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These 7-layer Magic Cookie Bars are made with seven delicious layers – crushed graham cracker crumbs, butter, sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. This 7-layer cookie recipe is a classic that everyone loves any time of year!
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Pin RecipeYou’re going to see why these are my favorite treats to make and share with the kids!
7 Layer Cookie Recipe
You will love this classic cookie recipe that is sure to take you back to your childhood. It also perfect during the Christmas season since it’s perfect for shipping and gift-giving! I like to pair them with a batch of Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars, Hello Dolly Bars, or Rice Krispie treats.
If you’re ready for a cookie recipe that is certain to hit all the sweet notes in your mouth, give this simple 7 layer Magic Cookie Bar recipe a try.
Ingredients Needed for 7 Layer Cookie Bars:
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Layer 1: graham cracker crumbs – you can buy already crumbled or add them to the food processor to pulse them yourself.
- Layer 2: melted butter
- Layer 3: Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Layer 4: butterscotch chips
- Layer 5: semi-sweet chocolate chips (also excellent in these Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!)
- Layer 6: flaked coconut – sweetened or unsweetened coconut could be used.
- Layer 7: chopped nuts – pecans, walnuts, cashews, etc.
How to make 7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven: Start by heating the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13X9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter and mix well. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the sweetened milk evenly over the crumb mixture. Continue to layer evenly with the remaining ingredients (in the order given) and press down firmly with a fork.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from the sides of the pan while still warm and cool on the wire rack. Cut into bars.
Pro Tip
For perfectly cut cookie bars, line the entire pan with foil and extend the foil over the edge of the pan. Coat lightly with non-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up by the edges of the foil to remove from the pan. Cut into individual bars at that point in time.
Tips + Variations
Tips + VariationsThe great thing about this recipe is that you can alter it a bit to have it be just as you want.
- If you don’t care for coconut, you can omit that ingredient from this recipe.
- You can also remove the nuts or change out the nut to one that you want as well.
- These would go perfectly with a nice dollop of whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream also.
- Try adding leftover Halloween candy, like these Halloween Candy Cookie Bars!
Seven Layer Bar FAQS
If you don’t want to use shredded coconut, don’t. Why miss out on the other flavors of this recipe if you can easily omit that one ingredient? Just rename it six layer bars if you need to take out a layer.
You can easily add crushed peanuts, white chocolate chips, or even peanut butter chips in the place of the coconut. You can also drizzle some caramel on top, too.
Sure! Just take out the nuts if you don’t want them or switch out the type of nut that you want to use. Walnuts are great with this recipe due to how soft the nut is.
Yes, you can freeze these treats. Just wrap them in saran wrap and then store them in a freezer-safe bag!
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7 Layer Cookies
Equipment
- 13×9 Inch Baking Dish
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/3 cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped nuts I like pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter and press crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients in order given. Press down firmly with a fork1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup butter, 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 1/3 cup flaked coconut, 1 cup chopped nuts
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack.
- For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, remove from the pan and cut with a sharp knife.
Mine came out super and delicious. My biggest issue was getting the sweet condensed milk over the cracker layer. It didn’t want to spread and kept picking up the graham crackers.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Saundra! Sweetened condensed milk can definitely be a little tricky to work with!
A bit more butter a bit less butterscotch
I’ve had this recipe pinned for a long while and am excited to make these lil treasures today! I did read through all notes and adjusted where I thought it would help.
Thought I had graham crumbs, but actually had crackers that I smashed. But… I’m wondering if I could have laid down the crackers, poured the melted butter on top and give it a moment to sink in. Thank you, Kasey for sharing your recipe with us!!
Hi Connie! Smashing the crackers was the best way to go! Whole sheets of graham crackers likely wouldn’t hold up well, meaning your bars would fall apart! We hope you enjoyed the recipe. 😊
Warm the can of condensed milk up first.
Am I the only one that had the issue that this wasn’t anywhere near enough graham mixture to cover a 9×13 pan?
I ALWAYS GO FOR 2 CUPS OF GRAHAM CRUMBS TO 3/4 MELTED BUTTER
Definitely not the right measurements for this recipe! 🫠🫠🫠🫠
What can you substitute the coconut for, we’re not coconut eaters in my family?
DonnaD.
We just have 6 layer cookies without coconut
When doubling recipe, should this be made in 2 separate 9×13 pans? Or can you place all in the one pan and have thicker bars? Will they cook right?
I doubled the recipe, and used a cookie sheet. Worked PERFECT!
We’re so glad it turned out well for you, Cathy!
These bars are the best! I haven’t made them myself in YEARS, so I decided to today for a potluck since I have all the ingredients (even butterscotch chips!). I noticed all the people saying you should put the sweetened condensed milk after everything else, so I just went to the Eagle Brand website to find the official recipe, and it instructs you to put it on first. I decided to do it first since I’m pretty sure that’s how my mom and grandma used to do it. The Eagle Brand recipe also only calls for chocolate chips, no butterscotch chips. I personally prefer it with the butterscotch! I’m sure when you put the sweetened condensed milk on doesn’t make that much difference either…it’s going to taste amazing either way. I’ve always thought that they magic/beauty of recipes is that you CAN and SHOULD tweak them to your own liking. P.S. While I was writing this, my bars came out of the oven and they look wonderful. So excited to share them with friends later.
Super and as others who have commented, the instruction for lining the pan should be at the beginning. It also is not represented or does not show as a lined pan in the picture.
I agree, it would be helpful to have the pan instructions at the beginning, but it’s always a good idea to read the entire recipe before beginning, so that you don’t miss anything 🙂
Thank you, Debi! I keep seeing people putting it in first, but my Grandma ALWAYS put the Eagle Brand on last, so everything got all gooey delicious and stayed together. Even the Eagle Brand page did it this way.
Yes sweetened condensed milk goes on top!
That’s the way we always have made them. I have the recipe form the 70s and that’s what it says too.
The cookie bars look so good the 7 layer bars.
Dear all things mamma . . . Maybe your mamma made these this way but dear the sweetened condensed milk is the LAST layer it goes on the top of everything and holds it together. T
You drizzle it on the top
Thank you, Debi! I keep seeing people putting it in first, but my Grandma ALWAYS put the Eagle Brand on last, so everything got all gooey delicious and stayed together.
Is the coconut sweetened or unsweetened coconut? Thanks.
Sweetened!
I have been making these for over 20 years. I always pour the sweetened condensed milk over everything last. I also use the whole bag of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Everyone LOVES these!
Can I add more sweetened condensed milk if I add a bit more toppings?
Recipe calls for 14oz. my can has 10oz, would it work if I used 2 cans(20oz)
I did a few things differently this time making these . The last batch the graham cracker crust was really crumbly so I added cinnamon and sugar to the crust and baked it ten minutes. I believe this will elevate the problem with the crust . I had so many people asking me to make these . They are my favorite too ❤️
Just made this tonight….easy yet so delicious!! Will definitely be making again soon 😊. Thank you for sharing!!