These irresistible, decadent Magic Cookie Bars are the perfect dessert for any occasion, especially during the holidays! A buttery graham cracker crust serves as the base foundation, then layers of sweet, yummy goodness are sprinkled over the top for an easy, mouth-watering, and super delicious sweet treat!
We grew up calling these addicting little treats hello dollies, but they're also called 7-layer bars or simply magic cookie bars. My mom makes these every year for Christmas and we literally devour them in minutes! We seriously don't even consider it Christmas unless she makes this classic dessert!☺️
Ingredients Needed
Can you believe you only need 7 ingredients to make this magic cookie bar recipe:
- Graham Crackers & Butter: I like to buy the whole graham crackers and crumble them myself, but you can certainly use pre-crumbled graham crackers.
- Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate with this particular recipe, but you can also use milk chocolate.
- Butterscotch chips: Don’t skip these! They give the bars an extra layer of decadence and amazing flavor.
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Also a must have in my opinion. Make sure to get the sweetened coconut for this recipe!
- Pecans: chopped pecans are added to the top for an extra crunch.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Poured on top to help set the cookie bars and add a final layer of goodness!
How To Make Magic Cookie Bars
The full instructions and measurements are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:
Step One: Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave and set it aside. Crumble the graham crackers in a food processor or a large ziplock bag and add them to a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over the graham cracker crumbs, mix them together, then press them into the bottom of a parchment lined baking dish to form a crust.
Step Two: Layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut and chopped pecans on top of graham cracker crust - in that order.
Step Three: Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.
Step Four: Bake the magic cookie bars in the oven until golden brown and enjoy. That's it! It's that simple and SO GOOD!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to line your baking dish with parchment paper to prevent the bars from sticking to the bottom of your pan. Trust me they will be much easier to get out this way.
- Be patient! And allow the bars to cool completely after removing them from the oven. The cooling process allows the bars to set and will make cutting them a lot easier.
- Cut the bars as big or as little as you want. If you are making them for a bigger crowd you may want to cut them on the smaller side.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze them in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months.
More Dessert Recipes
Magic Cookie Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 22-24 crackers)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup butterscotch chips
- 1 ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1 ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Set it aside.
- Crumble the graham crackers in a large ziplock bag or pulse for a few seconds in a food processor. You'll need roughly 2 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and mix together.
- Now add the buttery graham cracker mixture to the bottom of a parchment lined baking dish. Spread the mixture evenly around the bottom and press it tightly to form a crust.
- Next sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the crust. Then sprinkle the butterscotch chips on top. Resist the urge to add more chocolate or butterscotch. The bars will be sweet enough with the amounts listed in the recipe.
- Now layer the shredded coconut flakes on top making sure to separate the coconut and spread it evenly around the dish. Next sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the shredded coconut.
- Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk on top of the cookie layers. I like to start at one end and drizzle the condensed milk in a zig-zag layer. Do not stir or mix it. Just pour it evenly on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-32 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. Remove the dish from the oven and wait for the cookie bars to completely cool (approximately 1 hour) before cutting. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Judy says
What size is the baking dish you used? These look delicious, BTW!
Marsha says
A 9x13 baking dish. Thank you so much! 🙂
Kimberly Hancock says
Can this be done on a sheet pan?
Marsha says
Good question, I've never tried making this in a sheet pan. The sides of the pan may not be tall enough to hold all of the ingredients and shape it into a bar. If possible I would stick with the baking dish or a 13X9 cake pan.
Divina says
I followed you here from YouTube!! I’m going to make this recipe tonight and I will let you know how it turns out.😉
Marsha says
Awesome! Yes, please do!!