Magic Bars (Seven Layer Bars)

A ridiculously simple to make bar cookie recipe that everyone loves, these Magic Bars are a must for your holiday or everyday baking! No matter if you call them seven layer bars, hello dolly bars, or simply delicious cookie bars, you will not believe how these ingredients come together and magically create a chocolatey, buttery, coconut dessert.

Somebody always makes  7-Layer Magic Bars at Christmas time. It’s a thing that I can rely on. It doesn’t matter where I am or who I’m with. These gooey, sweet cookie bars there. This isn’t just a holiday recipe though, Magic Bars are a staple of pot-lucks and church suppers across the country, and they are welcome on my table any time.

I decided that I needed to learn how to make them myself because it seemed like everyone else already knew how. Turns out that the reason why these are always on the dessert table is that they are SO simple to make! 

A buttery graham cracker crust is topped with layers of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and chopped pecans. A can of sweetened condensed milk ties it all together into a magical dessert bar masterpiece.

If you love simple holiday dessert recipes, you should try my Christmas Pretzel Hugs or Christmas Crack candy next. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. It’s Magic. As the name suggests, this is a fun and magical recipe to watch in action. You layer ingredients in a dish in a certain order, and while they are in the oven they combine in such a way that creates a magic cookie bar, without any eggs or flour. 
2. Butterscotch Chips. There aren’t many recipes that use butterscotch chips, but this one requires it. They provide the rich, buttery cookie flavor that makes 7 layer bars so tasty. Buy yourself a couple of bags, and make Butterscotch Haystacks as well. 
3. Minimal Dishes. There is no dough or batter to make for these cookies, so there will only be a couple of dishes to clean after you’ve put together your seven layer bars.

Key Ingredients

Seven ingredients create seven layers of flavor!

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Graham Crackers. Crush about 2 sleeves of graham crackers to get 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs. This is the crispy base of our cookie bars.
• Butter. Melted butter takes graham cracker crumbs from dry and boring to tasty and crispy! 
• Chocolate Chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the way to go when making 7 layer magic bars. Milk chocolate would be a bit to sweet in this recipe. 
• Butterscotch Chips. I like to use a whole cup of butterscotch chips in this recipe. If you aren’t a huge fan of the flavor, try substituting half of them out for a ½ cup of white chocolate chips instead. 
• Coconut. Look for sweetened, shredded coconut in the baking aisle. 
• Chopped Pecans. Either pecans or walnuts are acceptable in magic bars. Use whichever you prefer. 
• Sweetened Condensed Milk. This recipe works perfectly with one 14 ounce can. 

How to Make 7 Layer Magic Bars

1. Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a 9×13 baking pan or sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Make Crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with melted mutter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan, ensuring that it is covered.

1. Layer: Add the chocolate chips, then the butter scotch chips in even layers on top of the crust. Follow with a layer of shredded coconut, and a layer of chopped pecans. 
2. Pour: Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top in an even layer. See my tip below if you find it hard to pour. 
3. Bake: Bake your magic bars in the preheated oven for 23-30 minutes, or until browned and set in the center. 
4. Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, remove from the pan and cut into 12 squares of 24 triangles. 

Magic Cookie Bar Tips

Feel Free to Make Substitutions. You can leave out any of the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, or nuts, just be sure that you fill in what’s missing with more of another item. 

Let Them Cool. Don’t try to cut into your magic cookie bars when they are still warm. You’ll end up with a melty mess that way! Let them cool completely, then slice them.

Use Parchment Paper. Line the baking pan with parchment paper to ensure that the bars are easy to remove. Make it even better by using extra paper so that there are parchment paper handles on either side. The magic bars will lift right out after they’ve cooled. 

Make Gluten Free Magic Bars. Simply replace the graham crackers with gluten free graham crackers or your favorite gluten free cookie. Generally, the rest of the ingredients used in this recipe are naturally gluten free, but be sure to check the packaging just in case. 

More Delicious Cookie Recipes

Magic Bars are wonderful for the holidays, but feel free to make these treats at other times of the year too! While you’re at it, try some of these easy cookie recipes.

• No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies are packed with nuts and oats, plus they are super simple to make. 
• Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies are packed with add-ins, and a total crowd pleaser. 
• If you want a hearty cookie that is almost healthy enough to eat for breakfast, you should try my Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies!

FAQs

I’m so glad that I learned how to make this classic 7 layer magic bars recipe, and I know that you’ll love having this cookie recipe in your knowledge bank too. Make sure to pin it for later!