Apple Pie Gooey Bars

Apple Pie Gooey Bars

Fall is here! I was asked to bring a dessert to a family gathering, and my original plan of Maple Cream Apple Pie was eliminated when I arrived at the grocery store 10 minutes after it closed. Rather than taking the time to drive to the 24-hour Giant Eagle, I decided that there were enough ingredients at home to come up with something else. I had everything I needed to make Butter Gooey Bars (always a hit), but I wanted to embrace the arrival of autumn. So, a can of apple pie filling that had been previously neglected finally found its place. I'm not sure if anyone has put this spin on gooey bars before, but it turned out great. It's a rich little dessert, but it's a nice, new option for the fall dessert line-up.

Layer 1:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted

1 egg

Layer 2:

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 block cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t. cinnamon

21 oz. can apple pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 pan.

For Layer #1, mix together cake mix, melted butter, and egg. Press into bottom on 13x9 pan.

For Layer #2, cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix in apple pie filling, and pour on top of Layer #1.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. When you remove the pan from the oven, the middle should look a little gooey -- not TOO gooey, but it shouldn't be completely set.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

A Note From The Little Lady: To make standard Butter Gooey Bars, simply eliminate apple pie filling and cinnamon from Layer #2.