Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bars
Chips of chocolate and butterscotch are a doubly delicious addition to these lovely layered cookie bars.
Chips of chocolate and butterscotch are a doubly delicious addition to these lovely layered cookie bars.
These were very tasty! I followed the recipe as stated and the only complication I had was that I didn’t have enough graham cracker crust for the bottom of my 9x13 pan. I added some extra graham crackers to patch the holes and it worked ok, but the bottom was a bit on the crumbly side. I would suggest increasing the graham cracker crumbs to 1 ½ cups and the butter to ¾ cup. The taste made up for the crumbly bar and I will add this one to my recipe collection!
Read MoreCouldn't find my recipe I've used many times and was disappointed that the bar didn't cut well- ended up very crumbly. Found that the recommendation to mix the butter and crackers together didn't create a firm enough base to hold bars together. Have since found my old recipe which has you sprinkle the graham crackers over the melted butter in the pan, pour half the milk over then add less chips (so over it's not too chocately) add nuts then coconut then pour the balance of condensed milk over the entire mixture. It seems to come out firmer so you can cut bars that stay together. However, it was as tasty as ever...
Read MoreThese were very tasty! I followed the recipe as stated and the only complication I had was that I didn’t have enough graham cracker crust for the bottom of my 9x13 pan. I added some extra graham crackers to patch the holes and it worked ok, but the bottom was a bit on the crumbly side. I would suggest increasing the graham cracker crumbs to 1 ½ cups and the butter to ¾ cup. The taste made up for the crumbly bar and I will add this one to my recipe collection!
We've tried various techniques for this recipe and found that melting the butter then adding the graham cracker crumbs works great. We've also found that if you drizzle a bit of the sweetened milk over that BEFORE you layer the rest the bars will stick together better. Spray the pan with non-stick spray first. We've never had a problem with crumbling or sticking. Enjoy!
Yummy! These bars were very good! I did make them a little differently; instead of stirring the graham cracker crumbs and butter together, I poured the melted butter into the bottom of the pan and sprinkled the crumbs on top. I layered the coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts on top and than poured the sweetened condensed milk over everything. I think they are much easier to make this way, and they look and taste great!
Couldn't find my recipe I've used many times and was disappointed that the bar didn't cut well- ended up very crumbly. Found that the recommendation to mix the butter and crackers together didn't create a firm enough base to hold bars together. Have since found my old recipe which has you sprinkle the graham crackers over the melted butter in the pan, pour half the milk over then add less chips (so over it's not too chocately) add nuts then coconut then pour the balance of condensed milk over the entire mixture. It seems to come out firmer so you can cut bars that stay together. However, it was as tasty as ever...
This is a classic! And, there's really virtually nothing you can do to screw it up. It's not like there's any complicated directions or measuring here. It's straightforward and all the ingredients come together to compliment each other. I crushed my graham crackers by putting them into a ziploc bag and going over them with a rolling pin. I used a throw away tin to bake these in that I sprayed with a little Pam. I follwed the recipe exactly substituting white chocolate chips for the butterscotch as that's what I had on hand. These were so easy and oh so delectable!
Here are some things that I did to make these magic cookie bars taste amazing and not fall apart: Increase graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups and you may want to increase the butter to probably about a 1 stick and 1/2 stick; Grease 13*9 pan with cooking spray; Next, spread the melted butter on top of the cooking spray; Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs onto butter and press firmly with palm of hand; Then drizzle some sweetened condensed milk on top of graham cracker crumbs; Stir together chips, coconut, and nuts and pour on top of condensed milk and make sure it's evenly distributed; Pour remaining condensed milk on top of mixture. These tips will help the bars not crumble and make them taste wonderful. Hope this helps. After these alterations, I would give them 5 stars.
Very easy and Very good, my only change would be to follow other recipes that call for the condensed milk to be poured over everything LAST. The recipe as is doesnt leave much for the coconut to adhere to, thus there were a lot of crumbs left in the pan.
These are so good and so very easy! I guess mine were six layer bars, as I didn't put the nuts on (but I did add more chips.) I sprayed my glass pan with a bit of Pam spray before putting in the cracker crumbs, and after cooling, I had no problems removing from the pan. I also had to use about 2 cups of graham cracker crums, as it didn't spread over the entire pan. (I just added more dry crumbs to the mixture already pressed down and sprayed a bit of the Pam on it to moisten.) Thanks for sharing - these are excellent!
I've been making these with my mom for years, and everyone always loves them. I would've given it 5 stars except I made a few changes: there wasn't enough graham cracker crust for the bottom, and I drizzled the condensed milk at the very end, over the chips and nuts. Excellent cookies!
Really yummy. Graham cracker crust was a little crumbly so the second time I made it with a cookie dough crust and it was really good...
i loved em ! i also tried something with them, and it turned out pretty good. i cut them into small enough pieces to fit in an ice cube tray ,melted ice cream and poured it over the top of them ,stuck it in the freezer and made ice cream bars.yum.
A classic, delicious. The secret to getting the bars to stay together is chilling them before you cut them up. If you chill them, it takes a little more force to cut them up but once cut they will hold their shape and pop right out of the pan. A thin, flat metal spatula (such as an offset spatula used to ice a cake) will also help in removing the bars from the pan. Alternatively, you can line the pan with parchment, leaving a little parchment to hang over two sides of the pan. Run a knife or spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges of the bars (again, after chilling) and then pull on the paper to remove the bars in a single piece. Place on a cutting board and use a chef knife to cut into pieces.
One of my favorite childhood memories. I did have some problems cutting these into bars but I think it is because I used more chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Left out the walnuts.
I never mixed the butter and crumbs together. I melt the butter and pour into pan then add crumbs on top. I do use a glass pan and add enough crumbs till butter quits bleeding thru.
Classic- perfect. I made these exactly as directed and had no trouble with sticking like some reviewers. I did spray the pan with Pam and used a meat pounder to pack down the graham cracker crumbs. I think this helps the bars to come out easier- I do this for my cheesecakes too.
I've loved these since childhood and now make them for my kids. The only difference I would strongly recommend is pouring the condensed milk LAST on top of everything otherwise you'll have a messy cookie bar. :)
Here's what I did: Sprayed the pan first; Melted the butter & poured it in the pan, added the graham cracker crumbs. Then I added a little more than 1/2 the can of Eagle Brand, until the bottom was covered. Then I added Choc & Butterscotch Chips & Coconut (No nuts). Press everything down with a fork, Then drizzled the rest of the Eagle Brand on top & bake. **I feel that it is missing something & it's not the nuts. Maybe it's just that the butterscotch chips didn't really melt. Maybe next time, I will add a little less Butterscotch & a litte more Chocolate** It is VERY good though & super easy (Only like 5 min of prep!!!)
These are fabulous-I have been making these for years and always give them out at Christmas.
my mom/sister used to make this and was very happy when I stumbled across the recipe! I used the exact ingredients but put the stick of butter in the pan while oven was preheating, once melted I took pan out of oven and sprinkled 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs, then pressed down and layered rest of ingredients, then pressed all ingredients down with spatula. Once baked everything stuck together wonderfully and tasted like I rememered!
These were AWESOME. When I first made them I thought I did something wrong - but once it sets ... ohhhhhh yummie :)
I agree with some previous suggestions such as pour half the sweetened condensed milk over the crust. In addition, I added 1/4 cup brown sugar to the crust recipe-this was delicious and also helped it stick together. Also, I never cared for the way the coconut fell off the top and seemed too dry and crunchy, so I layered it this way: first the crust, 1/3 to 1/2 can of the milk, chocolate chips, the coconut, 1/2 of the nuts, the butterscotch chips and the other 1/2 of the nuts (I did 1/2 cup walnuts, and 1/2 cup pecans).I thought they turned out very well this way. Super rich and delicious! And no more flaky, burnt coconut.
This is the 2nd time I've made these bars, and although very tasty - I keep loosing half the graham cracker crust in the pan. I added and extra tbsp butter thinking it would hold it together better and this time poured the whole can of cond. milk over the crumbs again thinking it would hold the crust together better (last time I split the can as other reviews suggested) I don't know what am I doing wrong these are wonerful in taste, they just fall apart.
THIS IS WHAT I DO- FOR A 7 LAYER COOKIE PIE- I USE A PRE-MADE KEEBLER PIE CRUST, AND CUT THE AMOUNTS IN HALF- OR USE TWO CRUSTS AND DIVIDE THE INGREDIENTS UP! GREAT TO GIVE TO THE NEIGHBORS, AS A GIFT! AND FOR AN EXTRA SPECIAL TOUCH? I DRIZZLE HERSHEY'S SYRUP AND CARAMEL TOPPING ALL OVER THE TOP OF IT- IT LOOKS SPECTACULAR WHEN I DO THIS- PEOPLE ''OOOH AND AHHHHH'' WHEN THEY SEE IT! SO MUCH EASIER DOING THIS IN A PIE FORM- AND FAST AS WELL
These did not turn out at all. I upped the graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups - per many reviewers recommendation and upped the butter to 3/4 cup. Had to bake them longer than 25 minutes and they still turned out soggy on the bottom and too gooey to pick up.
These are awesome! My mom used to make them when I was little. I made them according to this recipe and they didn't taste just like the ones I had when I was young (of course, what does?). So I went back to my mom's recipe box. The original Borden recipe calls for the milk to be poured on last (over all the ingredients). I did another batch doing it that way (what a hardship--LOL) and they turned out "just like mom used to make). Perfect!
My husband had these at work and loved them, so naturally I'm looking up the recipe and making them days later...I was pleasantly surprised by these! I used an 8x8 pan, because i wanted them thicker, lined and spray for easier removal and cutting. I actually poured the milk over the top of the coconut, and it sank through while it was cooking. My only problem was getting it to set up, so i eventually put it in the fridge. Thanks for an easy, taste cookie bar!
My mother gave me this recipe years and years ago. But, as others have stated, the sweetened condensed milk gets drizzled over everything last. I just made these to take to a party tomorrow night and I lined my baking dish with Reynolds non-stick foil. I left enough hanging over at the ends, so when cooled, I should be able to just lift them out.
I make these often and like to experiment with the ingredients a bit. For my latest batch I used white chocolate chips instead of the semisweet and chopped macadamias. Also I sprinkled the top with Heath toffee chips. It was the best batch yet. The white chocolate seemed to be a bit more complimentary to the butterscotch.
These fell apart. I think the layering isn't quite right? My chips were on top and they didn't melt well and then a lot fell off when you cut them into bars. I think the eagle brand should go on top...
These have always been a classic at our house. The BEST way to make them is to go a little heavier on the butterscotch & chocolate chips and for the nuts use salted peanuts and crush them up a little. Sounds weird, but the combination of sweet and salty is AMAZING.
I've been making this recipe for YEARS! It's a holiday favorite to give to family and friends. I do recommend using SALTED butter, as it compliments the sweetness all the other ingredients. I only had unsalted and realized that was the only thing missing from the cookie!
A family favorite at every holiday, these do not last long at our house. I just use a package of graham crackers and crush them, which gives us good coverage for the crust. We experiment with different combinations of semisweet, dark and milk chocolate chips, but always keep the butterscotch base. Fantastic!
After reading recipes for this type of bar for years I finally decided to try to make a batch for an end of the school year potluck. People LOVED them. I did not use nuts. The next time I make them (and there will be a next time) I will toss the chocolate and butterscotch chips together first (or put the butterscotch down first because I like the way the chocolate looks better). I'll probably butter then pan, too. I couldn't let them set for as long as they needed, so I'll probably make them the day before next time.
these are some of our favorite bars. the only thing I do different is to add a layer of crispy rice cereal over the nut layer. out of this world good!
They are wonderful, the only change that I did was to subtitud the coconut for oatmeal, the butterscotch chips for white chocolate chips, and to maket more tasty i sprinker on the top with sea salt, OMG Heavenly!!! Trues me.
Amazing taste...every kind of sweetness all put together in one bar. The only think I changed was the crust, and this was out of necessity. I live overseas and don't have access to graham crackers, so I made my crust with 2 cups oatmeal and 3/4cup but. I added some cinnamon too. I baked this in the pan for 5 minutes before layering. They turned out great, and not crumbling. The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for the bars to cool and set!
Absolutely delicious! I've made other recipes like this in the past but this is by far the best one. I did follow the other reviewers' suggestions to pour half of the condensed milk over the graham cracker crumbs (I crushed one sleeve of crackers - perfect amount) and the other half over the top of the coconut (pour carefully because you won't be able to spread the condensed milk - it soaks in where it lands and makes it nearly impossible to press down with a fork because it is so sticky). Mine quickly browned up after being in the oven for only 21 minutes. I will definitely make this again. Wonderful!
I remember the original recipe called for melting the butter in the 9x13 first then sprinkling the graham cracker crumbs over the top and pressing it before the rest of the layers. You have to be careful not to burn yourself, but the crust does not get too crumbly that way. I love these so much and never use nuts as we are allergic! Sprinkle with red and green sugar for a Christmas time cookie, Orange for Halloween and Easter colors at that time of year! LOVE IT!
My family just loves these! like a few others, I poured the butter into the pan, sprinkled the crumbs on top (I used two cups), and then mixed it in the pan. I also lightly sprayed the top of the crust with cooking spray to make sure it wasn't too dry. Rather than layering the chips, I mixed them together with half of the condensed milk, spooned them on top of the "crust" then layered with the coconut and walnuts. Before baking I drizzled the other half of the condensed milk on top to give it a caramelized look- plus I think it might help it stick together a little better. yum!
This is one of our favorite winter desserts. This is also very good with Reese's peanut butter chips and chopped SALTED peanuts, for that salty/sweet combination. Do not forget to grease your pan before layering your ingredients and for me, the glass pan always turns out the best results.
These were amazing! I followed some of the suggestions in other reviews, such as pouring half of the condensed milk over the initial graham cracker layer and then the rest over the entire layered dish before baking. I also changed things up and did a recipe with milk chocolate chips and peanut butter, sans the coconut, as well as a triple-chocolate version with semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate chip and white chocolate chips. Any chips or variations you try, the outcome is delicious. We made 4 different kinds and handed them out to neighbors and our UPS/FedEv delivery drivers for Christmas. What a treat indeed! Like little homemade candy bars!
These are classic and always so good! You can switch it up and use whatever baking chips you have on hand. This time I'm using milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips but it is excellent as written.
I used chopped peanuts and made my own condensed milk (using milk powder, sugar, butter, hot water). This is moist, super sweet, and so delicious. I was short on the flaked coconut, but it still turned out fabulous!!! I would probably consider adding extra coconut if I had more.
I switched the walnuts to dry roasted peanuts, and use the swirl peanut butter/milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet and butterscotch chips. I also added half a cup more of graham cracker crumbs to make a more even crust. I melted the butter in the pan first and swirled it on the sides and around the bottom. I also poured the sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and then added the coconut - this helped make the coconut stick and not flake off. They turned out great! I brought them to a meeting and they were gone within 10 minutes and I got requests to bring them again!
I don't know how anyone could give this recipe a poor review! I suppose you have to like the taste of a candy bar, cause that's how rich it is. It's delicious and I got compliments from everyone who tried it. I almost got tired of explaining the ingredients and what makes up the seven layers. Thanks for sharing this wonderful go-to recipe for all of us who need a great potluck-type recipe :)
I also had a "lost" version of the recipe that calls for melting butter first. But, if you use PAM on the pan then add graham crumbs, then 1/2 the milk (remaining milk drizzled on top) it seems to provide the right "firmness. It also depends on the coconut. Moister coconut seems to work better.
My mom makes these every year for Christmas. I'm not a big fan of the butterscotch chips, so I substituted peanut butter chips instead. I also used 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup shortening and they turned out great.
Excellent recipe, easy to make! Impossible to resist. I did add some toffee chips once, but there is so much stuff in these, they got lost. You can cut the butter a tad.
YUM! I do make a crust with the butter and crumbs, and pour the milk on top, but otherwise everything stays the same. Great base for a really versatile recipe!
To make these even easier, melt the butter in baking dish, then sprinkle on Graham Crumbs, pat out, then follow rest of recipe.
These bars are super easy to make and are delicious! My only complaint is that it was really, really hard to get them out of the pan. I won't make them again until I figure out a better way to prevent the sides from sticking & getting hard. However, they were SO tasty that it will be well worth figuring that out. A great recipe!
This is much much too sweet and God knows I have a sweet tooth. Will not make again.
This is a favorite at home and work! I use white chocolate in place of the butterscotch though, or even peanut butter chips. Everyone loves them!
I made these for the first time, friends and family loved them!! The more chocolate chips you add, the better they get! Definitely a must for dinner guests and friends!
These were amazing!!!!!! I followed the other comments and poured the melted butter into the pan first then put the crushed graham crackers on top. I'll make these again!
I use a cup of butter and two cups of graham cracker crumbs. I think it's much better with a thicker crust.
These are so good. They are freakin addicting. I love them warm! I eat at least three then have a glass of milk and plate the rest after they cool. You know any recipe is good when the chef can't help but gobble them up and it's hard to share ;)
I followed this recipe exactly and it was a big pan of mush. I let it cool overnight and the bars still stuck to the bottom of the pan. I am not sure how others get these bars to turn out. To save my bars, I had to scoop up the dough and roll into balls, then I dipped into powdered sugar.
Just like I remembered from my childhood! This recipe used to be on the back of the can of milk. Tried and true--great for potlucks and after school treats. It is sweet and super rich, so be careful.
These were delish! I really don't think anyone who edits a recipe and doesn't male it exactly as it is should submit a review and is unfair to the poster. I made two batches of these. There was enough graham crust. If you press down as it instructs it covers the bottom fine. Once all the ingredients are added if you press down firmly as it says it doesn't fall apart.
These are called Granny's cookies in my family and it wouldn't be Christmas without them. Spread the crumbs evenly and press them down firmly so they're flat, not curving up against the edge of the pan.
Super tasty but also super sugary. I would also melt the butter in the pan and sprinkle the graham crackers on top for the most even coating. Some extra grahams wouldn't be unwanted in the recipe either. Despite any criticisms, I love these cookies. So many delicious ingredients... it's hard to go too terribly wrong!
My daughter loves these cookies. I didn't have butterscotch chips so I used white chocolate. Still very good!!
This is an easy recipe to tweek to your personal taste, and it comes out very good tasting and it can serve a lot if you cut it into sm sizes. I took some of the previous suggestion in customizing it. I did my own tweeking: Increased crumbs to 2 C + added 3 TBSP butter to make crust. Than I took prev suggestion of adding 1/2 can of condensed milk on crust, it made a HUGE difference in taste + keeping the crust from falling apart. I also dec butterscotch chips + semi-sweet chips to 1/2 C each and added 1/2 C each of bittersweet + 1/2 C milk chocolate chip. I used peanuts as the nut + added toasted coconut as the top ingredient. Finally, I also took another prev suggestion of adding the other 1/2 can of condensed milk on top (this came out tasting like a coconut macaroon, yum-o). Like I wrote, easy recipe to tweek to your own taste. Take this to your next gathering and you will make new friends, otherwise you'll end up eating it all up (:
Stupid easy to make which is great for moms with kids trying to make a dessert at 7.30 in the morning! I substituted peanut butter chips as I am not a fan of butterscotch chips. A keeper. I will make this again!
These bars are really sweet. I made these for a party and less than half were eaten. They were pretty good, but I'm not sure I'd make it again.
Thank you to the reviewers who shared the following tips: Increase graham cracker crumbs to 1 3/4 cups. Melt butter in 8X8 pan while preheating the oven, then pour graham crackers directly into the melted butter. Use spatula to press them down. Layer chocolate chips, coconut, then walnuts. Pour the condensed milk on top. I didn't use the entire can, mostly because I was using an 8x8 pan and didn't need the entire thing, used about 3/4 of the can. After baking, the walnuts took on an incredible sweet roasted glazed flavor that would not have been there if we had layered the condensed milk directly onto the graham cracker crust. There was a lot of recipes calling for both ways, and I am so so glad I poured it on top! These turned out amazing, and will definitely be added to the regular desert rotation!
I love these but always have trouble with dryness. This year I did a recipe and 1/2 in my cookie sheet and that made all the difference! I used 2 cans of milk instead of 1 1/2 and they were thicker and chewy like I remembered them to be. Maybe the altitude makes a difference?
More like candy than bars. So, so good. I recommend pouring the milk over the everything (including coconut) as a glue, as recommended by others as well.
I once put these in the freezer to keep them safe. My brother found them, and we discovered that they're even better frozen.
These are so fabulous! They are sure to be a hit for those with sweet teeth!
I love this recipe....I make around the holidays..... Don't change a thing.....
I have been making these bars for over 20 yrs. They always go over well! I would suggest that you punch 2 holes in the Eagle Brand can to drizzle it ON THE TOP before baking. It keeps the bars together and gives a lovely finish to the coconut and nut topping. The adding of butterscotch morsels is also a good thing. And if you have access to Georgia pecans, all the better!
The family all love these cookies! Just a couple of little helpful hints: I added extra graham crackers and butter to form thicker crust. To help with the bottom layer being more solid, I added about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. I poured MOST of the can of Sweetened Condensed milk over the graham cracker crust before adding all the flavors of chips, and coco nut. I finished off the rest of the can of condensed milk over the top. Seemed to help keep everything together, and cut nicely into bars! ENJOY !
always an awesome dessert, i love to mix up what i put in there, cashews and m&m's are delicious substitutes!
I got a new laptop o lost all my old recipes the other 1 I had for this was to put the milk on top of it all. I also use pecans for mine. But very yummy, my 16 year old son just put his first batch in the oven.
Not sure why but these were crumbly and dry. Not going to make this particular recipe again!
A Christmas classic in my house. These are SUPER rich, chewy, and delicious. They always get rave reviews. I use mix dark chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch chips. And I use chopped pecans and walnuts on top.
I made no changes and these bars are sinfully delicious! Who wouldn't like these??
You can also use a dry brownie mix in place of the graham crackers. It is out of this world good.!
I made these for Thanksgiving. They were great, with the exception of the butter. I used salted butter, which almost ruined these delicious bars. Please use Unsalted butter!
This recipe,AWSEOME!!!!!! Ive been looking for a certain recipe and this one is perfect!! Not too sweet and all the perfect ingridients!!!It came out great,I oiled the pan and had to add an extra 1/2 cup of graham crackers and like 3 tblsp butter to have the crust cover the pan,but otherwise!!!!!Awesome!!!And I also added half a can extra of condesed milk before adding the coconut so it would stick. Otherwise,totally yum!!! :)
These taste amazing! My husband just about ate the whole batch! Guess I’ll be making them more often! :-)
This is one of our favorites. First, always use parchment paper otherwise it can be very hard to get them out of the pan. I use one package of graham crackers & 7/8 T butter melted. I mix them together and press into pan. Then layer both chips
I don't know a soul alive who doesn't love these bars. My dad comes from an hour away, just to take some home. Great recipe!
This is the best cookie ever and verrryyy addicting-Sharon Perez, Waco TX
Umm.....HEAVEN!!! I didn't have butterscotch chips so I used white chocolate chips with semi-sweet chocolate chips & no nuts. Pure HEAVEN. YUM!!!!
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