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Is anything more classic for the holidays (or you know, a Monday morning with a coffee) than delicious Magic 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!
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!
- Press the crumb base into the bottom of the pan.
- Place all of the ingredients into the pan in the correct order.
- Bake, then cool and slice.
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.
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
These are super sweet and awesome cookie bars, enjoy!
Love,
Karlynn
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Magic Cookie Bars
- 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
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.
Made this recipe?
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Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Jess M says
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!
betcclic.com says
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Kay says
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 🙂
Dori says
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.
Sheila P says
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!
Joy Wilson says
can I use unsalted butter. that’s what I have on hand.
Karlynn Johnston says
Yes, just add a sprinkle of salt to the recipe
Candace says
Did you use a 9×9 pan?
Judy says
What size pan?
susan gortva says
i used to really love these. can’t believe all the goodies I ate
Dawn says
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