These birthday cake bars are a simple, no-mixer dessert inspired by classic magic bars, with white chocolate, sprinkles, and an easy birthday cake flavor twist.
Everything gets layered into the pan, baked once, and cut into chewy, sprinkle-studded bars that taste like birthday cake without actually making cake.
Why you’ll love these birthday cake bars
- No mixer, no fuss. Everything gets layered right into the pan, so they come together quickly with minimal cleanup.
- Soft, gooey, and sliceable. The bars set up enough to cut cleanly, but stay rich and chewy in the middle.
- Perfect for sharing. A 9×13 pan makes plenty for parties, birthdays, or casual get-togethers.
What makes these taste like birthday cake
Almond extract: This is optional, but a small amount adds a subtle bakery-style note that makes the bars taste a little more special and less one-dimensional. It doesn’t read as “almond”—it just adds depth.
White chocolate chips: White chocolate gives a creamy sweetness that mimics the feel of cake frosting, without actually turning the bars into a frosted dessert.
Golden Oreos: The vanilla cookies and sweet cream filling pair naturally with the white chocolate, reinforcing that cake-and-frosting flavor without actually adding frosting.
Rainbow jimmies: The sprinkles are mostly for looks here. They add a festive, birthday cake look without changing the flavor or texture of the bars.
How to make birthday cake bars
- Stir graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly saturated.
- Press firmly into a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.
- Layer white chocolate chips, Golden Oreos, and rainbow jimmies over the crust.
- Top evenly with sweetened condensed milk.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When done, they should look like the photo below.
Recipe notes and tips
Use jimmies, not nonpareils. Jimmies (the longer sprinkles) hold their color as the bars bake. Nonpareils (round sprinkles) tend to bleed and can muddy the look of the bars.
Press the crust firmly. Taking an extra minute to really compact the graham cracker crust helps it hold together once the bars are sliced. The bottom of a measuring cup works well here.
Almond extract is optional, but worth it. If you have it on hand, it adds a subtle bakery-style note that makes the bars taste a little more special without making the bars taste like almond.
Ingredient swaps: You can substitute regular Oreos for Golden Oreos, or use another type of baking chip if you’d like. Keep in mind that darker chips (like semi-sweet or milk chocolate) can dull the colorful pop of the sprinkles.
Storing your bars
Store birthday cake bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the bars for up to 2 months. Because they’re fairly gooey, it helps to place them on a wax paper–lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer them to an airtight container so they don’t stick together or lose their shape.
A few other recipes you might enjoy:
Nutella Magic Bars
Turtle Bars
Birthday Cake Tiramisu
Birthday Cake Cheesecake
Did you make these birthday cake bars? Awesome! Leave me a comment and rating below! And post a pic on Instagram. Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!
Easy birthday cake bars inspired by classic magic bars, made with white chocolate, Golden Oreos, sprinkles, and sweetened condensed milk. Soft, chewy, no-mixer, and perfect for sharing.
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs from 11 to 12 sheets
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 8 Golden Oreos chopped
- 1/3 cup rainbow jimmies
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract*
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. (You can line the pan with parchment paper to lift the bars out easily for slicing but be sure to grease the edges of the pan well since sweetened condensed milk tends to stick.)
Make the crust: Stir the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Firmly press the mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. (Using the bottom of a measuring cup helps really compact the crust.)
Add the layers: Evenly layer the white chocolate chips, chopped Golden Oreos, and rainbow jimmies over the crust.
Add the condensed milk: If using almond extract, pour the sweetened condensed milk into a small bowl and stir in the extract until well combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the layered ingredients.
- If not using almond extract, simply pour the sweetened condensed milk directly over the chips, Oreos, and sprinkles.
Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and lightly golden.
- Cool completely, then slice into bars and serve. (For cleaner slices, refrigerate the bars for a few hours before cutting.)
Storage: Store your birthday cake bars in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. They’ll keep in the fridge in airtight containers for about a week.
- You can also freeze them in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Since they’re fairly gooey, I like to set them on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer to airtight containers so they don’t become misshapen or stick together.
- *The almond extract is optional but if you have it on hand I encourage you to add it. It gives the bars just a little something more birthday cake-like.
- Jimmies (oblong sprinkles) are better in this recipe. Nonpareils (round sprinkles) tend to bleed.
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