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Granny’s Goody Bars Recipe

In this post I’ll be sharing Granny’s Goody Bars Recipe!

What are goody bars? Granny’s goody bars are an easy sweet cookie bar treat. Goody bars are similar to chess bars. 

A delicious base layer is made with a boxed cake mix and cream cheese then topped with pecans and gets a final layer of a powdered sugar and coconut topping before baking.

These will satisfy your sweet tooth cravings in a jiffy! The top layer remains gooey and is so delicious. 

I love these goody bars after they’ve been chilled in the refrigerator. Coconut pecan goody bars are also perfect for sharing!

Cake Mix Cookie Bars

Delicious gooey bars with pecan and coconut dessert - Granny's Goody Bars Recipe

Check out those delicious layers! That ooey gooey coconut topping is incredible!

It is amazing the things that you can create using a boxed cake mix.

Ooey Gooey Bars

How to make goody bars ingredients

What do I need to make Goody Bars? Just a few ingredients! 

White Cake Mix
Butter
Eggs
Pecans
Cream Cheese
Confectioner’s Sugar
Coconut
and a little bit of love

Granny’s original recipe called for a can of coconut. I haven’t seen those blue cans of flaked coconut in ages so I adjusted the recipe to use coconut out of the bags that we all use now.

Cake Mix Gooey Bars Recipe

Pressing cake mix and cream cheese cookie bar dough into baking dish - Granny's goody bars recipe

The bottom soft chewy cookie layer of the goody bars will be made with the cake mix, some butter and and egg. 

The batter will be a little stiff but is easy to spread out in your baking dish using your fingers. It kind of feels like Play-Doh.

Try to get the bottom layer as close to even as possible for even cooking.

Goody Bars Recipe with Cake Mix and Powdered Sugar

Pressing pecans into goody bar cake dough

Next comes some chopped pecans. I just love pecans don’t you? Once again this past holiday season I was thrilled to be gifted a pound of pecans from my neighbors.

Gently press the chopped pecans into the cake layer. Don’t press them in too much though, you don’t want to bury them.

Coconut Pecan Gooey Bars

Powdered sugar coconut mixture for goody bars recipe

The final layer is the sweetest ooey gooey layer. It is so rich and creamy after the goody bars are baked. 

This layer is made with the powdered (confectioners) sugar, cream cheese, eggs and coconut.

Just pour the creamy coconut layer over the bottom pecan layer and spread it out to cover the lower layer.

Granny’s Goody Bars

Good bars fresh from the oven - Easy cookie Bars Recipe

Into the oven it goes to bake to golden brown perfection. See how it all looks kind of even out of the oven? Well, most of the center will sink down some (like a quiche does) as it cools.

Allow the goody bars to cool completely before slicing. In fact if you can hold off, allow them to chill in the fridge overnight.

It might just be me but I’ve always thought they were best cold from the fridge cause that’s how Granny always served them.

Old Fashioned Goody Bars

Granny's goody bars cut into small squares

Since Granny’s goody bars are also quite sweet, I like to cut them into small squares, about 2 inch by 2 inch in size. It is just enough for a couple of tasty bites.

You’ll get over 30 bars cutting them smaller in size. Keep the goody bars covered in the refrigerator and they’ll last up to a week.

Granny’s Goody Bars Recipe

Yield: 36 Goody Bars

Granny's Goody Bars Recipe

Delicious gooey bars with pecan and coconut dessert

Granny's good bars recipe are an easy sweet treat made with a boxed cake mix. This layered dessert cookie bars are a classic and have been around forever. The creamy ooey gooey top layer is so delicious with just the right amount of coconut flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Boxed White Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist)
  • 1 Stick of Butter, melted
  • 3 Eggs, divided use (see instructions)
  • ¾ cup Pecans, chopped
  • 8 ounce Cream Cheese, softened
  • 16 ounce Box of Confectioner's Sugar
  • 1 cup Moist Flaked Coconut (this is the sweetened coconut)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. In a mixing bowl, use a hand electric mixer to combine the cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg. Batter will be stiff; spread into an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish.
  3. Next, spread the chopped pecans over the cake mix layer then gently press them into just a little bit.
  4. For the final layer; in a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar and 2 eggs with a hand mixer at medium speed.
  5. Next, add the flaked coconut and combine. Pour the creamy coconut mixture over the bottom layers in the baking dish.
  6. Bake 45 minutes.
  7. Allow the goody bars to cool completely then cover and refrigerate overnight Cut into small squares for serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 60mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g
Goody Bars - Pin Image

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Thank you so much for stopping by! I’m so happy that you did. I know you’ll love Granny’s Good Bars. They are such a delicious treat!

While you’re here, check out some of my other recipes. You can also subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a weekly newsletter so that you never miss the latest recipes and news here on the blog.

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Knyvett Barnes

Sunday 23rd of January 2022

It says separate the eggs and see instructions then nothings else???

Julia Jordan

Monday 24th of January 2022

It says, divided, then in the instructions some of the eggs are used in the bottom layer and the rest in the creamy top layer. Let me know if you have other questions. ~Julia

Miz Helen

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Congratulations your Grannys-Goody Bars are featured on Full Plate Thursday, 523 this week! Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe with us, we have pinned it to our feature board! Miz Helen

Julia Jordan

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Thank you so much, Miz Helen!

Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Loving the look of these. Super-easy and full of yummy flavours. Pecan and coconut? I'm in! #FullPlateThursday

Julia Jordan

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Thanks, Kate! They're a yummy treat.

Claudine

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Julia, This recipe looks absolutely scrumptious! Thank you for sharing it and I'll definitely be making it soon. You mentioned the original recipe called for a can of Angel Flake coconut and you hadn't seen those cans in years. When the bags of coconut started showing up in the stores, I took the time to measure just how much coconut was in the can and came up with 1 1/3 cups. Not trying to be a smart ***, just trying to be helpful, so please don't take offense. I love your blog and your recipes. Thank you for all the work you put in publishing your blog.

Julia Jordan

Thursday 11th of February 2021

Claudine, Thank you so much! I appreciate your support here on the blog. Good to know on the coconut ratios. It's been so long since I've seen the cans. You were smart to measure it out. ~Julia

Carlee

Thursday 4th of February 2021

Yum! They look like coconut and pecan gooey butter cake. I love them already.

Julia Jordan

Thursday 4th of February 2021

They are so yummy that it is hard for me to control myself

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