These magic bars are chewy and sweet little caramelized treats that require nothing more than a baking pan and seven ingredients to make.
Why this recipe works
The real magic behind these magic bars lies within the way all the ingredients meld together without the use of a typical dough you’d find in classic baked goodies. They’re basically an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of dessert bar with pecans, chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut, and graham cracker crumbs.
This vintage dessert recipe has gone by several names over the years – hello Dolly bars, magic cookie bars, and seven layer bars. This is one of the easiest recipes around, as it doesn’t require a bowl or even a mixing spoon. All you need is a pan and your ingredients!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CONDENSED MILK – Sweetened condensed milk is a must when making magic bars. It works as the binding agent, caramelizing as it cooks with the other ingredients and helping everything stick together. Do not skip or substitute this ingredient; after all, it’s the main source of the magic.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS – I prefer to use a mixture of semi-sweet and butterscotch chocolate chips, which you’ll typically find in most magic cookie bars recipes. You can easily substitute with white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, or milk chocolate chips if preferred.
GRAHAM CRUMBS – You can purchase precrushed graham cracker crumbs from the grocery store, but if you can’t seem to find them, you can crush them yourself with a rolling pin and large ziptop bag (or pulse them in a food processor). You will need about 1 whole sleeve, or 7-8 whole graham crackers to yield 1 cup crushed.
NUTS – Again, the type of nut you opt for in these bars is entirely up to you. Pecans or walnuts are both great options!
How to Make Magic Bars
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in the microwave and transfer to a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Sprinkle graham crumbs over the top of the melted butter. Sprinkle coconut over the graham cracker crumbs.
- Sprinkle crumbs with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Cover chips with sweetened condensed milk.
- Sprinkle the milk layer with chopped pecans.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack and allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Absolutely. Though you’ll want to be cautious of how much extra you are adding, as too much of something can change the texture due to the ratio of condensed milk to dry ingredients. Instead, I would suggest swapping out ingredients such as one flavor of the chocolate chips for a candy addition (M&M’s are great!).
Store leftover bars in an air-tight container kept at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Yes! To freeze, allow the bars to fully cool, slice, then transfer them to a large ziptop bag. I would avoid stacking them unless they are individually wrapped so that they do not stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
When I first made these back in 2014, one of my teenage sons had several friends over. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for half the pan to disappear. So be prepared.
I think these would be the perfect little bake sale treats wrapped in cellophane bags, but they’re always a hit at potlucks, parties, and family get-togethers as well. This is a fun recipe to make with kids as it’s super simple to prepare. Enjoy!
More Dessert Bar Recipes
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
Magic Bars
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cup chopped pecans
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can purchase pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs from the grocery store, but if you can’t seem to find them, you can crush them yourself with a rolling pin and large ziptop bag (or pulse them in a food processor). You will need about 1 whole sleeve, or 7-8 whole graham crackers to yield 1 cup crushed.
- Sweetened condensed milk is a must when making magic bars. It works as the binding agent, caramelizing as it cooks with the other ingredients and helping everything stick together. Do not skip or substitute this ingredient; after all, it’s the main source of the magic.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in the microwave and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Sprinkle graham crumbs over the top of the melted butter. Sprinkle coconut over the graham cracker crumbs.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- Sprinkle crumbs with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips
- Cover chips with sweetened condensed milk. Sprinkle the milk layer with chopped pecans.14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack and allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Storage – store leftover magic bars in an air-tight container kept at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Freezing – to freeze, allow the bars to fully cool, slice, then transfer them to a large ziptop bag. I would avoid stacking them unless they are individually wrapped so that they do not stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post was updated with new photos and expert tips and originally appeared here on May 19, 2014.
Amanda Davis
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- Brie Bites - October 30, 2025
- Mummy Hand Pies - October 16, 2025
- Halloween Dirt Cupcakes - October 7, 2025
Lera Stahl says
my favorite cookie of all times. Thanks for the recipe. the recipe as printed is perfect,i think
Sue Charlton McEndree says
My mom made these since I was a litle girl . t was one of our favorite Christmas cookies. I make them every year at Christmas. But they are good any time of the year!We usually used crushed walnuts on the last layer,
Doug says
Absolutely Delicious!! I completely followed the recipe and will make it again…and again.
Carmella Hoffman says
Is there a substitute for the Coconut? My family is not a fan of Coconut, and I’d hate to make them and have them go to waste.
Amanda Davis says
We have not tested this, however you may be able to sub in more ground nuts to replace the coconut. AGAIN we haven’t tested this, so should you decide to experiment we would love to hear your results!
B says
You can play around with this to your liking. I’ve tried adding white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, butterscotch, heath bar English toffee pieces….uhm whatever nut you prefer if you don’t like pecans. Even try adding m&ms! These were staples of mine in high school (for parties) and college….they also take a decent amount of butter if you want to infuse it ;-)