Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Bars
These Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Bars are reminiscent of the strawberry shortcake ice cream bars you had as a kid but in a soft and chewy cookie bar! So delicious and unique with a crunchy shortcake topping, creamy whipped frosting and strawberry cookie base.
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- One box strawberry cake mix any brand
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Shortcake Crunch Topping:
- 18-20 Golden Oreos, coarsely crushed (use the whole Oreo, but make sure there's no huge chunks)
- 3 oz (1 small box/85g) strawberry gelatin powder just the dry powder
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F. Line a 13x9" light metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the sides of the foil or parchment over the edges of the pan. Spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix powder (just the powder, do not prepare the cake mix), melted butter, and egg with a rubber spatula until a soft dough comes together. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan using your hands to form an even layer. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For the frosting: In the bowl fo a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape out of the bowl and reserve in another smaller bowl. In the same stand mixer bowl, add the heavt whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla and use the whisk attachment to whip until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Gently fold the beaten cream cheese back into the whipped cream until no streaks of cream cheese remain, taking care not to fold too vigorously or you'll deflate your whipped cream.
- Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting evenly over the bars. Refrigerate while you prepare your shortcake crumb.
- For the shortcake crunch topping: In a medium bowl, combine the coarsely crushed Golden Oreo crumbs, strawberry gelatin powder, and melted butter and stir until fully combined and coated. Take handfuls and liberally sprinkle over the frosted bars, using your hands to gently press the crumb mixture into the frosting layer. Cut into bars and serve immediately, or store leftovers in the fridge.