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7 Layer Bars, Magic Cookie Bars, or Hello Dollies? Whatever you call these decadent layered coconut bars, they are winners!

With a graham cracker crust, white chocolate and dark chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans drizzled with sweetened condensed milk, this Magic Cookie Bars Recipe is pure bliss.

The Best Seven Layer Bars stacked on a round white plate.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 How to Make
3 Expert Tips
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 The Best Seven Layer Bars

Why You Must Make

  • Seven Layer Bars are a childhood favorite for so many!
  • My version skips the butterscotch chips and instead uses bittersweet semisweet and white chocolate chips. Quality butterscotch chips are a rare commodity.
  • They’re perfect to bring to a picnic or pitch-in dinner. You’ll get your chance to taste them, but you won’t be tempted to eat the whole batch yourself (this is my rationale!).
  • Plus, my version uses a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, making them richer and gooier than most other recipes!
  • A few easy tweaks made for an out-of-this-world dessert–that’s why these are the BEST Seven Layer Bars!
The Best Magic Cookie Bars on a rectangular, white tray.

How to Make

Magic Cookie Bars are one of the easiest, most decadent dessert bars you’ll ever make!

  1. Line your baking pan with non-stick foil or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Preheat the oven.
  3. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Pat into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  4. Layer the chocolate discs, pecans, and half the coconut over the crust. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top followed by the rest of the coconut.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or till the coconut is lightly browned.

Expert Tips

  • PRO: Tip: Lining the baking pan with non-stick foil makes for easy cleanup. This is key when you have sticky components in your recipe. It also gives you a sling with which to lift the bars out of the pan to a cutting board.
  • Use the bottom of one of your dry measuring cups to press and smooth the top of the graham cracker crust after patting it in the pan.
  • Instead of chocolate chips, try chocolate discs. They provide bigger pockets of chocolate.
  • I used an 8 x 8-inch baking pan to make these bars thicker than typical recipes.
  • Reserve some of the coconut to sprinkle over the top before baking. This allows for a lightly browned, slightly crispy topping.
  • If you miss the butterscotch chips, feel free to substitute some of the chocolate chips for them.
  • Toast your pecans in a dry saute pan for 3-5 minutes or on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven. Watch carefully and stir a few times so they don’t burn. This will enhance the flavor by bringing out the natural oils.
  • If you prefer the more classic bars, layer the chocolate, pecans, and all the coconut and pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a Magic Cookie Bar Recipe also called 7 Layer Bars?

Not all Seven Layer Bars actually have seven layers, but these do; just count them: graham cracker crust, sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, coconut, AND pecans!

Do Magic Cookie Bars Need to Be Refrigerated?

No, all the ingredients are safe to store at room temperature, but they’re definitely easier to cut and serve when they’re chilled. But if your kitchen is hot in the summer, it would be best to keep them refrigerated.
Cover your pan with foil, store in the refrigerator, then bring them out to cut while they’re cold, and allow them to come to room temperature before serving so they’re nice and gooey.

Can You Freeze Magic Cookie Bars?

Yes, magic cookie bars keep well for up the 3 months in the freezer. Separate the layers of bars with parchment paper and freeze in a sealed container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and allow the bars to come to room temperature to serve.

You May Also Like:

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The Best Seven Layer Bars on a rectangular, white tray
The Recipe:

The Best Seven Layer Bars

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Yield 16 bars

These extra thick and gooey seven layer bars will win your heart!

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup coconut, divided
  • ⅓ cup white chocolate
  • ⅓ cup bittersweet chocolate and
  • ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate discs or chips
  • ½ cup chopped, toasted pecans
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Line 8 x 8 baking pan with non-stick foil and set aside.
  2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Pat into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. Layer the chocolate discs, pecans, and half the coconut over the crust.
  4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top followed by the rest of the coconut.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or till coconut is lightly browned.

Notes

Keep refrigerated as they are extra gooey at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 91mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Bar Cookies