These 7 Layer Bars are the are the original recipe for magic cookie bars of my childhood. This one dish easy recipe makes the best bar cookies and is perfect for the Christmas season or as a portable cookie for picnics or potluck!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- These gooey bars are made with sweetened condensed milk making them chewy, gooey, and delicious!
- They are great make ahead dessert bars to prepare for holiday cookie trays.
- The buttery graham cracker crust has 7 layers of deliciousness sprinkled over top and is an easy dessert recipe.
- This family favorite is perfect for bake sales!
🥘 Ingredients
Graham crackers, crushed into crumbs or buy a box of graham cracker crumbs.
Unsalted butter, this is melted right in the baking dish!
Sweetened condensed milk, my preference is eagle brand.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch chips
Shredded coconut flakes
Walnuts
🔪 Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for glass dish).
- In a 13 x 9 inch baking pan melt butter in oven.
- Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over top of the melted butter. Mix together and press into pan to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of the graham cracker crust.
- Top evenly with remaining ingredients. Press down firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.
🥄 Equipment
9 x 13 baking dish
Sharp knife
🥫Storage
Store these cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter up to 1 week, in the fridge up to 1 month, or freezer up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Make different layers of flavors using dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, caramel bits, and peanut butter chips to measure 4 cups total.
- Sprinkle some chocolate covered toffee chips over top of the final layer for extra sweet crunch.
- Substitute chopped pecans for the walnuts.
💭 Tips
- Use a piece of parchment paper to lie over top of the assembled bars and press down with hands to firmly pack the ingredients into the dish.
- If crushing your own graham crackers, place them in a ziploc bag and crush into fine crumbs using a rolling pin.
📚 Related Recipes
These Chewy Peanut Butter Layer Bars will be another family favorite!
Peanut Butter No Bakes are a delicious no bake cookie that is a take on the traditional chocolate version.
Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a lunchbox favorite!
Rhubarb Custard Bars are a bar recipe that is perfect for spring or year round (freeze that rhubarb!).
Butterscotch fans will love these Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies!
🍽 Serve with...
The best way to enjoy these bar cookies is with a tall cold glass of milk. They are also a highly approved treat to leave out on Christmas eve for Santa!
🏫 The last word
This is a classic dessert recipe that I remember my mom making when I was young. It is a cookie bar with several different names. Mom always called them 7 Layer magic bars. They are also called magic cookie bars, or hello dolly bars. No matter what the name, the end result is a sweet cookie bar with crispy edges and chewy inside!
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
7 Layer Bars
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1½ cups coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° (325 degrees if using a glass dish).
- In a 13 x 9 inch baking pan melt the butter in oven. Evenly sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over top of the butter.
- Using a fork, mix together the butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into pan to form a crust.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust.
- Top evenly with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, and walnuts..
- Press down firmly on top of the layers. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting.
French Cooking for Dummies
I want a bite of these 😉
pigpigscorner
Look at those layers!! Wonderful.
recipes2share
Lucky Grumpy!!!:) Have a great weekend...
Ingrid
Every time I see this I think I really NEED to try them! What I'm waiting for I have no idea.... a kick in the rear I guess!
Yours looks really good....you can see the layers better on yours.
~ingrid
Linda
I'm addicted to these--I'm glad you're so far away. 😉
Fantastic photos, HoneyB!
Patsyk
They look like a wonderful lunchbox treat!
Mrs. L
Ah Magic Cookie Bars. They were my favorite "cookie" growing up. I could even make them myself! Haven't had them in ages. Must make some soon.
Lynda
These look so delicious; I think I just gained 5 pounds looking at the pictures!
Mags
They make me want to drink a tall glass of milk! (and then eat another one) I can see I need to add these to my list of treats for hubby to bring to work.
Carrie
Wow Shelby, I think you must be the best wife ever! Grumpy is so lucky!
The Duo Dishes
If coconut's in the mix, we want to be there.
Megan
One of my favorites and always on the Christmas cookie platter!
brandi
your pictures are beautiful! My last batch kind of melted together which has never happened before, but they sure are tasty 🙂
Helene
You can't put a place of those in front of me because I love them so much. Like the pictures.
Reeni♥
Seven layers of heaven!! How scrumptious!
Mary
How scrumshess !
Aggie
Ok, you are just so good to Grumpy!! That looks UNBELIEVABLE!!!
the ungourmet
That is so nice of you to make your husband such nice lunches. I really should start doing this too!
I love the taste of graham cracker in bars. This looks really yummy!
Maria
The bars look really sweet and really good!
Pam
I think it's so sweet that you make treats for Grumpy's lunches...he is so lucky! They look delicious.