Magic Cookie Bars
These magic bars are the perfect combination of easy and delicious. They are sweet, buttery, chewy and nutty—sure to disappear like magic.
These bars are called “magic”, because one minute they are on the plate and the next—bam—they are gone!
Even better? They are EASY! For that reason, this intro will be short and sweet. These magic bars are made from a few simple ingredients: graham cracker, butter, condensed milk, chocolate, coconut and walnuts. They are chewy, buttery, with a slight nutty crunch—the kind of dessert that is dangerously yummy! My recipe is adapted from the Eagle Brand Magic Bar recipe, which calls for a thinner graham cracker crust and more coconut. My palette wanted a thicker buttery crust and less coconut. Further, the original recipe called for nuts nonspecifically, but I specify walnuts, as I think they pair best. I feel confident these adaptions make the original recipe even better.
For the Graham Cracker
I highly recommend using a food processor to make the graham cracker crumbs. I’ve definitely used a gallon zip lock bag, a rolling pin and a lot of whacking, but in using a food processor, the crumbs will be ready in seconds. Further, some stores sell prepackaged graham cracker crumbs, and if so grab a few boxes! Graham cracker crumbs are great for cheesecakes, pies, cupcakes, you name it!
Final Tips
When making this recipe, make sure to use condensed milk, not evaporated milk and similarly, make sure to use sweetened shredded coconut instead of unsweetened!
These bars are quite forgiving and the cooking time adapts to one’s liking. I love a worry free recipe! Watch the bars after 25-30 minutes and remove from oven when golden brown or a little darker if preferred—the best part is you can’t go wrong.
Lastly, consider including these bars if you make cookie tins for Christmas! They last up to a week after baking, are durable stacked, and don’t break or crumble easily. Enjoy!!
Magic Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 (14 oz) condensed milk
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 to 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. This allows for easy removal of bars and ideal for perfect squares.
- Using a medium bowl, melt the butter in a microwave oven at 15 second intervals until fully melted. Add graham cracker crumbs to the butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, spreading the crumbs evenly.
- Pour the condensed milk over the crust, using an off set spatula to evenly spread.
- Next, evenly distribute the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts on top of the condensed milk. Intersperse each ingredient equally on top of the condensed milk, rather than in layers. It makes for a more cohesive and attractive bar.
- Bake bars for 30 minutes or until the sides are bubbling and the coconut is toasted and golden.
- Allow bars to cool fully before lifting them out of the pan and cutting into squares.
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