A yellow cake mix and maple syrup are combined to make these sweet maple walnut bars. Set aside the chocolate and fruit to try the nutty maple flavor.
When you’ve had a frustrating, unaccomplished day at work or a long day at home with cranky kids, sometimes you just need to drown your sorrows in something sweet. Because sugar makes everything better, right?
Normally when I think of a comforting dessert, chocolate immediately comes to mind. But there’s one time of year when I veer off the chocolate and peanut butter dessert track. And that is during the fall – the Thanksgiving & Christmas seasons.
This time of year, I’m all about the warm flavors of cinnamon and maple to cure my “long day” woes. These sweet and simple maple walnut bars are a not-often thought about combination that just totally whispers comfort food on these cozy fall days.
What I love about these maple walnut bars is that they start with a box yellow cake mix.
Some of my favorite cakes are semi-homemade as this one. There are just so many things you can do with a cake mix!
You mix this snack cake recipe up in two different parts. One part as a base, then a fluffier “topping”. It all kind of bakes together in the end, but the maple syrup soaks down and makes the bottom kind of “gooey”. Super soft and extra moist.
It reminds me of a cake. It reminds me of pancakes. Which makes it a perfectly appropriate way to start a day and prevent bad days altogether.
Oh…and I recommend a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream on top of this warm cake.
Goodbye stresses of the day…hello smiles.
- 1 package yellow cake mix, divided
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1⅓ cups maple syrup
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
- Reserve ⅔ cup dry cake mix. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining cake mix, butter and egg in a large bowl. Stir until blended.
- Spread this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In another bowl, combine the reserved cake mix, syrup, eggs, brown sugar and maple flavoring in a large bowl.
- Beat at low speed for 3 minutes.
- Pour over the bottom layer.
- Sprinkle the top with walnuts.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.
- Cool completely, then cut into pieces.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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