Easy Maple Walnut Bars (Doctored Cake Mix)

These easy Maple Walnut Bars start with a simple cake mix crust and are topped with a rich, gooey maple walnut layer. Sweet, buttery, nutty, and perfect for fall!

If you love the warm flavors of maple, brown sugar, and toasted walnuts, you're going to love these easy Maple Walnut Pie Bars. They start with a simple yellow cake mix crust and are topped with a rich, gooey maple-walnut filling. The end result is somewhere between a buttery dessert bar and an old-fashioned walnut pie, and I have to tell you: these were absolutely lovely.

The funny thing is, I hadn't planned to make them at all.

From Chocolate to Maple. . .the Perfect Day!

As I was putting together the chocolate pecan bars, it occurred to me that I could use the same basic concept but completely change the flavor profile. Instead of a chocolate cake mix base, I could use yellow cake mix. Instead of pecans, I could use those walnuts that had been patiently waiting for their moment. And instead of using vanilla alone in the filling, I could add maple extract.

The more I thought about it, the more excited I got about the second recipe. In fact, before the chocolate pecan bars were even out of the oven, I already had the maple walnut version assembled and waiting for its turn.

I'm so glad inspiration struck because these turned out beautifully.

Easy Maple Walnut Bars for Fall

As I write this, we're moving toward fall, though here in Texas the weather hasn't necessarily gotten the message yet. It's still plenty warm outside, but that hasn't stopped me from craving the flavors I associate with cooler weather.

Maple and walnuts definitely fall into that category for me. Add brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, and you've got the kind of warm, cozy dessert that makes me start thinking about fall gatherings and holiday baking even if the air conditioner is still running full blast.

These bars would be wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but they're simple enough to make anytime you're craving something sweet and nutty. They're also easy to transport, which makes them perfect for church gatherings, potlucks, cookie trays, or sharing with friends. In fact, some of this batch is headed to church with me tomorrow.

Turning a Box of Cake Mix into Dessert Bars

If you've been hanging around Out of the Box Baking for any length of time, you already know that I have a long history of looking at a box of cake mix and wondering what else I can turn it into.

Cake is only the beginning!

One of my favorite tricks is turning a boxed cake mix into a simple dough by dramatically reducing the liquid. For these bars, I combined a yellow cake mix with one egg and just half a stick of butter. Instead of creating a pourable cake batter, those ingredients come together into a thick dough that can be pressed directly into the bottom of the baking dish.

There's no flour to measure, no pastry to roll, and no separate crust recipe to make. Even better, I didn't par-bake the crust. The whole thing went into the oven together.

And something really delicious happened while it baked.

A Gooey Maple Walnut Topping

I scattered the walnuts over the unbaked cake mix crust and then poured the maple filling over everything.

As the bars baked, some of that sweet filling worked its way into the cake mix layer beneath it. The very bottom developed enough structure to hold the bars together, while the upper portion of the crust absorbed some of those buttery maple flavors.

The result was exactly what I'd hoped for: a sturdy golden bottom, a softer and almost caramelized middle, and a gooey walnut topping.

The walnuts themselves toasted beautifully in the oven, and the maple extract added just enough flavor to distinguish these from a traditional walnut or pecan pie. It doesn't overwhelm the other ingredients. It simply gives the bars that warm maple flavor that works so beautifully with walnuts.

Ingredients You'll Need

You'll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a glance at what you're going to need to make these simple and delicious bars. These are easy ingredients you might already have in your pantry or refrigerator.

For the Base

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• Maple extract

For the Maple Walnut Topping

• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

How to Make Maple Walnut Pie Bars

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing a 9x13-inch baking dish. I like to use parchment paper with enough extending over the sides that I can lift the finished bars from the pan after they've cooled.

Combine the yellow cake mix with one egg and four tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until everything comes together into a thick dough, then press it evenly across the bottom of your prepared baking dish.

Scatter the chopped walnuts evenly over the unbaked crust.

For the filling, start by whisking the eggs thoroughly. This helps make sure you don't end up with any little visible bits of egg after baking. Add the brown sugar, light corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple extract and whisk until everything is completely incorporated.

Pour the filling evenly over the walnuts and cake mix layer, then transfer the pan to the oven.

Bake until the edges are beautifully golden and the center is set. You can expect a very slight jiggle in the center when the bars first come from the oven, but the filling shouldn't look wet or sloshy.

Then comes the difficult part: leave them alone.

Allow the bars to cool completely before lifting them from the pan and cutting them. The filling continues to set as it cools, and you'll get much cleaner slices if you give it enough time.

Slice Them Up!

Using the parchment, lift the bars from the casserole dish. Cut into pieces, the size of your choosing. (These are rich so small is good!)

Serve and Enjoy!

These delicious bars are so easy to love. You're going to love them and so are your guests. (More on that below!)

What Do Maple Walnut Pie Bars Taste Like?

I decided to call these Maple Walnut Pie Bars because that gooey topping really does remind me of an old-fashioned nut pie. You've got the brown sugar and syrup, the buttery filling, and plenty of walnuts, but instead of pouring everything into a pastry crust, we're baking it over an incredibly easy cake mix base.

Texture-wise, there's a lot going on in the best possible way. The bottom is firm enough to pick up with your fingers, but the middle is softer and richer where the filling has soaked into it. Then you get that sticky, nutty maple topping.

They're rich, so you don't need an enormous piece. I cut mine into fairly small squares, which makes them especially nice for a dessert tray where people might want to sample several different treats.

Variations on These Maple Walnut Bars

There are certainly ways you could change this recipe. Pecans could be substituted for the walnuts if that's what you have on hand, and a butter pecan cake mix would be interesting in place of the yellow cake mix. A little cinnamon would push the flavors even farther toward fall, and dark brown sugar could add a deeper molasses note.

On our sister site (Backyard Texas Grill) we made this recipe using a chocolate cake mix as the base and pecans in place of walnuts. Talk about delicious!

How to Store Maple Walnut Pie Bars

Once the bars are completely cool, place them in an airtight container. You can also refrigerate them for longer storage, though I prefer the texture when they're closer to room temperature.

These should also freeze nicely, which makes them a good candidate for getting ahead on holiday baking. Separate layers with parchment or waxed paper and store them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw them before serving.

What I Think About These Bars

I made two pans of dessert bars today. Both were good, and I was happy with both recipes.

But these maple walnut bars were the ones that really surprised me.

Maybe it was the maple. Maybe it was the way that gooey filling settled into the yellow cake mix crust. Maybe those walnuts had simply been sitting in my refrigerator for six months waiting for their moment to shine.

Whatever the reason, these were lovely.

They looked good. They tasted good. The texture was exactly what I wanted. And the recipe came together from one of those random kitchen thoughts that started with, I wonder what would happen if...

Those unexpected recipes often turn out to be some of my favorites.

I have a feeling I'll be making this one again.

Thanks for Stopping By!

If you make these delicious Maple Walnut Bars and enjoy them please leave a comment or review. And before you go, please pin some photos to your Pinterest boards. We love it when you share our recipes!

Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →