7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars made with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, walnuts and sweetened condensed milk. 7 Layer Bars are a favorite holiday treat that everyone loves!
This recipe is one that has been in the family for years and has become an important part of our holiday traditions. This 7 Layer Bar recipe is a must-have every single year – we always include these delicious treats on our traditional goody plates that we take to friends and neighbors.
These deliciously decadent bars are so simple to make – only a few minutes to prep them before baking. Once they are cooled and set, they are so easy to slice into individual servings. I always sneak a few bites though as soon as they come out of the oven – just grab a spoon and enjoy them warm!
The recipe is so easy to remember too! Just one of everything! Either one package of each ingredient or one cup…so it’s easy to make these even if you don’t have the recipe handy. Also, I usually don’t like coconut or nuts in recipes, but I absolutely love these magic cookie bars. So even if you don’t like coconut or nuts, don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe!
Ingredients in 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars
Butter – I always use real butter when baking, but you can swap in margarine if desired.
Graham cracker crumbs – I usually cheat and keep a box of pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs on hand, but you can make your own crumbs very easily. You will need about 7-8 full sized graham crackers to make a cup. I just toss them in the blender and it only takes about 5-10 seconds to get perfect crumbs!
Semi-sweet chocolate chips & butterscotch chips – You will need one package of each. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can swap them out with milk chocolate if you prefer – both are delicious!
Coconut – You can buy sweetened flaked coconut in a bag in the baking aisle at the store.
Walnuts – The walnuts need to be very finely chopped. You can use a nut grinder to chop up full walnuts but you can save some time by purchasing pre-chopped walnuts as well. I’ve always used walnuts, but I’m sure that peanuts or almonds would be delicious as well!
Sweetened condensed milk – Just a 14 oz. can is the perfect amount to just barely coat the entire pan. Make sure to evenly drizzle this all over the entire top of the bars so that you don’t have spots without the milk or spots that have puddles of milk.
How to make 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Slice the butter into a 9″X13″ pan and place the pan in the oven to melt the butter.
As soon as the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly on top of the melted butter.
Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the graham cracker crumbs. Next, add the butterscotch chips, then the coconut and then the chopped walnuts.
Drizzle the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes and let the bars cool before cutting into bars. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You can also freeze these for up to 2-3 months.
7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars
7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars made with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, walnuts and sweetened condensed milk. 7 Layer Bars are a favorite holiday treat that everyone loves!
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 32 servings
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 oz pkg butterscotch chips
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°.
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Slice the butter into a 9″X13″ pan and place the pan in the oven to melt the butter.
-
As soon as the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly on top of the melted butter.
-
Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the graham cracker crumbs. Next, add the butterscotch chips, then the coconut and then the chopped walnuts.
-
Drizzle the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.
-
Bake for 25 minutes and let the bars cool before cutting into bars. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You can also freeze these for up to 2-3 months.
Ideas for Swaps and Substitutions
- Swap out the graham cracker crumbs with any type of cookie crumbs (Golden Oreos, gingersnaps, Oreos, etc)
- Swap in caramel chips or peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips
- Use white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Drizzle a little bit of caramel on top
- Add a layer of chopped up candy or mini M&Ms
- Swap out the coconut with quick oats
- Swap out the walnuts with any other type of nut – or leave them out!
Can you freeze 7 Layer Cookie Bars?
Yes! Slice the cooled cookie bars into individual pieces and then place in a freezer ziplock bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Tricks for easy slicing
These cookie bars are easiest to slice if they are chilled. I like to cool the bars to room temperature and then place the whole pan in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before I slice them up. They come out of the pan so much more easily that way and they stay intact much better too!
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7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars made with graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, walnuts and sweetened condensed milk. 7 Layer Bars are a favorite holiday treat that everyone loves!
