Buttery graham cracker crumbs, gooey sweetened condensed milk, toasted coconut, and melty chocolate come together in these seven layer bars for a warm, rich bite every time.
This is the kind of dessert you make when your kitchen smells like vanilla dreams, your socks are fuzzy, and you’re craving something with crunch, chew, and deep butterscotchy soul. Every bite tastes like a hug (but with a little crunch and a lot more chocolate).
Magic Cookie Bars, also called seven layer bars depending on who you ask (and how much snack-induced nostalgia they’re feeling), are a delightful exercise in barely lifting a finger. You don’t stir. You don’t whisk. You just layer, drizzle, and bake until the house smells like someone hugged a candy shop. Perfect for potlucks, movie nights, or that afternoon moment when coffee needs a sweet companion. They’re low-effort but high-reward.
Table of Contents
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Why You’ll Love this Seven Layer Bars Recipe
No stand mixer. No chill time. No vague instructions like “until it feels right.” These bars are the gold-standard for effortless sweetness.
- Ridiculously simple to make: You just squish, sprinkle, drizzle, and bake. Precision is optional (but greasing your dish is not).
- Sweet-and-salty magic: Chocolate, butterscotch, roasted nuts, and a chewy coconut top keep each bite interesting.
- Texture heaven: Crunchy edges, soft middle, melty chips, plus a toasted coconut canopy—it’s the whole snack spectrum.
- Totally customizable: Not feeling pecans? Swap in macadamias. Want flakes instead of shredded coconut? Go wild.
- Reliable potluck hero: These hold up well, travel beautifully, and make a satisfying thwap when you slice them.
- Nostalgic, but not boring: They taste like vintage bake-sale royalty with a richer, gooier edge.
Ingredient Notes
The ingredients here are humble, sure, but don’t be fooled. This is the snack equivalent of a surprise party in familiar shoes.
- Unsalted butter: Melting it is key—you want it to help cling the crust together. Salted butter works, too; just skip adding salt elsewhere.
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can blitz whole crackers in a food processor or buy pre-crushed, but I highly support taking a rolling pin to a bag of crackers for stress relief.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: These bring the deep cocoa notes and pair beautifully with the sweetness around them. Milk chocolate can be used, but it leans sweeter.
- Butterscotch chips: Sweet, caramelly, and slightly creamy. You can sub white chocolate or skip them if they’re not your thing, though they really pull their weight here.
- Chopped nuts: Walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts all work great. Lightly toasting them first boosts the flavor a lot.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This stuff is the binding glue that turns everything into fudgy, chewy, golden magic. Don’t mix it before pouring, just drizzle it evenly.
- Shredded coconut: Use sweetened for a stickier top or unsweetened if you want a little more chew and a bit less sugar.
How To Make This Seven Layer Bars Recipe
Pull your hair back, flip on your oven light (because you’re going to want to watch the magic happen), and let’s dive in.
- Preheat and grease your dish: Start by cranking the oven to 350°F (175°C), and give your 13×9 inch baking dish a good butter or spray coating. Trust me, you want these to release cleanly.
- Build the crust: Melt the butter (microwave or stovetop, your call), then mix in the graham cracker crumbs with a fork. Press that buttery rubble into the dish, nice and even. Or, if you’re more of a freestyler, pour the melted butter straight into the dish, swirl it around, then sprinkle the crumbs over it and gently press.
- Layer the goodies: Grab your chocolate chips, then the butterscotch chips, and sprinkle them over the crust. Next come the nuts. No mixing needed, just even-ish layers.
- Pour on the condensed milk: Take that glorious can of sweetened condensed milk and drizzle it slowly over everything. Try to pour in thin ribbons so it seeps down in between.
- Finish with coconut: Sprinkle that fluffy shredded coconut evenly on top. It’ll toast up beautifully in the oven and add a chewy golden crust.
- Bake until golden: Slide the pan into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. You’re looking for toasted coconut and bubbling edges—the smell will confirm you’re doing life correctly.
- Cool and slice: Let them cool completely before slicing. This part is, admittedly, the hardest. But they slice so much cleaner when cool. Plus you won’t burn your mouth on molten butterscotch…
Storage Options
Alright, so you’ve made these bars and maybe (maybe!) you have a few left. Here’s what to do:
Pop them in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. The bars are happiest when stored in a single layer, but you can stack them with a sheet of parchment in between if space is tight.
Want to save some for a rainy week? You can absolutely freeze them. Once cooled and cut, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then stash them in a bag or container in the freezer. They’ll be good for about 2 months. Just thaw at room temp before eating.
Reheating isn’t totally necessary since they’re meant to be chewy and room-temperature-delicious, but if you’re going for max gooeyness, 10 seconds in the microwave works wonders.
Variations and Substitutions
You know I can’t leave a recipe without playing around a little. These bars are basically a choose-your-own-adventure in square form.
- Swap in different chips: Peanut butter chips, white chocolate, or dark chocolate chunks all play well with the classics. Go half-and-half for drama.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs—easy swap, same satisfying crunch.
- Add dried fruit: Chopped dried cherries or cranberries add a hit of tart chewiness to balance the sweetness.
- Use flaky coconut: Big flakes instead of shredded make for a fancy bakery-style topping with extra crunch.
- Try biscotti crumbs instead: If you’re feeling wild, crush crisp biscotti for the crust instead of graham crackers. It’s a whole thing.
- Get spice-happy: Stir a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom into the crumbs. It’s a subtle twist, but so warming.
What to Serve with Seven Layer Bars
Want to round out your dessert table, or just add a couple more textures? These bars love a good supporting cast.
- A creamy something alongside them works great. Try pairing them with scoops of peanut butter & banana ice cream for the ultimate chewy-creamy combo. The soft cold bite against a chewy sweet square? Yes please.
- Coffee’s obvious, but add a dash of cinnamon or cardamom to your cup to echo the warmth in the bars. I love that cozy, spiced-sugar vibe.
- For a classic bake-sale spread, throw in a few warm, gooey Toll House cookies. It’s the cookie trifecta (especially if you cut those bars into triangles to keep guests guessing).
- A light lemony dessert is also a good contrast. Something creamy and tart like this lemon icebox cake totally works as a refreshingly cool sidekick.
- If you’re in savory mode afterward, balance all that sweetness with a simple tea or light snacky board—soft cheese, fruit slices, olives. Keep it weird. It works.
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Don’t let this one slip away — pin it now and thank yourself later!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make seven layer bars ahead of time?
Totally. These are basically made for planning ahead. You can bake them a day or two before you need them, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container. They’ll actually taste even better the next day as everything settles and gets cozy together.
Can I leave out the nuts?
Yes, you can absolutely skip the nuts if they’re not your thing (or if allergies are a concern). Just know you’ll lose a little crunch and depth, but the bars will still be sweet, gooey, and totally satisfying. You could add some broken pretzels or sunflower seeds for texture if you’re feeling it.
Do I need to refrigerate the bars?
Short answer: nope. They’re delightfully low-maintenance and fine at room temperature for several days. That said, if your kitchen’s toasty or humid, the chips can get a bit melty, so storing them in the fridge isn’t a bad call. Just let them sit out a bit before eating so they’re not cold and hard.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, just use two 9×13 pans rather than trying to make one massive tray. These bars rely a bit on the depth of layers and the toasty top, so keeping the thickness right helps them bake evenly and still get those gooey layers with crisp tops.
Seven Layer Bars (Magic Cookie Bars)
Ingredients
Crust Layer
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups (165 g) graham cracker crumbs
Filling Layers
- 1 cup (175 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (175 g) butterscotch chips
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts, lightly toasted if desired
- 14 oz (396 g) sweetened condensed milk 1 (14 oz) can
- 1 1/3 cups (110 g) shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened
Equipment
- 9x13 inch Baking Dish
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Fork
- Spatula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until evenly moistened. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form a crust.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the crust, followed by butterscotch chips and chopped nuts. Do not stir.
- Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk slowly and evenly over the layered ingredients, covering as much surface as possible.
- Top evenly with shredded coconut.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are golden and coconut is lightly toasted.
- Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares. Enjoy!
