Mom’s Magic Cookie Bars Recipe
It’s the time of year to make trays of assorted festive desserts! And a favorite holiday treat is made quickly and easily with Mom’s magic cookie bars recipe!
With layers of gooey goodness, made with graham crumbs, butter, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, nuts and flaked coconut, these dessert bars are sure to become favorites in your home as well.
These magic bars can be prepped in just 15 minutes, so they are a great choice for the busy festive season!
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What Are Magic Cookie Bars?
- Magic cookie bars are a sweet dessert that have stood the test of time. I can remember my mom making this recipe when I was a small girl. It is a go-to recipe perfect for the holidays, or any time of year!
- When I asked her for the recipe, she said “It’s the one on the back of the Eagle Brand can!” So using the same basic ingredients as the Eagle Brand magic cookie bars, this version was born.
- It really is easy to make and is quite literally a foolproof recipe! And it’s one of my husband’s favorites (along with this Cookie Slice too).
What’s In Magic Cookie Bars?
THE BASE – While Graham cracker crumbs and butter are used to make the base, this recipe’s base is slightly thinner than you might find in other recipes. Chocolate crumbs could be added along with the graham crumbs if desired.
SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK – Eagle Brand is a common brand to turn to, but really any brand will do.
CHOCOLATE – Semi sweet chocolate chips are called for in this recipe, however use dark, milk or even white chocolate chips if you like!
COCONUT – Use unsweetened coconut for this recipe. But if this is hard to find, use sweetened and reduce the amount used.
NUTS – Most Magic Bars recipes call for pecans, but I love the combination of pecans and almonds. Walnuts are another good choice and will work well! Toast the nuts slightly to bring out more of their nutty flavor!
How To Make Magic Cookie Bars
This recipe is truly a no fail recipe!
- Combine Graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into pan.
- Pour can of sweetened condensed milk over base.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips, coconut, almonds and pecans, in that order, over the sweetened condensed milk layer.
- Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire baking rack, then refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).
- Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan using the foil, then peel foil from the bottom and place on a cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, cut bars into rectangles or squares, depending on the size square you want.
- Place on a dessert tray with all of your favorite holiday treats and serve!
Do Magic Bars Need To Be Refrigerated?
The short answer is no. But I do enjoy these sweet treats slightly cool, so I always do end up refrigerating them (covered of course or in a container)!
Magic Bars Tips!
Do not forget to line pan with foil or (parchment paper) and spray with cooking spray. This really helps to remove bars from the pan and makes slicing super easy!
Be sure to press the crumb crust firmly onto the bottom of pan before spreading with sweetened condensed milk.
Layer toppings to your liking. But the coconut layer left closer to the top gives it a delicious flavor as it browns in the oven.
Once cut, freeze bars individually on a large baking sheet, then transfer to a container for longer term storage. This helps prevent the squares sticking together. If you need to layer bars, place a sheet of parchment between each layer.
These bars can stay in the freezer for about 2-3 months. After that I find they become a bit dry. If they are kept longer than recommended, place in a toaster oven at 350˚F for about 4 minutes to freshen them up a bit!
I hope you have success making this magic cookie bars recipe! It is super simple, which is perfect for the busy holiday season. But really, I think you will want to make them all year long! Happy Holidays!
Other Holiday Treats To Try!
Did you try this magic cookie bars recipe? Rate and comment below, we love to hear from you!
Mom’s Magic Cookie Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking pan
- foil , or parchment paper
- small bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted butter , salted or unsalted
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs , chocolate or regular
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk , 14 ounce can
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1½ cups flaked coconut
- 1 cup nuts – chopped, sliced or slivered , pecans and slivered almonds, walnuts are good too.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 9×13" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix melted butter and add graham cracker crumbs, mix well. Press firmly into pan.
- Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk over graham base and spread to the edges evenly.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts evenly over entire pan.
- Bake 25-30 min.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Pecans were used in the nutrition calculation.
- Line pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Keep coconut layer at the top so it will brown while baking.
- Freeze bars for about 2-3 months in a sealed container.
Nutrition
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Inspired by this Magic Cookie Bars recipe, and my Mom!
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