These magic cookie bars sometimes referred to as seven-layer bars or Hello Dolly Bars, live up to their name. The flavor combinations are out of this world. It all starts with the graham cracker crust, layered with chocolate chips, coconut, and crunchy pecans, then coated with the final layer of sweetened condensed milk to give them their gooey deliciousness.
Seven Layers of Deliciousness! (Magic Cookie Bars!)
You may be asking yourself, “What is this magic that I am tasting?” The magic in these Magic Bars is where the name comes from. They taste too good to be true. The mix of ingredients creates the ultimate dessert bar, they are 100% irresistible.
They are a great item to bring to potlucks, bake sales, or gatherings. The flavors offer something for everyone. The graham cracker crust is buttery, the coconut is sweet, the pecans add crunch, the sweetened condensed milk makes them ooey-gooey, and don’t forget the chocolate chips!
Best of all, they are so easy to make. When looking at these bars they seem like they might take awhile to make, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s pretty much as simple as making the graham cracker crust, layering the chocolate, coconut, and pecans, then topping it all off with sweetened condensed milk and baking. Easy peasy!
Recipe adapted from Dear Chrissy.
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 sheets)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded sweet coconut
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ⅔ cups sweetened condensed milk
Additions & Substitutions
Graham crackers: You can use regular honey graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, or opt for chocolate graham crackers for your bars. We generally use plain old regular ones. There is so much going on with these bars, the plain crackers will do.
Chocolate Chips: If you want to try out a different flavor you can swap out the milk chocolate chips for any kind of chocolate chips. I recommend trying butterscotch or white chocolate chips. You can even do half and half of two different types in the same pan of bars.
Pecans: If you’re not a fan of pecans you could definitely swap them out for a different type of chopped nuts. Walnuts, cashews, or almonds would also work great! You can also opt to leave the nuts out altogether if you’d like.
Coconut: You can use sweet or unsweetened shredded coconut. The sweetened condensed milk adds quite a bit of sweetness to the bars, so unsweetened coconut would work just fine, but if you like the extra sweet flavor, you can use sweet coconut as well.
How to Make Magic Cookie Bars
- Add graham crackers, vanilla, brown sugar, and butter to a mixing bowl and stir.
- Pour mixture into dish an 8×8 greased baking dish and press down.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Repeat 2 times.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned.
- Let cool before serving.
Tips for Making Magic Cookie Bars
Tip 1: Do not overcook these bars! Be sure to keep a good eye on them towards the end of your 30 minutes of baking. Right when you see the coconut beginning to brown, they are done!
Tip 2: Be sure to let the bars cool completely before trying to cut into them or serve them. They might fall apart if you don’t wait long enough. If you’re impatient, you can put them in the fridge to cool them faster!
How to Store
Store leftover magic cookie bars in an airtight container to make sure they don’t dry out or become stale. They do not need to be stored in the refrigerator, however, I find they keep their shape and consistency better when stored in the fridge.
You can also freeze your bars. After they have cooled and you have cut them, place them on a pan with parchment paper in the freezer until they have frozen solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months.
More Easy Dessert Bars
Sopapilla -Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Bars | Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | Brookies (Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars) | No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars | Lemon Cheesecake Bars | Peanut Butter Pretzel Magic Bars
Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups honey graham crackers crushed into crumbs (about 16 full sheets)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded sweet coconut
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ⅔ cups sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish. Set aside
- In a mixing bowl add crushed graham crackers, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Pour into the 8×8 baking dish and press down firmly with your fingers. You might want to use something flat to really press the mixture down so the crust can set up.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Repeat layers 2 more times.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the layers.
- Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the coconut and edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Video
Nutrition Info
Magic cookie bars are the perfect dessert for the holidays, road trip snack, or potluck. The combination of flavors offers something for everyone. They are gooey and delicious and best of all, so easy to make. If you haven’t already tried this classic cookie bar, you are in for a treat!
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