Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (2024)

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Is anything more classic for the holidays (or you know, a Monday morning with a coffee) than deliciousMagic Cookie Bars, also known as Hello Dolly Bars? These condensed milk and chocolate layer bars are so easy to make and are always a crowd favorite!

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (1)

How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

Magic cookie bars are the original 7 layer bar, even though they don’t technically have 7 layers. The original bar has 6 layers and people have adapted them into 7 layer bars over the years. The original magic cookie bars don’t have butterscotch or extras (hey, not that those don’t make the bars better!) but I wanted to provide you guys with the basic, old a heck, classic magic cookie bar recipe that started it all!

Making magic cookie bars is as easy as 1,2,3!

  1. Press the crumb base into the bottom of the pan.
  2. Place all of the ingredients into the pan in the correct order.
  3. Bake, then cool and slice.

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (2)

How to Freeze Magic Cookie Bars

Magic cookie bars freeze perfectly but there is a trick to it because they are slightly ooey and gooey, so they take an extra step to freeze.

  • Cut the magic bars into the size that you want to freeze them.
  • Place the cookie bars onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Freeze them until they are solid.
  • Place the bars into a container and layer them between parchment paper to ensure that they don’t stick together.
  • Cover the container and freezer for up to 3 months.

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (3)

Why these are also known as Hello Dolly bars I am not quite sure, but they were invented in the 1960’s and started out as Hello Dolly Bars. They are the exact same thing as magic cookie bars, just differently named.

More Cookie Bar Recipes

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Butter Tart Bars
  • Lemon Bars

These are super sweet and awesome cookie bars, enjoy!

Love,

Karlynn

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (4)

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Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (5)

Magic Cookie Bars

Is anything more classic than deliciousMagic Cookie Bars? These condensed milk and chocolate coconut layer bars are so easy to make and are always a crowd favorite!

4.89 from 27 votes

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (6)

Review

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Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
20
Calories
247
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • one 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
  • 1 cup chopped nuts'

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350° F, or to 325 °F if you are using a glass dish.

  • Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper and set aside for later.

  • Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the salted butter until the graham crumbs are moistened with the butter throughout.

  • Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared prepared pan.

  • Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the graham crumb crust.

  • Sprinkle even layers of the chocolate chips, coconut and the nuts, making sure they are mixed on the top evenly. ( you want a little of each all over the place)

  • Press these down firmly with the back of a spoon into the condensed milk ( but don't break through to the crust.!)

  • Bake for 25 minutes in your preheated oven or until lightly browned all over. If you notice the top browning too fast you can cover with tinfoil for a few minutes and keep baking. Remove and cool.

  • Cool the bars completely before slicing.

  • Cut into bars or diamonds.

  • Store covered at room temperature or in a closed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 86mg, Potassium: 169mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 150IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1.8mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Bars and squares Christmas Christmas baking Vintage recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Terre says

    Reply

    I’ve been looking for the vegan version of this recipe, which I still haven’t found. This recipe is really easy to veganize though. Can’t wait to try them. Thank you!Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (11)

  2. Lynn says

    Reply

    My daughter made these today and they were not only scrumptious but easy and will be lovely to serve. Thank you so much for all the extra tips in the instructions. Great recipe. Will definitely make again.Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (12)

  3. Janet says

    Reply

    I think the pan is too large, too thin of a bar. I used dark chips and only half the required amount, family found them too sweet.Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (13)

  4. Jess M says

    Reply

    I just made these for my husband with semi sweet chips, honey roasted peanuts and Biscoff cookies for the base.
    Oh my gosh it’s so delicious, thank you so much for this wonderfully easy recipe!Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (14)

  5. betcclic.com says

    Reply

    I learn to cooks soup recipes by watching youtube videos

  6. Kay says

    Reply

    I have been making them every Christmas for years, this is the first time I have poured the condensed milk in first. waiting for them to cool the check out the result 🙂Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (15)

  7. Dori says

    Reply

    I’ve been making these since I was a teenager, back when they were called Hello. Dolly bars. To reply to some of the other comments, I use a 13×9” pan, putting the sweetened condensed milk on top of the graham crackers doesn’t make them more moist, it actually makes them drier, put the sweetened condensed milk on top, makes for a much moister cookie bar. These are my granddaughters favorite, make them for her every Christmas.

  8. Sheila P says

    Reply

    I have never seen this recipe where you pour the sweet condensed milk over the graham crumbs!! All the recipes I’ve seen add it at the end, on top of everything else. This makes so much more sense. This way, the milk bubbles up through everything to hold it together, and doesn’t brown so quickly. Thank you!

  9. Joy Wilson says

    Reply

    can I use unsalted butter. that’s what I have on hand.

    • Karlynn Johnston says

      Reply

      Yes, just add a sprinkle of salt to the recipe

  10. Candace says

    Reply

    Did you use a 9×9 pan?

    • Judy says

      Reply

      What size pan?

  11. susan gortva says

    Reply

    i used to really love these. can’t believe all the goodies I ate

    • Dawn says

      Reply

      We call these Simple Simon’s and have been making them since the 60’s. This was in the church cookbook my mother helped put together. Butterscotch chips were in the recipe and the condensed milk was poured on top of everything. So I guess our Simple Simon’s are the 7 layer bars

Leave a Comment or Recipe Tip

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!

What's in magic bars? ›

Magic Cookie Bars are easy to make and always a hit! The bars are layered with a graham cracker crust, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk. Basically, dessert heaven!

Do Magic bars have to be refrigerated? ›

Cut into 24 pieces and store in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment paper between layers. The flavor of the bars is even better the day after baking. Bars stored at room temperature will be fairly soft and are best eaten within 3 to 5 days. For firm and chewy bars, store in the fridge for up to a 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.

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.

Do they make graham cracker crumbs? ›

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

How long to cool bar cookies before cutting? ›

Place baking pan on a wire cooling rack and let the bars cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes (preferably longer, they hold up better as they cool). Use the parchment paper to lift the cookie bars out of the pan, then cut into squares and serve.

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? ›

Magic Bar 2500 is with triangle design, making it comfortable to hold, and the drip tip can fit perfectly with lips. Good flavour is the mark of the product. Coming with the long lasting 1000mAh powerful battery and 2ml big capacity, it will definitely fulfill your days. It contains 2% nicotine salt e-juice and vape.

How many bars does a 9x13 pan make? ›

For a 13×9 Pan:

On the long side of the pan, make a mark and cut down every 2 1/10-inches, so you have 6 columns. Turn the pan to its shorter side and make one cut down the middle, 4 ½-inches from the edge. You'll end up with 12 2 1/10×4 ½-inch rectangles.

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.

How do you cut cookie bars evenly? ›

To make precise and accurate cuts, insert three toothpicks, evenly spaced, along all four sides of the cooled bars. Cut diagonally across the bars beginning in one corner—the lower left corner is an easy place to make your first cut—and cutting from one toothpick to the next closest on the perpendicular side.

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? ›

Wakefield's confection was known originally as the Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie, after the Toll House Inn, a popular restaurant that she ran with her husband in eastern Massachusetts.

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.

References

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