These Seven Layer Magic Bars are made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk—the perfect mix of gooey, crunchy, sweet, and salty. Plus, they’re so easy to make!
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An Addictively Delicious Bar Cookie
Friends. Have you tried these before?!?
I mean, I feel like everyone has a recipe for these seven layer magic cookie bars from their childhood—they are so easy to throw together, and they are always a hit. But maybe some of you have been living without? If so, you are definitely going to want to try these.
I will admit, I don’t make seven layer bars often. But only because I tend to forget about those recipes that are right in front of my face—you know? I’m always on the hunt for the next coolest thing, or some crazy new flavor combination, and I forget about tried and true recipes like this one.
Some of our other favorite bar cookies are these simple Nanaimo Bars, this decadent Millionaire Shortbread recipe, and these classic The Best Homemade Brownies.
What You’ll Need
This magically delicious, gooey, caramel-y, chocolate-y concoction is completely irresistible. Feel free to mix up the types of nuts, chocolate chips, and baking crumbs to suit your taste!
- Butter: Melt the butter before starting this bake.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: You can buy these ready-made, or crush your own graham crackers in a zip-top bag with the bottom of a glass, or a rolling pin.
- Coconut: I love the added sweetness and texture of shredded coconut in this recipe! But you can leave it out if you don’t care for coconut, and use any “granola”-type mix-in you prefer: dried fruit, rice crisp cereal, etc.
- Nuts: Hazelnuts and pecans are extra good, since they have their own sweetness, but walnuts are certainly fine—you could even use chopped peanuts!
- Chocolate Chips: A mixture of white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips is perfect, or you could use one or the other.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: For a sweet, chewy, gooey bar cookie, the syrupy sweetness of condensed milk is a must-have.
How to Make Seven Layer Magic Bars
This is pretty much the easiest form of baking there is! The most difficult part is stirring together the crust, and pressing it into the pan. Then it’s just a matter of spreading, sprinkling, and pouring the toppings over the crust.
- Prepare the Oven, Pan, and Crust. To begin, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or foil, and grease lightly. Then, in a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter to make a crumbly dough. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Add the Toppings. Sprinkle the crust evenly with your shredded coconut, followed by the chopped nuts, the semisweet chocolate chips, and the white chocolate chips. Drizzle everything with sweetened condensed milk.
- Bake. Bake the bars for about 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars is a light golden brown, and not too dark at the edges. Take the bars out of the oven, and let them cool completely before slicing, so that they firm up and don’t fall apart.
- Enjoy!
Tips and Variations
Before you start baking (I know, they look so tempting!), let me share a couple of helpful tips, as well as a few delicious variation ideas, to make your own 7 layer bars (or 8 layer bars, or 9…).
- No Evaporated Milk: I know we’ve all been there: meaning to grab a can of one or the other, but finding when you get home that you got the wrong one. Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk often come in similar packaging right next to each other, so make sure you get the sweetened condensed milk! Otherwise, your bars won’t hold their shape, or have the sweet taste you expect.
- Try Them Chilled: Chilling seven layer magic bars helps them firm up, which translates to easier cutting. Plus, they are scrumptious when cold!
- Graham Cracker Substitute: Any dry, crumbly cookie will do here. Vanilla wafers, chocolate sandwich cookie halves (you can buy them without the filling for this purpose), or even Biscoff cookies would work beautifully.
- Chips and Chunks: You can go wild here! Chocolate chunks make a more chocolatey bar cookie than smaller chocolate chips. You could do butterscotch chips, mint chips, toffee bits, broken candy bars, M&Ms, tiny marshmallows, you name it.
- Drizzles: A nice fudge drizzle, caramel drizzle, or marshmallow sauce would be great on these yummy bars!
How to Store Seven Layer Magic Bars
Store the bars in airtight containers, with wax paper or parchment in between stacks to prevent sticking.
They will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, or the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can also store at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
More cookie bars you’ll love!
- Butter Tart Squares — the Canadian classic in an easy bar!
- Caramel Nut Bars — fun and festive!
- No Bake Chocolate Crunch Bars — so easy, the kids can make it by themselves.
- Better No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars — my personal favorite combo! Peanut butter and chocolate.
Seven Layer Magic Bars
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped nuts I used hazelnuts and pecans
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 300ml/14oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment or foil and grease lightly.
- In a medium bowl, combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle evenly with coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes until light golden brown (not too dark at the edges). Let cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition Information
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Tried this recipe?
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Tag @thereciperebel{Recipe adapted from Eagle Brand Condensed Milk.}
betty says
Can you freeze this cookie
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, they freeze perfectly!
Eileen says
The magic bars are yummy!I used butterscotch chips instead of white chips.Thanks for a great recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Eileen!
Rita says
I also make these with chopped dried apricots instead of choc chips, delish!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Oh yum! Great idea!
Judy says
One Christmas I substituted M&Ms for the chocolate chips, mainly for the colors. Now it’s what my family expects! LOL
Ashley Fehr says
I could definitely go for that!
marcie says
7 layer bars were my favorite sweet treat growing up — you can’t beat the classics! These look incredible Ashley and I need to make some more very soon!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Marcie!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Oh maaaaan I haven’t had a good magic bar in so long it’s ridiculous! These look so gooey and absolutely droolworthy, Ashley! Is it wrong that I’m craving these for breakfast?
Teri Shaw says
I have had these before. My aunt used to make them for Christmas. I could never eat them because I am allergic to chocolate(I know…it is terrible)Then one year she made them with only white chocolate. Oh wow! yum! I have used white chocolate with peanut butter chips and also white chocolate with butterscotch. Both came out great. This year we tried them with nilla wafer crumbs, white chocolate. and strawberry{look for flavored melts in specialty stops)
Ashley Fehr says
Oh yum! All of those combinations sound incredible!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
We make soooo many batches of these at my house for Christmas – they’re so good! We use butterscotch chips instead of white, and always walnuts. Can’t deviate or everyone gets mad 🙂 these are the best!
Susan L says
Just a stray thought, these are also called Hello Dolly Bars. But whatever you call them, this is a great recipe, you can adapt in so many ways and I LOVE recipes like that.
My Mom used to make these (I make them now) and the recipe we both used was from a Centennial Cookbook (1967 for your non-Canadian fans) that came from Elkhorn Women’s Auxiliary.
ColleenB.~Texas says
OMG. I haven’t made these in years and my husband loves these things. Oh, thanks for the memories. Old time favorite.
My recipe I got from a small recipe booklet that was put out by Borden Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk back in 1981 which was sold for $1.00 called Delicious Desserts Made Easy. Back then you could either send in $1.00 or send in 2 labels from Eagle Brand Milk along with name, address, etc. I still have that little recipe booklet in my cookbook library.
Instead of the graham cracker crumbs go for the chocolate crumbs or get a package of Oreo’s , grind up fine; filling and all and use as crumbs layer.
I think my hubby would be very happy if I made these for him come this weekend.
Enjoy your day.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These magic bars look so delicious! I love the look of all the layers here 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Medha!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I feel like I’m the only person that has never had a magic bar, though I have seen them all over the place! I’m not a fan of coconut, which is why I stay away, but my husband would go nuts over these! I should try to make them without the coconut, sounds delicious with those layers!
Ashley Fehr says
That is crazy! You could totally make them without the coconut (but I loooooove coconut!) — just add a few more nuts or something in its place!