Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (2024)

These deliciously sweet and indulgent bars come by many names; magic bars, hello Dolly bars, cookie bars, seven-layer bars, the list goes on and on. Whatever you choose to call them doesn’t matter much, so long as you make them and enjoy them. The magic in these bars comes from each distinct layer melding together to form one rich, creamy, crunchy dream dessert. The butterscotch and chocolate swirl to form a caramelly flavor while the coconut provides a crunchy and aromatic addition, and the graham cracker crust creates the perfect plate for all the remaining layers.

In addition to being delectable, these bars are so simple to make and can be customized any way you like where size or shape is concerned. For instance, you could purchase individual tart tins and make small one-person size magic bars that would be the perfect addition to your holiday cookie gift box or to bring to the annual cookie swap. These cookie bars are indeed sweet and quite rich, but you can cut them into small squares to feed a large crowd. Because there is a large amount of chocolate and butterscotch, you can make these ahead of the party, cool, and cut them, then store them in an airtight container with no fear of them drying out or going stale quickly.

However you decide to enjoy these bars is up to you and sure to be memorable.

"I loved how easy and straightforward this recipe was. Once you gather your ingredients, these take no time to whip up. I love the addition of butterscotch chips and coconut for sweetness, along with the bittersweet chocolate. Your whole family will love these sweet treats!" – Tracy Wilk

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (1)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, more for the pan

  • 24 graham crackers

  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 10 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate, divided

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips, divided

  • 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, divided

  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

  • 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (2)

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Line a 13x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper so the parchment hangs over on the two longest sides. Generously grease with butter.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (3)

  3. Use a food processor to grind the graham cracker into a semi-fine meal.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (4)

  4. Add the brown sugar and pulse several times to incorporate.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (5)

  5. With the processor running, slowly add the 1/2 cup butter until well combined.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (6)

  6. Add the graham cracker mixture to the prepared pan, pressing firmly to create an even crust on the bottom.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (7)

  7. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the crust and smooth in an even layer with a silicone spatula.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (8)

  8. Sprinkle half of the chopped chocolate, half of the butterscotch chips, and half the pecans evenly over the condensed milk.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (9)

  9. Sprinkle the coconut flakes over the mixture in an even layer.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (10)

  10. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate, butterscotch, and nuts evenly over the coconut.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (11)

  11. Sprinkle the flaky sea salt evenly over the mixture.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (12)

  12. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the toppings are slightly golden brown.

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  13. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (14)

  14. Use the excess parchment to lift the bars from the baking dish. Cut into equal size pieces, 12 to 24 bars, depending upon preference, and serve.

    Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (15)

Tips

When cutting the bars, you’ll need to have paper towels or a clean kitchen towel nearby. Be sure to wipe the knife of any chocolate or bits from the bars before each cut, this will lead to clean, appealing squares.

Recipe Variations

  • If graham cracker crust isn’t your favorite way to enjoy these cookie bars, try using a pretzel crust or chocolate sandwich cookie crust for extra chocolaty goodness.
  • You could use macadamia nuts, toasted hazelnuts, or granola instead of pecans.
  • Or something like dried cranberries or blueberries could be a delicious addition if you like mixing chocolate and tart fruits.

How to Store and Reheat

These magic cookie bars can be expected to stay fresh for at least five days, likely more.

Although not recommended, you can freeze these cookie bars and reheat them in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds to bring them back to life. Just be careful not to burn the chocolate when re-heating using the microwave. Alternatively, you can place them frozen in a 350 F oven for about 4 minutes.

22 Delicious Dessert Bar Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
321Calories
21g Fat
30g Carbs
4g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12to 24
Amount per serving
Calories321
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 12g61%
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 249mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 30g11%
Dietary Fiber 3g9%
Total Sugars 25g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg4%
Calcium 85mg7%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 223mg5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • cookie bars
  • dessert
  • american
  • christmas

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Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are they called Magic Cookie Bars? ›

The reason these are called "magic" is because you layer everything into a pan, pour sweetened condensed milk over the top, and bake. When they come out of the oven, the sweetened condensed milk has baked into each layer, creating a bar that holds together and tastes amazing!

Do Magic bars have to be refrigerated? ›

Store the magic cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

How do you cut magic cookie bars? ›

Like with other desserts, first bake your bars in a pan lined with non-stick foil. Chill your bars before lifting them with the foil and placing them on a cutting board. Slice, cleaning the knife after each slice. You may also spray the clean knife with cooking spray if they are still sticking.

Why is it called a Hello Dolly? ›

The Hello Dolly name is a reference to the Broadway musical "Hello, Dolly!" which was a popular musical when these bars were created in the mid-1960s. The bars are assembled in seven layers, and they are incredibly delicious.

What is MIT magic cookie? ›

A magic cookie is a long, randomly generated binary password. At server startup, the magic cookie is created for the server and the user who started the system. On every connection attempt, the user's client sends the magic cookie to the server as part of the connection packet.

Is condensed milk the same as evaporated milk? ›

Both are concentrated, shelf-stable milk products that have been heated until at least 60 percent of their water content has evaporated. The main difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened while condensed milk is sweetened.

Can you make your own sweetened condensed milk? ›

The ingredients are simple: 32 ounces milk, seven ounces sugar, and six ounces heavy cream, plus a pinch of salt and whatever aromatics you choose. The cream adds a major dose of lactose for more flavorful browning, but more importantly, it prevents the milk from curdling as it cooks.

Do they make graham cracker crumbs? ›

You can also purchase graham cracker crumbs in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.

How long do cookie bars stay fresh? ›

Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Moist bars, such as cheesecake and lemon bars, can be refrigerated for seven days. For best quality, store bars in the freezer for two to three months.

How many graham crackers make a cup of crumbs? ›

14 square

Do Magic bars have nicotine? ›

The tobacco magic bar vape pen contains almost 600 puffs that you can enjoy with full intensity. The nicotine content of 2% gives you a perfect flavour of nicotine blended beautifully with the rawness of tobacco.

How many bars does a 9x13 pan make? ›

You will get6 bars with a little extra space for a sample for the cook, to taste for quality control. If 9" seem too long , cut in half and you will have a nice dozen. I spray my pans with oil so the food slips out easily, and I start by cutting the food in half; cut the halves in half; and so on.

What size do you cut cookie bars? ›

From the edge, measure out 2 1/10-inches using the bench scraper, make a mark, then measure and mark another 2 1/10-inches. Cut down from the two marks. Repeat on the other side of the middle cut. Now you'll have 21 2¼ x2 1/10-inch square bars.

What tool do you use to cut cookie bars? ›

A bench scraper is going to be easier to maneuver. Instead of sawing through those bar cakes and cookies with a knife, the bench scraper has you using a quick and decisive straight-up and straight-down cutting motion, resulting in a clean cut. This means you are less likely to have lots of crumbs to clean up.

Who invented magic cookies? ›

History. Magic cookies were already used in computing when computer programmer Lou Montulli had the idea of using them in web communications in June 1994. At the time, he was an employee of Netscape Communications, which was developing an e-commerce application for MCI.

What defines cookie bars? ›

A potluck staple, bar cookies (or bars) are made from a batter or stiff dough that is poured or pressed into a baking pan or baking dish, then baked, cooled and cut into bars, squares or diamonds. Bars can be single-layered (like brownies) or multi-layered – with cake-like or chewy textures.

Why do they call it toll house cookies? ›

The Toll House Inn was an inn located in Whitman, Massachusetts, established in 1930 by Kenneth and Ruth Graves Wakefield. The Toll House chocolate chip cookies are named after the inn.

What is the origin of the bar cookie? ›

Bar cookies, or squares, date back to the 1930s, but there is no specific person or place credited as the origin of bar cookies. Typically, bar cookies are prepared in a pan, baked in the oven, and cut into squares. American cookbooks at the time featured date bars as the earliest examples of squares.

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