7 Layer Bars

7 Layer Bars have a buttery graham cracker crust, are layered with a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips, and are topped with toasted walnuts, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk. They’re a decadent treat for the holidays or any time of year! 

You’ve likely had these ultra-rich bars before. Also known as Hello Dolly Bars, or Magic Cookie Bars, they’re a classic and loved by everyone! I love 7-layer bars not only because they’re amazingly delicious, but because they’re so easy to make! Definitely worth the calories!

Why you’ll love these heavenly bars

• They’re so easy to make. No forming individual cookies, or making icing for a cake. No making or rolling out pie dough. These seven-layer magic bars are ready to bake in 10 minutes or less and are the best sweet

• They’re so nostalgic. Magic cookie bars are always a hit. We’ve made these for years at our house and they always bring back great memories.
• Seven-layer bars are easy to make ahead of time and are super easy to store. I usually keep mine in the fridge to keep them fresh.
• They freeze easily. 7 layer cookie bars freeze really well and will keep for 2-3 months. 
• This 7-layer bar recipe is easy to customize to your preferences, or whatever you have on hand. In fact, traditional recipes use butterscotch chips although I find those to be a bit too sugary sweet for my taste. Instead, I subbed in dark chocolate for a bit of a richer flavor. You do you! 

What are 7-layer magic bars?

It’s a bit deceiving, but 7 layer magic bars don’t really have 7 layers. Rather, they typically have seven ingredients that are used to create a delicious graham cracker crust, which is then topped with layers of chocolate, coconut, and nuts. It’s then all topped with sweetened condensed milk and baked to perfection in the oven!

What you’ll need

• Graham cracker crumbs. I typically use a full box of graham crackers to make a big batch of graham cracker crumbs. Just place them in a large sealed ziploc bag, and use a rolling pin to press down on them to create the crumbs
• Butter. Melted butter is used to mix with the crumbs to form the crust, the base of these 7-layer cookies.
• Sweetened condensed milk. I don’t use sweetened condensed milk too often, but it’s an essential ingredient in this cookie bar recipe. The sticky, gooey thick milk helps to bind everything together and gives these cookies an added sweetness.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips & dark chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are another necessary ingredient here, although you can use whatever type of chocolate you want, and could even sub in cut-up chocolate candy bars if that’s all you have. As I said before, many recipes use butterscotch chips instead of dark chocolate chips, but I love the sharper flavor the dark chocolate adds here.
• Chopped toasted walnuts. I used extra nuts here for added crunch. 
• Sweetened shredded coconut. 
• Flaky sea salt. Just a little bit of sea salt helps to amplify the flavors of this 7 layer cookie bar. 

How To Make Them

Making these 7 layer cookie bars couldn’t be easier. 

1. Start by lining your pan with parchment paper. I like to cut slits in the corners to make the parchment lay flat in the pan. This is a key step to ensure you’re able to easily remove the bars from the pan. (You can also grease your pan if you don’t have parchment paper, but the parchment paper method is much easier and helps to prevent sticking.)
2. Next, make your graham cracker crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter in a large bowl, then dump them into the lined pan. Spread the crumbs evenly across the bottom of the pan, pressing the crust down to pack it tightly. 
3. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the top of the graham cracker crust. The condensed milk helps to bind the crust, and the rest of the ingredients together and adds a caramel sweetness to the cookie bars.  
4. Add the semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips in an even layer across the top of the graham cracker crust. Then follow that with the nuts, and finally the shredded coconut. 
5. Bake them for about 30 minutes in the oven until the top is a golden brown color.
6. Sprinkle a tiny bit of flakey sea salt across the top of the 7-layer bars, allow them to cool completely, then place them in the refrigerator for about an hour to make these cookie bars super easy to cut!

FAQs/Tips For Success

• Use enough graham crackers. Some recipes use a smaller amount of graham crackers to make the base, however, I prefer a thick graham cracker crust to give the rest of the cookie a strong base. I find a thicker cookie base holds up better than when I have made a thinner base.
• Use parchment paper to easily remove the bars from the pan. This a classic tip for a reason, the parchment paper makes these bars a breeze to remove - no sticking or broken bars to be seen!
• Cool completely, then place in the fridge before cutting. If you try to cut these right out of the oven, they’ll fall apart on you. The chocolate will be too melty and the other components won’t have firmed up enough to hold together. Cooling completely is recommended, but I find placing these in the fridge for a bit really helps everything set and makes cutting the bars much easier. 
• Don’t confuse sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk. When buying sweetened condensed milk, be careful not to confuse it with evaporated milk. The two are generally close to each other in the supermarket and they look similar on the shelf. 

Magic Cookie Bar Variations

One of the best things about these seven-layer bars is that you can completely make them your own! Here are some delicious variations you can try:

• Swap out the dark chocolate. As I said, I subbed in dark chocolate for butterscotch chips, but you can use butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, or any other flavor you desire. 
• Change the nuts. I love walnuts, but pecans or even pistachios would work well in this 7 layer bar recipe.
• Use candy bars instead.  Remember when I had all the leftover Halloween candy and made those cute Halloween Candy Monster Cookies? This is another great use for all those mini snickers and Heath bars (or whatever other leftover candy bars you have.)
• Lactose intolerant? Use coconut milk instead of condensed milk and find a milk-free chocolate.
• Mix up the crust! Use chocolate wafers instead of graham crackers to make the crust. 
• Change up the toppings. I love the walnuts and coconuts, but experiment by adding toffee or even crushed peppermint candy!

Leftovers And Storage

7 layer bars will keep for about a week in the refrigerator (recommended, especially if you’re making these in the warmer months). 

These magic cookie bars also freeze incredibly well!  For freezing, you have a couple of options:

1. Take the entire pan of cookies out of the pan without cutting them (again, this is easiest when using parchment paper). Wrap the whole cookie block in plastic, then place it inside a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 
2. You can also cut these into individual bars before freezing. (Note - this is a nice option if you’re looking to sneak one or two out every now and then. 🙂 )

Other Easy Dessert Recipes

• S’mores Rice Krispie Treats
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars With Bananas & Chocolate Chips
• The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
• Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
• Halloween Candy Monster Cookies

If you have any questions or comments - please leave them in the comment section below! And if you make this recipe, take a pic and tag me @frontrangefed on Instagram!

Recipe