Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (2024)

These easy Chess Squares are a simple and comforting Southern dessert! Flaky and buttery, this sweet treat goes perfectly with tea or coffee.

Chess Squares

When I was in New York a few weeks ago we stopped by one of the most unique bakeries I’ve ever visited, Momof*cku Milk Bar. Noted for their unusual concoctions like cookies made with potato chips, birthday cake truffles, and cereal milk ice cream, I’d been wanting to visit Momof*cku’s and try a slice of their famous Crack Pie since I came across the recipe in the LA Times last year.

The thought did cross my mind that I could actually, you know, make the recipe myself, but one thing kept stopping me. It’s decidedly fussy.

With 22 ingredients (including 8 egg yolks, ugh) and the advertised one-and-a-half hours of labor-intensive preparation, I just kept putting the whole thing off.

When I did finally get the chance to taste it two weeks ago, I immediately flashed back to my college days when my girlfriends and I would flounce around in the kitchen, throwing dinner parties for our boyfriends, and making sinfully sweet treats for church Bible studies. Crack Pie reminded me of one of my old standbys, Chess Squares, an unbelievably indulgent southern dessert staple and one of the first desserts I remember making on my own.

I proclaimed this revelation to my foodie friends (except I was really thinking that chess squares are so much better), but all I received were blank stares. They’d never heard of chess squares. Chalking it up to being a “southern thing”, I knew as soon as I got home I had to share this ridiculously delicious recipe with you guys.

The best part is, chess squares couldn’t be easier to make. Just five simple ingredients here.

If this is looking familiar to you, you’re doing better than I was at this point. More on that in a minute.

How to Make These Classic Chess Squares

You start by mixing a yellow cake mix with melted butter and one egg to form a soft dough .

It was at this point that I started to think myself, Huh. This seems a little familiar.

But I pushed the thought out of my head and carried on.

You then mix a pound of powdered sugar with softened cream cheese and the remaining two eggs to create a decadent gooey filling. No wonder they’re so good!

But… Haven’t I seen this recipe somewhere before… recently?

Oh right. That’s when it dawned on me. It’s almost the exact recipe for…

Gooey Butter Cake.

Doh.

How did I not realize that my beloved chess squares were also masquerading under the famous Paula Deen recipe until… just now?

Doh. Again. I wrestled with myself whether or not I should even post the recipe, scolding myself that you’ve all surely heard of gooey butter cake.

But I ultimately decided that no matter what you call them, this delicious dessert definitely deserves a second look.

From its decadent, chewy crust…

To its rich, gooey filling…

And the flaky, sugary, satisfyingly crispy crust…

To the way it makes your whole house smell so divinely sweet and buttery.

If you’ve never made chess squares or gooey butter cake… Give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Print

Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (16)

Chess Squares

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 27 reviews

  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (17) Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (18) Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (19) Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (20) Yield: About 12 squares 1x
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (21) Category: Dessert
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (22) Method: Oven
  • Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (23) Cuisine: American

Print

Description

These easy Chess Squares are a simple and comforting Southern dessert! Flaky and buttery, this sweet treat goes perfectly with tea or coffee.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
  2. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan.
  3. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust.
  4. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

You May Also Like:

  • The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe EVER

  • Dutch Butter Cake Recipe

  • Best Creamed Corn Recipe Ever

  • Gooey S'mores Cookies Recipe

  • Stuffed Nutella Cookies

  • The Best Guacamole Recipe Ever!

  • Easy Cinnamon Rolls

  • 15 Best Recipes of 2015

  • Rainbow Vegetables

If you enjoyed this post, follow us day-to-day on Instagram @kevinandamanda! Tag your recipes and travels with #kevinandamanda. We'd love to see what you're sharing!

  • Desserts
  • Most Popular Recipes
Chess Squares Recipe | Simple Southern Dessert Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are chess squares made of? ›

This straightforward recipe uses basic ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry, like eggs, softened butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar. These ingredients combine to create a custard-like filling reminiscent of chess pie, yielding a delightfully uncomplicated, soft, gooey-baked treat.

Why are they called chess bars? ›

Compared to other custard-based pastries, the chess pie holds up relatively well at room temperature. Often, it was stored in something called a "pie chest." The word "chest," some say, eventually became "chess." Southern gentlemen liked to enjoy the dessert after dinner while they played chess.

What are the chess squares called? ›

The chessboard is an 8x8 grid of alternating colored squares. Half of the 64 squares are called light squares, while the others are known as dark squares. When setting up a chessboard, you should always have a light square on the lower right (like the h1-square in the image below).

How many chess squares are there? ›

Chess is played on a board of 64 squares arranged in eight vertical rows called files and eight horizontal rows called ranks. These squares alternate between two colours: one light, such as white, beige, or yellow; and the other dark, such as black or green.

Are buttermilk pie and chess pie the same? ›

Both pies are very similar but have a few distinct differences. Like a chess pie, buttermilk pie starts with the same main components of butter, sugar, and eggs. But instead of milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), it uses straight buttermilk to give it a tart lusciousness.

What's the difference between a chess pie and a custard pie? ›

While both pies have a custard filling, the main difference is that chess pie has cornmeal in the filling. There is also acidity added (from the cider vinegar) to balance out the sweetness of the chess pie.

What does N mean in chess? ›

Let's break it down. First, we need to identify which piece we're moving: K = king Q = queen R = rook N = knight B = bishop.

What is 1 doubled 64 times? ›

There are stories that use wheat instead of rice, but in either case, 1 doubled 64 times yields the number 18 followed by 18 zeros.

Which is the most important square in chess? ›

Starting from the top row (from White's perspective), the squares with the highest c ( s ) values are e 4 , h 4 , c 5 , and h 6 . These squares represent critical positions for White pawns. The square e 4 , located in the fourth row, is a well-known central square in chess.

What material are chess pieces made of? ›

Chess pieces begin life as shapeless blocks of hardwood. It's important that a high grade of solid hardwood is used, any voids or knots will render the chess piece a reject (or at least it should do). Typical woods for chess piece production include boxwood, ebony, rosewood, and sandalwood.

What kind of stone are chess pieces made of? ›

The most popular type of stone chess sets are made from marble or onyx. Marble chess sets have a huge variety of colors and textures, ranging from traditional whites, blacks, and grays to unique colors such as green, reddish orange, or even coral and fossil stone.

What are old chess sets made of? ›

But in Europe, ivory was preferred for making of European chessmen. African ivory taken from the African elephant was used. At that time all the European chess pieces were made of African ivory while Eastern sets are of Indian. Quartz is a mineral used for making Hard Chess Sets.

What are black chess pieces made of? ›

There are different types of ebony wood. Genuine ebony is very dense and heavy and expensive and so is rarely used for making chess sets nowadays. The ebony wood used instead is low grade which looks somewhat brownish and in order to make it jet black like genuine ebony they treat it with chemicals.

Top Articles
Spiced Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Easy "No Peek" Chicken Casserole Recipe
Edutone Skyward
Rachel Sheherazade Nua
Express Pay Cspire
Booked On The Bayou Houma 2023
Omega Pizza-Roast Beef -Seafood Middleton Menu
Tear Of The Kingdom Nsp
Cmx Cinemas Gift Card Balance
Humidity Yesterday At My Location
My Happy Feet Shoes Review: How I Finally Got Relief from Years of Heel Pain - 33rd Square
Saydel Botanica
S10 Mpg
Which Statement About These Two Restaurant Meals Is Correct
Her Triplet Alphas Chapter 32
Nyu Paralegal Program
Food Universe Near Me Circular
Comenity Pay Cp
Advanced Eyecare Bowling Green Mo
Ksat Doppler Radar
Fd Photo Studio New York
Brise Stocktwits
Adventhealth Employee Handbook 2022
Drug Stores Open 24Hrs Near Me
Scrap Metal Prices in Indiana, Pennsylvania Scrap Price Index,United States Scrap Yards
Pirates Point Lake Of The Ozarks
Kp Scheduling
Anna Shumate Leaks
Publix Christmas Dinner 2022
Shapovalov Flashscore
The Abduction of Heather Teague
Www.questdiagnostics.com
Best Boxing Gyms Near Me
MyChart | University Hospitals
Amarillos (FRIED SWEET PLANTAINS) Recipe – Taste Of Cochin
Snowy Hydro Truck Jobs in All Sydney NSW - Sep 2024 | SEEK
Sounder Mariners Schedule
Craigslist Hart Mi
631 West Skyline Parkway, Duluth, MN 55806 | Compass
Bdo Obsidian Blackstar
Dyi Urban Dictionary
General Kearny Inn Motel & Event Center
Seattle Rpz
Topic: Prisoners in the United States
Mtb Com Online
Effingham Radio News
Alvin Isd Ixl
Ebony Grinding Lesbian
On “Trophy,” Kate Davis Leaves the Conservatory Behind
Craigslist Groton
Corn-Croquant Dragées 43%
Craigslist Org Las Vegas Cars
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated:

Views: 5793

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.