7-Layer Magic Bars

7-layer magic bars are the perfect make-ahead dessert.

By
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin
Irvin is a critically acclaimed cookbook author and food blogger. His cookbook "Marbled, Swirled, and Layered" was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 in the New York Times.
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Updated November 02, 2023
Irvin Lin

These bars go by a few different names, like 7-Layer Bars or Hello Dollies, but I’ve always known them as Magic Bars.

They are a pure Midwestern treat for me, often brought to potlucks to round out a shared meal. All the names for the same dessert might seem confusing, but luckily, there’s nothing confusing about making them.

Overhead shot of 7 layer bars on a serving platter

Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

The Magic of Magic Cookie Bars

The true magic of these rich, sweet magic bars is how easy they are to make. There’s no mixing, no creaming butter with sugar, no adding the eggs one at a time.

Instead, magic bars are assembled from a pantry of stock ingredients, which are then sprinkled and layered one on top of the next. (Usually there are seven different ingredients, which explains at least one of the alternate names!)

Bake in the oven until toasty brown and the bars are done.

7-Layer Magic Bars on a blue striped plate

Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

Essential Ingredient: Sweetened Condensed Milk

The one essential ingredient in the whole recipe is sweetened condensed milk. This sticky, gooey, honey-thick condensed milk is what binds all the ingredients together. It also caramelizes in the oven, giving a sweet depth to each bite similar to dulce de leche.

Also, make sure you read the labels and buy sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk—the cans look very similar.

Overhead shot of sliced 7-layer magic bars on a wood surface

Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

What Are the 7 Layers?

Traditionally Magic Bars have 7 different layers, though it's a bit of a misnomer because "butter" is typically counted as a layer even though it's mixed with the graham crackers to make the bottom cookie layer. In these bars we have:

  1. Graham crackers
  2. Butter
  3. Sweetened condensed milk
  4. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  5. Butterscotch chips
  6. Pecans (though you can swap any other chopped nut!)
  7. Shredded sweet coconut

Fun Swaps and Substitutions

The essential components of the bars are the cookie base and the sweetened condensed milk to hold everything together. Beyond that, you have lots of options! For one of our favorites try this recipe for Peanut Butter Pretzel Magic Bars.

Here are some other ideas. For all of them, keep the overall ratios and proportions the same as the original ingredients:

  • Use gingersnaps, chocolate wafers, Biscoff cookies or any other dry, crumbly cookie instead of the graham crackers
  • Swap white chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips
  • Swap peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips
  • Add marshmallows
  • Add dried fruit
  • Add toffee bits
  • Add M&M candies or any other small candy
  • Add a drizzle of caramel over the top

Tip for Easier Slicing

Gooey is the name of the game with these bars. While delicious, this can make them difficult to slice. Two things can help:

  1. Be sure to line the pan with parchment. This way you can lift the bars from the pan and slice them with a chef's knife on a cutting board.
  2. Refrigerate the bars for a few hours or overnight. If the bars still seem too soft and gooey to slice, put them in the fridge (covered) for a few hour until they firm up.

Readers Weigh in on Magic Bar Variations

For a recipe so simple, magic bars have many variations from baker to baker. Our readers have shared many comments in particular about where they add condensed milk. But no matter what, these beloved bar cookies always seem to disappear in a flash!

  • Faith: "We use crushed CORN FLAKE crumbs as the bottom layer!! No parchment. Condensed milk on the top. Most times milk chocolate bits and walnuts. Fifty years of yummy and tons of calories and family smiles!"
  • AnneMarie: "Been making these since the 60s. We used to pour the condensed milk over the top. However, I found a faster way. I mix all the topping ingredients with the milk in the now empty bowl I made the crust in and simply spread that mix over the crust. Fast simple and no missed ingredients that don't get secured down."
  • Debbie: "We always called them Dolly Bars. I have used the condensed milk on the crust and over the years tried an extra bit of the milk on top. Both ways they are yummy and a family favorite! "
  • Bambino: "A sprinkle of cinnamon on the graham cracker crust is nice prior to the sweet condensed milk & other ingredients."
  • Terrie: "I remember adding maraschino cherries diced small and pressing juice out with paper towels. Great flavor addition! "

More Favorite Bar Cookies to Try!

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

7-Layer Magic Bars

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 24 bars

These bars are so rich and sweet, you can cut them into 24 small bars and still feel satisfied.

I like to add a sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt on top to add some crunch and help cut the sweet richness. The salt is totally non-traditional, though, so omit if you want that nostalgic, ultra-sweet Magic Bar experience.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (225g) graham cracker crumbs

  • 1/2 cup (115g / 1 stick) melted unsalted butter

  • 14 ounces (396g / 1 can) sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 cup (185g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup (185g) butterscotch chips

  • 1 cup (115g) chopped pecans

  • 1 cup (105g) shredded sweetened coconut

  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon), optional

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350F:

    Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking oil then line it with parchment paper.

  2. Make the graham cracker crust:

    Place the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter in a bowl. Toss with a fork until the crumbs are moist and hold together when squeezed with your hand.

    Dump the crumbs in the middle of the pan and then press them into an even layer with your fingers or the back of a flat-bottomed cup.

    The graham cracker layer for Magic Cookie Bars in a baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
    Graham cracker layer for magic bars pressed into the baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
  3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crust:

    Spread to edges of the pan with a spatula.

    Sweetened condensed milk poured over the graham cracker layer for making 7 layer bars

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
  4. Layer on the rest of the toppings:

    In this order, sprinkle the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, and then sweetened coconut over the top of the condensed milk.

    Gently press the ingredients down with your palm so they stick to the condensed milk.

    A last layer of shredded coconut sprinkled over the top of the magic cookie bars

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
  5. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes:

    Bake until the edges of the bars turn golden-brown and start to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the sea salt (if using).

    Baked 7-Layer Magic Bars in a baking pan

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin
  6. Cool completely before lifting the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper:

    (Stick them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight if needed to help firm up.) Cut into 24 pieces and store in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment paper between layers.

    The flavor of the bars is even better the day after baking. Bars stored at room temperature will be fairly soft and are best eaten within 3 to 5 days. For firm and chewy bars, store in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
15g Fat
29g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 85mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 64mg 5%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 147mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.