This 5-ingredient oven baked gumdrop dessert is the kind of easy, nostalgic treat that comes together when you want something playful, festive, and just unusual enough to spark conversation at the table. Baking gumdrops with a few pantry staples creates a gooey, candy-studded bar with a soft cake-like base and chewy pockets of citrusy sweetness, and the orange-and-black color combination makes it especially fun for autumn parties, Halloween gatherings, or any time you want a retro-style dessert with almost no fuss.
Serve this warm or at room temperature with coffee, hot cider, or a glass of cold milk. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly whipped cream works particularly well alongside the sweet, chewy texture, and if you are putting together a dessert tray, these bars fit nicely next to salted nuts or plain butter cookies to balance the sweetness.
5-Ingredient Oven Baked Gumdrop Dessert
Servings: 9
Ingredients
1 cup raw unwrapped orange and black gumdrops, halved if large
1 box yellow cake mix, about 15.25 ounces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup mini marshmallows
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and eggs until a thick batter forms.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, then scatter the orange and black gumdrops over the top and finish with an even layer of mini marshmallows.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden, the marshmallows are toasted, and the center is set.
5. Let the dessert cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Variations & Tips
Nutty version: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter for a little crunch and a more old-fashioned dessert-bar texture.
Pan tip: Because gumdrops become very sticky as they bake, greasing the glass dish thoroughly or lining it with parchment paper will make serving much easier.
Color swap: You can use other gumdrop color combinations for different holidays, but keeping the total quantity the same helps the bars bake evenly and keeps the candy from overwhelming the base.
Serving tip: For cleaner squares, allow the dessert to cool completely before slicing; for a softer, gooier texture, serve it slightly warm with ice cream.