One of my favourite desserts to make is anything ‘bars’. They are great for a treat at home or for taking to special occasions like school functions and as a thank you for a dinner invite. You can cut them as small or big as you like, and usually they are a no-fail recipe to make.
Better yet? A bar recipe which calls for some of my favourite ingredients which I usually always have on hand. I really do have a love for recipes that call for baking essentials, without that extra trip to the store. Just like this recipe for Vanilla Cream Bars. Everything in this recipe is always in my pantry or added to the list when I use it up. Meaning, it’s a great one to make last minute!
Most of the work in this Vanilla Cream Bars recipe is the baking of the crust and waiting for the pudding layer to chill onto the base. Other than that, it’s simply mixing up the ingredients. Which, thanks to my KitchenAid Mixer, is no work at all.
Here’s the very best part: the sprinkles make the recipe. Meaning, you can get occasion sprinkles suited to holidays if you like. Little shamrocks for St. Patricks Day to tiny Snowmen for Christmas – it’s a recipe for all seasons! You can even choose a solid colour to match the theme of a party or fancy it up with silver balls for a more formal occasion.
Really, it’s one of those recipe that will come in handy all year long!
- • 2 cups all-purpose flour
- • 1/3 cup white sugar
- • 1 cup butter softened
- • 1 80z. package cream cheese softened
- • 1 cup icing sugar
- • 1 package vanilla pudding mix 4 serving size
- • 3/4 cup cold milk
- • Coloured sprinkles for garnish
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Preheat oven to 300ºF.
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In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Add in the butter and beat with an electric mixer on medium until crumbly.
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Add the dough mixture to a 13x9 inch ungreased pan and press down to make the shortbread base.
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Bake for 35 minutes or until edges of the shortbread are golden. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.
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Add the cream cheese and icing sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
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Add milk and pudding mix and continue to beat until smooth.
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Spoon the pudding mixture on the shortbread base and spread with a spoon evenly to cover.
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Sprinkle coloured sprinkles on top.
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Put in the fridge to set for a minimum one hour. I find it’s easier to cut if you leave it set overnight.
Those would go over BIG in my house. Each of my boys was born with a major sweet tooth and they’d love these!
It is quite possible that if I did make this I would eat the whole tray myself! =)
Just the name itself sounded amazing. I had to click over to see the pictures and check out the recipe. Looks easy enough to do with little helpers too. Thanks for the great recipe.
mmmmmm, thanks for sharing, I have everything here so I’m going to try this out, very easy to whip up, just hope I don’t eat the whole works I will have to share lol
I refuse to eat sprinkles any more. Every since my daughters discovered them, they end up everywhere!
This looks so good! Love it. Will be trying.
Those look delightful, and I bet they taste amazing!
The name alone has me drooling. These looks and sound so fantastic!!!
Me too, love vanilla. I so am going to have to make this!
YUMMY! I want to make these for some visiting company tonight!
WOW I almost always have those ingredients on hand too! I have never heard of a recipe like this though – going to be trying it out! 🙂 TY
Sprinkles should be their own food group. Love them and so does our son!
I love this recipe. My son does too. 🙂
Oh my goodness this looks like it would melt in your mouth, yummy!
They look delicious! I love that they sound easy to make!
These look wonderful! I pinned them to my sweet treats board.
We did a lemon lime bar similar to this a while back. I love bars w pudding
Although we call those shots not sprinkles
Those look both fluffy and creamy! Yum! Although, not sure how good I am at being patient for allowing the layers to cook properly lol
I would have never guessed there was pudding in the bars! Genius!
Oh, those would disappear quickly in my house. Thanks for the recipe.
These look so good! I have been craving sweets all day so I would love to make some of these right now…
My kids would love, love, love these. We actually have an end of year party coming up and these would be perfect. Thanks so much for sharing
They certainly LOOK yummy and I like that I can tailor them to the holiday, what a great idea!
Those look so good!!! Plus easy to make too!
Your photos are fantastic. I would love to eat one of the bars now! Thank you so much for sharing.
Yummy! What a delicious recipe!
I’ll bet they just melt in your mouth. They look wonderful!
Oh yum! Those look amazing!
True. All common ingredients that are always in the house! Perfect reason to be on lookout for specialty sprinkles. I tend to have to bring some form of “casual” dessert quite often, last minute and to serve multiple tastes. I usually go to the premade section, but this looks too simple that I might have to get rid of that habit.
They look fantastic. I have been getting together ideas for summer treats for my kids. I will be adding this to the list.
WOW–this looks awesome–and you make it easy to follow the directions–we will have to try this out!!! thanks for sharing
So delicious. Gotta try that recipe!
These sound really good, and easy to make. I love cream cheese we always have a couple blocks in our fridge.
These easy to make & look delicious! Thanks for sharing
I have all the ingredients on hand to whip this up tomorrow night’s dessert treat. I am sure they will be very popular!
These sound super tasty! Thanks!
Thanks for posting. My 3 year old son loves Vanilla so these will sure to be a hit!
These look delicious, I have always preferred creamy vanilla to heavier chocolate bars.
Will definitely have to give these a try!
I am assuming the pudding is instant?
these look delicious! thanks for the recipe!
ok I have to try these! Look yummy and so pretty!!