the ingredients so I can recapture my lost childhood.
Thanks, Dorothy!
Me too!! It brings back so many memories.
My next cookie recipe uses malted milk balls. But they’re not the adorable pastels like yours! These would be inhaled by me! 🙂
Of course it does! #greatminds. I almost put regular ones on half so I could pin them all year, lol.
Malt is a totally under appreciated flavor, so I love that you gave ’em the spotlight! Robins eggs and mini cadbury eggs are two of my Easter downfalls!
Me too Erin!
Robin Eggs are one of my favorite Easter candies! Love that you put them in these gooey cake bars. I bet they’re awesome with the malted milk powder too! I would love to stuff my fave with a couple of these right now. 🙂
These look so, so good Dorothy! I love the fudgy centre!
Robins Eggs, besides Reese’s eggs and cadbury eggs (!!) are my favorite Easter candy. It’s hard to choose! I would love these gooey bars Dorothy!
Thank you Sally!!
Oh my gosh I love Ovaltine!! I haven’t had it for years. Definitely need to change that and buy some. What a fun idea to put that powder into these gooey bars! Good luck with everything you need to get done Dorothy!
Love these…so fun & looks so good!!
Awww, thanks for the shout out! I love all your gooey bar creations! And I can’t believe with all you have going on that you had the type of night we all know you had . . . when it rains it pours.
Amazing! I love whoppers and robin’s eggs so I have to make these!
Featured In
Rate This Recipe