White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

PinSave

This post may contain affiliate links.

I love white chocolate.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

And I have a thing for layered bars

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Some people say white chocolate is too sweet.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Are you kidding me?

Nothing is too sweet for me.

Nothing.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Those same people who complain about desserts being “too sweet” will probably say these bars are “too rich” for them.

 

Nothing is too rich for me.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

I just don’t think desserts can be too sweet or too rich.

 

Period.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Or too gooey.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars
If you disagree, then just go back for a second helping of broccoli.  I’ll take a second helping of these.

[print_this]

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars (4 Layers)

Ingredients

Cake Layer (1st/base layer)

1/2 c butter, softened

1 box vanilla, white, or yellow cake mix (I used yellow)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Marshmallow/Peanut Butter Layer (2nd layer)

2/3 c marshmallow creme

2/3 c peanut butter

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

White Chocolate Layer (3rd layer)

1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chips

 

White Chocolate Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Layer (4th/ top layer)

1/4 c butter (half stick)

1/3 c white chocolate (I used 2 baker’s squares of white chocolate, or use white chocolate chips)

2 c powdered sugar (variable from 1.5 to 3 cups based on desired consistency)

2 tbsp cream (or milk.  I used Coffeemate Vanilla coffee creamer)

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray well with cooking spray.

2. For the cake (1st/base) layer: Place stick of butter into a large bowl and microwave until the butter is softened (or just plan ahead and soften it at room temperature over time).  Add cake mix, egg, and vanilla extract to the softened butter and mix with a spoon or your hands until well combined.  It will be the consistency of very thick cookie dough and if it’s just not quite all combining, add 1 or 2 tbsp of water as needed.  Press dough into prepared baking pan.

3. For the marshmallow/peanut butter (2nd) layer: Place marshmallow creme, peanut butter, condensed milk, and vanilla extract into a large bowl and mix until well combined.  Pour over the dough.

4. For the white chocolate (3rd) layer: Sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly over the top of the marshmallow/PB layer

5. Bake for 20-23 minutes at 350F.  Center may seem somewhat jiggly, but will set up while cools.  Don’t overbake.  You want these gooey.

6. While bars are baking, make the white chocolate vanilla buttercream frosting (4th/top) layer: Add butter and white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-45 second increments, removing from the heat, and stirring and re-microwaving until melted and smooth.  Don’t scorch the white chocolate.  Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract and stir until smooth and is in a semi-pourable consistency.   For thicker frosting, use less cream or more powdered sugar.  Play around with ratios to your liking.

7. After the bars are out of the oven, allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes and then drizzle the frosting over the top.   You can also frost them in entirety rather than drizzling (you will likely have enough frosting to do so).

8. Allow to cool well before slicing and serving.  Expedite this by placing in the fridge or freezer.

Notes: To make this gluten free, use GF cake mix.

To make this vegan, in place of the egg, use a chia or flax egg like I instructed how to do in this recipe.  Use margarine in place of butter.  Use full fat coconut milk sweetened with agave for the sweetened condensed milk.  Use vegan white chocolate and vegan marshmallows<– Lots of tweaks, yes, but not impossible.

[/print_this]

 

A Visual Guide:

Gather your ingredients for the cake/base layer

Ingredients for White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Make the dough

Dough of White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Press dough into pan

Dough of White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Gather the ingredients for the marshmallow/peanut butter layer

Ingredients on countertop

Make mixture and spread over the top of the cake layer

cake layer

Add the white chocolate chips

white chocolate chipsDoesn’t that look good!

Chip nirvana. That’s what I imagine the pearly gates of heaven looking like.

Place pan in oven to bake and while your pan ‘o heaven is baking make the white chocolate vanilla buttercream frosting.

Don’t just straight up drink this.  But I wanted to.

After bakingWhite Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

 

Afternd cooling 5-10 minutes, drizzle the white chocolate vanilla buttercream frosting over the top  and (or frost bars in entirety rather than drizzling since the frosting recipe will make a bit extra)

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake BarsWhite chocolate ribbons and swirls. 

Just taking these pictures was euphoric for me.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

Cool, slice, and serve

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

These are crazy good.

The cakey layer, then the gooey peanut butter vanilla sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow layer that just melts in your mouth

And the crunch of the white chocolate chips

All topped with white chocolate vanilla buttercream frosting. 

Oh these are totally fat free and calorie free, did I mention?

They are probably the best bars I’ve made in recent memory. 

Or ever.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

There’s a wonderful cakey-ness to them because of the cake layer at the bottom.  A bit white chocolate blondie-like.

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars

But because of everything else going on in the middle layer: the marshmallow creme, the peanut butter, all that vanilla…

White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars…even after they’re baked, they’re still semi-drippy in the middle layer.

Sort of oozing.

That would be a marshmallow-cremey-peanut-buttery-vanillaey oozey, luscious, drippy mess.

With white chocolate chips everywhere.

And white chocolate buttercream frosting on top

Overhead of two bars on white plate

It sort of crackles as it cools.  Mmmm, good.

Overhead of one bar on plate

It’s one good thing after the next as you sink your teeth into one of these sugar bombs.

Two stacked White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars on plate
And yes, they are sweet.  And rich. 

But I already covered that.

Overhead of two stacked White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars on plateIf you don’t like sweet desserts, or rich desserts, then skip these. 

Go eat beans or celery sticks or cardboard or something less sweet and less rich.

But if you’d like to be transported to heaven (or at the very least transported to the dentist from the cavities you may get from these) then go ahead and make these.

Four White Chocolate Vanilla Marshmallow Cake Bars on white plate stacked

You will thank me later for the peer pressure.

Close up of bars stacked on plate showing layers

Close up of two stacked bars on plate

Questions:

1. What’s your favorite dessert bar

Not talking cookies or pies or cakes. 

I’m talking bars, blondies, or brownies

In recent memory the highest praises goes to

Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Magic Eight Bars

Nutter Butter Special K Bars (No Bake)

Special K Bars (No Bake)

Honorable Mention: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Marshmallow Stuffed Rice Krispie Bars

I happen to love bars.  Maybe it’s my Minnesota upbringing where bringing a pan of bars was standard protocol for everything from graduation parties to funeral luncheons to bridal showers.  You just brought bars.

2. Do you like White Chocolate?

I love it!

I am adding this recipe to my White Chocolate Recipes Collection post

Need other white chocolate ideas?

No Bake White Chocolate & Mango Cookie Dough Bites

PB Cups with Half White Chocolate/Half Dark Chocolate Outside with Chocolate PB Center

White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

All around I have nothing but love for white chocolate.

3. What’s the best thing you ate or did over the weekend?

I had a big and busy week!

These bars ranked right up there a best thing as did the other dessert I made and mentioned in my last post, Ooh La La

If you’re just catching up on posts from the weekend, here are mine since Friday:

Have a great start to your week!

 

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. NEED to make these ASAP!! I’m seriously drooling looking at the screen. I adore white chocolate, though it falls into a different category than my regular chocolate cravings. And I agree that nothing can ever be too sweet or too rich!

    I ate a TON of incredible food this weekend. The freshest sushi I’ve ever had, a lemongrass mojito, chocolate caramel toffee and chocolate peanut butter gelato, an Ethiopian feast, an authentic Brazilian breakfast and a massive veggie and cheddar savory crepe with French fries. It was a good weekend, indeed ;)

  2. These look aweseome!! I LOVE white chocolate, so I can’t wait to try these! One thing, do you think I can skip the peanut butter?

    1. Yes I’m sure you can either skip it entirely, reduce the amt you use, or use another kind of nut butter than you enjoy. Not a “critical” ingredient but of course, it’s a yummy one :)

  3. Holy Mother of pear! I’m coming to live with you…I don’t care what anyone says, I am shaking up and eating all of your freaking sweets. My thighs will hate me, but my heart will love me….and you ;)

    Look amazing!!

    xxoo

  4. I love whit chocolate!! I also think that nothing can be too sweet . I get so upset when I am somewhere and people say that you will only need a slither of this dessert. I want a huge piece people!! I have to say that I’m not a fan of chocolate, but white chocolate is one of my favorite things to eat. When I saw you combined white chocolate with peanut butter, I was drooling!! :) This is my favorite recipe you have made.

  5. You and me both. I could have peanut butter on one spoon and nutella on the other with a side of shortbread {for crunch} and be perfectly zen.

  6. 1) if brownies count, then I definitely have to say brownies! my favorite and SF Fudge Foggies. I also love 7-layer bars.

    2) honestly, I’m not much of a white chocolate fan. For me, it’s all about the dark.

    3) hmm probably the mixed seafood grill my mom and I cooked for dinner last night. ’twas delicious.

  7. how can anything dessert-y in bar form be bad? ;)
    I love white chocolate!
    for some reason, I keep reading your blog at work and it makes my pregnant brain overrun with cravings for treats! your beautiful photography doesn’t make it any easier to wait to get home to bake :)

  8. Averie- You really know how to reel us all in with all those fabulous pictures! How could we NOT want to make these!? I sent this link to my boyfriend and he practically demanded over GChat I make the ASAP. hahaha I totally agree with GetSkinnyGoVegan… you would make an amazing recipe creator and food photographer for some lucky food company!

    1. fave bar: I adore fruit crisp/fruit based bars. Like apple crumble bars. And lemon bars. As I get older I am losing my taste for super sweet (though lemon bars are super sweet) and rich desserts like cheesecake. I used to be such a chocolate junky… especially in college!

    2. I love white chocolate. Have you ever had the Visges chcolate bars?? They have a white chocolate bar with lemon zest and pink peppercorns!! SO GOOD It’s called the Almalfi Exotic candy bar.

    3. Best think I did?? gave a wine tour in Boston (fun thing I am doing on the side during the weekends) and Retail therapy! New running clothes. Made my weekend :)

  9. These look gorgeous! Mmmm. I’m not such a big fan of white chocolate as I am of dark chocolate, but I like ANY chocolate! Specially Toblerone or Cote D’Or.
    I looove desserts, but I prefer anything cakey, like Sachtertorte or brownies.

    I missed reading your blog! I went on a holiday and afterwards, there were sooo many posts to read from so many blogs, I just read your blog from beginning of July. That was a whole lot! But I enjoyed doing it, it was relaxing, interesting and mouthwatering. I specially enjoyed all the photography posts, thank you for sharing all of the information! I think your photographyskills are improving every day, proved by your Foodgawker approvals ;) (congrats on that!)

  10. I also have no concept of a dessert that is “too sweet” or “too rich.” I wish I could understand what those phrases even mean! Hmm, trying to make a gluten-free dairy-free version of this looks a bit tricky, but these look SOOOO good. Seriously, I’m trying not to drool all over my keyboard. Which would be gross, in addition to messy. But white chocolate is my favorite kind of chocolate, even if it isn’t “real” chocolate. Who cares? It’s delicious!