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 co*cktail 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!

Should magic bars 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 to cut magic cookie bars? ›

For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars.

Why is it called a Hello Dolly? ›

The name Hello Dolly Bars most likely stemmed from the popularity of the Broadway show Hello Dolly, which starred Carol Channing around the time this recipe began circulating, although the connection is unclear.

Why are they called Hello Dollies? ›

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.

How to turn evaporated milk into sweetened condensed milk? ›

While we don't recommend substituting condensed milk for evaporated milk or vice versa, you can make your own condensed milk when you're in a pinch. Simply heat together 1½ cups of sugar and one can of evaporated milk until the sugar has fully dissolved.

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.

How long do cookie bars stay fresh? ›

Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. 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.

How many graham crackers make a cup of crumbs? ›

14 square

How many graham crackers equal 1 1/2 cups? ›

You need about 12 full sheet graham crackers, to yield about 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) crumbs. You can also purchase graham cracker crumbs in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.

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.

How many carbs are in magic cookie bars? ›

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 123 calories; fat 4.4g; saturated fat 2.3g; mono fat 1.3g; poly fat 0.6g; protein 2.1g; carbohydrates 19.1g; fiber 0.5g; cholesterol 5mg; iron 0.3mg; sodium 64mg; calcium 50mg.

What size do you cut cookie bars? ›

Dip the knife in warm water and quickly dry it off before the first cut. Then wipe it clean, dip it in warm water, then dry again before each subsequent cut. Use a ruler to measure equal pieces. If cutting these cookie bars into 16 squares, you'd want each bar to be 2″ x 2.”

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.

Who invented the chocolate chip cookie and why was it called a Toll House cookie? ›

It all started back in 1939. Ruth Wakefield, who ran the successful Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, was mixing a batch of cookies when she decided to add broken pieces of Nestlé Semi-Sweet chocolate into the recipe expecting the chocolate to melt.

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