Magic Bars (only 6 ingredients!)

Published March 8, 2019. Updated March 12, 2019

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Magic Cookie Bars are one of the easiest desserts you can make! Layered with butter graham cracker layer, chocolate chips, coconut and sweetened condensed milk. A dangerously addictive treat you’ll want to make again and again!

Stack of Magic Cookie Bars with 7 layers.

Magic Cookie Bars with so Many Layers of Decadence!

These 6 layer bars (or as some refer to as 7 Layer Bars) are a dream come true! There’s just so much decadence in this one simple dessert and people of all ages always love them.

You’ll love there’s nothing complicated here and they don’t take too long to make.

If you are new to baking this is a great place to start. All you really have to do is spread the ingredients into layers in a baking dish and bake to melted gooey perfection.

Just be warned these things are dangerously addictive! As in you may have this great plan to eat a tiny square and gift the rest, not gonna happen. It will be more like the other way around!

Photography credit: Jenn Davis of Two Cups Flour

Ingredients needed to make magic cookie bars shown here.

Different Ways to Make Magic Cookie Bars

Some magic bar recipes use just chocolate chips, others include white chocolate and butterscotch chips. For me personally I’m all about chocolate so that’s what I went with here but feel free to use what you like, I bet even those peanut butter chips would be delicious here.

When I first made these I didn’t like how the graham cracker layer was so incredibly thin that it almost didn’t even cover the bottom of the pan so now I use an additional 1/3 the mixture (as is listed per this recipe).

I also prefer the sweetened condensed milk poured over the top as it seems to bind it all together better (rather than pouring it over the graham layer then adding the remaining toppings after).

Showing how to make magic 7 layer bars. Sprinkling chocolate chips over graham cracker layer in baking dish.

What Ingredients go Into Magic Cookie Bars?

For this recipe you only need 6 pantry staples (as in hello perfect go-to treat recipe!):

  • Unsalted butter – salted butter will work here too it will just add a bit of saltiness to the crust.
  • Crushed graham crackers – to crush place in a bag and crush with a rolling pin or blitz in a food processor.
  • Chocolate chips – you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips here. I like a blend of both.
  • Sweetened condensed milk – this helps bind the layers. And isn’t it just one of the best ingredients?
  • Sweetened shredded coconut – unsweetened coconut would work here too if that’s what you have. Stick with medium shredded (not fine or large flakes).
  • Walnuts or pecans – I like to use pecans but walnuts are another great option. You can even buy the pre-chopped ones.

Showing how to make magic bars pouring sweetened condensed milk over chocolate chip layer in baking dish.

How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt butter in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish in oven. Tilt melted butter around pan.
  • Add graham crackers and toss to evenly coat with melted butter. Press into even layer.
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over graham cracker layer followed by coconut and pecans.
  • Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.
  • Bake until lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
  • EASY as that!

Finished seven layer magic cookie bars after baking cut into squares in baking dish.

Do I Have to Own a Mixer?

Not with this recipe, I love that these don’t even require a mixer! Everything is literally just added to a baking dish and the only thing that even requires a little mixing is the graham cracker and butter – other than that everything else is just sprinkled or poured one layer after another.

Can I Use Pre-Crushed Graham Crackers?

Yes! If you buy the boxed graham cracker crumbs you won’t even need to crush up the sheets of it first.

Stack of seven layer magic bars on a dessert plate.

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Stack of seven layer magic bars on a dessert plate.
4.91 from 11 votes

Magic Bars (only 6 ingredients!)

One of the easiest desserts you can make! Layered with butter graham cracker layer, chocolate chips, coconut and sweetened condensed milk. A dangerously addictive treat you'll want to make again and again!
Servings: 20
Prep15 minutes
Cook25 minutes
Ready in: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, add to oven and allow to heat until melted (mine took a little over 2 minutes). 
  • Remove from oven, tilt pan side to side to allow butter to run about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. 
  • Add graham crackers and toss to evenly coat with melted butter. Firmly press mixture into an even layer in pan. 
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over graham cracker layer followed by coconut and pecans. 
  • Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over top. Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, about 25 minutes. 
  • Cool completely on a wire rack then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • I like to use 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup milk chocolate chips.
  • For best results don't use low fat or fat free sweetened condensed milk.
  • Recipe source: adapted from Nestle
Nutrition Facts
Magic Bars (only 6 ingredients!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 305 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 25mg8%
Sodium 114mg5%
Potassium 141mg4%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 276IU6%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 93mg9%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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41 Comments

  • Debbie Kane

    I had forgotten about “Magic Bars” I always thought they were pretty good, but when I saw this recipe I decided to make them again. These are fabulous! I used the variation that you suggested of milk chocolate and semisweet chips making them so much better than I remember. Yes, you are right, the condensed milk over the top of all the ingredients instead of pouring it over the crust is much better. Thank you so much for sharing this easy, even more delicious take on these bars.

  • Carla Riso

    I didn’t have sweetened condensed milk so I lightly “boiled” coconut milk and sugar and a corn starch slurry to get the same consistency as sweetened condensed. I baked for 25 min then hand torched to golden. It came out pretty and tastes good too. More like a Marshmello-y topping. Will do again next time with condensed. But not bad for realizing I didn’t have all the ingredient after I mentally committed to making these after a bad day. You know those days ….

  • Vernice McDowell

    I love the recipe and will try the 6 layer magic bar.

  • Gail Palaualelo

    I made this magic cookie bars and everyone love them, made them twice so easy and simple. easy recipe