Magic Cookie Bars

These easy to make treats are called magic cookie bars for a reason! A quick assembly with a few ingredients you probably have in your pantry already and they disappear in a flash!

The best part is you can make a batch months in advance and keep them in the freezer for when you want a sweet treat or have unexpected guests to feed.

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

Shredded Coconut: This recipe uses sweetened shredded coconut, the unsweetened variety will be too tough.

Chocolate Chips: I used semisweet chocolate chips in this cookie but you can definitely use bittersweet chocolate instead.

How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

1. Set oven to 350F (177C) and line your baking dish with parchment paper or foil. Add the Graham crackers, and toasted pecans to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse until broken into a fine meal. If you don’t want to use a processor just give the pecans a fine chop and crush the crackers in a bag using a rolling pin. 

2. Pour melted butter onto the Graham cracker mixture then mix together until uniformly moistened. If you’re using the processor just drizzle the melted butter in while pulsing. 

3. Spread the crust onto your lined baking dish and use a measuring cup or glass to tamp it down and smooth it out.

4. brush the side with veggie oil or melted butter for an easy release after baking. This step is optional but I find it’s much more pleasant to remove if you do it.

5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and try to get an even coating. You can add more or less depending on how much you love chocolate!

6. Add the peanut butter chips in an even layer. You can mix in some butterscotch chips if that’s a flavor you enjoy. 

7. Sprinkle the sweetened shredded coconut in an even layer. You will probably have to break up some clumps with your fingers as you go.

8. Add the toasted chopped pecans onto the coconut. I love the crunch and aroma of pecans so I always add a bit extra. 

9. Pop open your can of sweetened condensed milk and drizzle over the entire surface. It will self level and spread on it’s own so don’t go crazy trying to get every nook and cranny. 

10. At the very end I like to add a sprinkle of sea salt all over the top for some contrast and a smattering of chocolate chips for looks. Pop into the oven and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. You’ll see the top turn a golden brown but the center will not be set, it will harden after cooling down. Allow to cool in the pan for about an hour then remove an cut into bars or squares.

Pro Tips for this recipe

• LINE the baking dish! If you don’t there will be a total mess when you try to remove them.
• Try using dulce del leche in place of the sweetened condensed milk for a more caramelized version of this easy treat.
• Add more nuts, butterscotch chips, pretzel pieces or anything else you enjoy to this recipe, it’s quite forgiving.
• You can buy graham cracker crumbs at the grocery store if you want to skip a step. 
• The bars can be cut fairly small as they’re pretty rich, people can always grab an extra one if they’re still hungry!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do they need refrigerated?

Store your magic cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If it’s blazingly hot then you should pop them into the fridge. 

Can you freeze them?

Magic cookie bars freeze very well. Make sure to wrap them in something air tight and they will keep for three months. Defrost when ready to enjoy or snack on them straight out of the freezer. 

How do you use sweetened condensed milk?

Aside from adding a splash to your coffee in the morning for a delicious treat you can use sweetened condensed milk to make Tres leches Cake, Dulce de Leche Cake, fudge, and no bake cheesecake

How do you know when they done?

The top will be just turning golden in the center and the edges will look caramelized. It will not be hard in the middle but will set as it cools.

What can I add to them?

Try adding anything salty, crunchy or sweet that you enjoy! Butterscotch chips, chopped pretzel pieces, M&Ms, roasted peanuts, a drizzle of caramel, or even dried fruit. 

If you’ve tried this magic cookie bar recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!