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How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

This is my take on the classic Magic Cookie Bar, also sometimes called seven layer bars (although this recipe only uses six layers). For years I’ve been getting compliments on how good my magic cookie bars come out so I thought I would share my recipe and method with everyone. Enjoy!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 36
Author Jennifer Rao - Around the World in 80 Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups (6.1 oz) graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/3 cup (3.5 oz) sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup (3.5 oz) walnuts, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass dish). I prefer to use my 9×13 glass pyrex dish to bake these because the edges don’t get as brown as they do when using an aluminum pan.
  2. Place the melted butter in a 9×13 pan and spread it out so it is even.
  3. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on to the melted butter so that it is completely covered. Make sure you distribute the crumbs evenly. Once covered pat the graham cracker crumbs down a bit to make sure they stick together well.
  4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top the graham cracker crumbs, again making sure you distribute evenly. Going slow here is important so that you get a nice even coating.
  5. Finely chop the walnuts, preferably in a mini food processor to get them really fine. Sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the sweetened condensed milk.
  6. Next sprinkle on the flaked coconut followed by the chocolate chips. Press down gently across the top to bind all the ingredients together.
  7. Bake at 350°F (325°F if using a glass dish) for 25-30 minutes. The edges should just be starting to brown.
  8. Allow to cool completely (I usually let it sit overnight) before cutting. I cut the squares into 1.5 x 2 inch rectangles and get about 36 bars. One row of bars will be a little bigger, but you can really cut them to whatever size you like.
  9. These can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature. They last for at least 1-2 weeks, but they are usually all eaten before I even get through week 2 so they may last even longer.