Prepare for ooey gooey bliss when you make our 7 layer bars recipe! These bars are really the ULTIMATE cookie bar and a nostalgic all American treat. Perfect for potlucks and picnic, kids parties, school bake sales, family dinners! These just maybe the only cookie bar you’ll ever need again!
These bars are also known as Hello Dolly’s and Magic bars. These treats burst onto the scene in the
Bar cookies are wonderful when you want to serve a group of people. I hope you’ll try our lemon bars, cake mix cookie bars, scotcharoos, and my best super marshmallowy rice krispie treat next!
Let’s bake these!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE
- One pan! Minimal mess!
- Triple threat: Crunchy, buttery, and sweet all in one.
- Holiday festive feel in every bite.
- Perfect party fare!
WHAT ARE 7 LAYER BARS?
These bars started to make an appearance on the cookie scene around the the mid 1960’s. Who created the original recipe is a bit of a mystery, but, the manufacture of Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, Borden, began printing their recipe on the cans of said sweetened condensed milk and in magazine.
The reason they’re called 7 Layer bars is that they are made with 7 layers of ingredients. They’re called magic bars because, Borden, referred to the sweetened condensed milk as the bars secret and magical ingredient. They’re called Hello Dolly’s because the recipe for them became very popular around the time the Broadway musical, Hello Dolly was also very popular. The cookie bars and the musical where forever linked, essentially because they’re arrivals coincided.
7 LAYER BARS INGREDIENTS
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: I use plain graham crackers. For a twist, try cinnamon grahams!
- Chocolate Chips: I like semisweet chips but you can use dark or milk chocolate chips instead.
- Butterscotch Chips: These are classic for this recipe. I wouldn’t change these.
- Pecans: My favorite nuts in these bars. Walnuts would be nice instead.
- Condensed Milk: This is another integral ingredient for these classic bars. It adds more chewy texture and a bit of caramel flavor notes.
- Coconut: I use the sweetened flaked coconut.
Tips
- Cut “Em Up: When you cut these bars for serving, cut them fairly small. They’re intensely sweet. Great news is that one 9X13 inch batch goes a long, long way!
- What’s in a Nut: No pecans? No problem! For this dish, the type of nut isn’t imperative to the outcome, so feel free to swap pecans with a similar nut, like walnuts.
- White Chocolate Chips: Add them! They make a great play on flavor and a fun visual when the bars are sliced and served. Sprinkle them on when you add the chocolate and butterscotch chips.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? If you baked your bars in a baking dish that comes with a lid, feel free to store your bars in that container.
- I recommend putting it in the fridge, as room temp tends to make your bars a bit TOO gooey (yes, there is such a thing!). Especially in warmer climates, the chocolate can melt at room temp. To keep your bars as delicious as possible, pick the fridge!
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! These bars freeze beautifully. To give your bars the best umph after freezing them, I recommend popping them into a toaster oven to crisp them up a bit and liven that coconut back to its former glory. Their actually really good straight out of the freezer!
- Make-Ahead Tips: Honestly, this recipe is quick and simple that I don’t recommend making any part of it ahead. Once you start this recipe, it’ll be done and ready for consumption in less than 40 minutes. This whole dish is a make-ahead lover’s dream!
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
HOW TO MAKE 7 LAYER BARS RECIPE
MORE COOKIE BAR RECIPES
- Blondies
- Caramel Apple Blondies
- Caramel Stuffed Brownies
- Avalanche Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Blackberry Pie Bars
- Cherry Custard Pie Bars
- Peach Crumb Bars
- Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars
- Almond Joy Bars
- Peanut Butter Bars
- Brookies
- Lemon Brownies
- Fluffernutter Rice Krispie Treats
TRIED THIS RECIPE?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7 Layer Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup pecans Chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Add butter (1/2 cup) to a 9X13 inch baking dish then place in the preheated oven until butter is completely melted.
- Swirl the pan to spread the butter. Add graham cracker crumbs (1 1/2 cups) and mix them together to combine evenly. Spread the crumb mixture evenly in the baking dish and press it firmly
- Sprinkle the graham cracker layer with the chocolate chips (1 cup), then the butterscotch chips (1 cup), then pecans (1 cup), then the coconut (1 1/3 cups).
- Pour the condensed milk (1 can) evenly over the top of all the layers.
- Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into serving pieces.
Is there a substitute for the coconut or can I just leave it out ?
You can just leave it out <3