Photo: Leigh Loftus
I have a shelf in one of my kitchen cabinets devoted entirely to baking supplies — so that at any given time, seven layer magic bars are not outside the realm of possibility.
It’s a large shelf, big enough to accommodate multiple bags of flour, four or five kinds of sugar at any given time, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, several types of oatmeal…you get the picture. It’s crowded in there.
This weekend I went on a little cleaning spree and wanted to get rid of a few almost-expired ingredients: graham cracker crumbs and coconut, to name two.
I went digging in my grandmother’s recipe box and emerged with a recipe for “Magic Bars” that called for most of the ingredients in my cabinet and since it was written in her shorthand that I am fairly certain even she wouldn’t be able to decipher today if she were still here, I was able to do a good bit of improvising.
I would like to tell you that these are called magic bars because they’re “magically delicious” or some other charming family tale about the recipe’s origin.
I’m pretty sure they’re called magic bars because if you forget to grease the bottom of the pan like I did, it’s going to take some magic to dislodge the bars from their cooking vessel once they’ve cooled.
Photo: Leigh Loftus
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ¾ cup peanut butter chips
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking pan with butter or cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and press onto bottom of pan to form a crust.
- Spread shredded coconut on top of graham cracker crust and layer with chocolate and peanut butter chips. Pour condensed milk over top and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. When you remove from the oven, the mixture will still appear underbaked (milk layer will look as though it hasn't set). Place the bars in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to an hour and remove them to cut. Serve in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to three days (but my guess is that they won't last that long).
- Makes 12-16 bars (you might want to cut them into smaller pieces because they're so sweet).
68 Comments
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Anne Taylor
September 16, 2012 at 9:32 amThis recipe takes me back to my childhood, where my older sister and I would make these as often as we could. I’m surprised we didn’t end up to be fat kids or adults for that matter! These magic bars are really, really sweet, so at first it might be off-putting for some people. Don’t give up, though! Pair them with a tall, cold glass of organic milk or a big cafe au lait (without sugar) and you will be in seven layer heaven!
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megi
July 1, 2011 at 12:03 pmThe bars look so yummy! I don’t think I have ever made this kind of bar recipe, thank you for sharing.
Vanessa
June 30, 2011 at 7:17 pmyum Yum YUM!! These sound delicous and are perfect for a potluck 🙂
The Food Hunter
June 29, 2011 at 4:53 pmI’ve got to try these.
Anna
June 28, 2011 at 6:37 amMy favorite cookie of all-time!
Lexi
June 27, 2011 at 1:02 pmOh my gosh, I love these!!!! Must try these soon!!!
Reeni
June 25, 2011 at 4:49 pmCleaning out one’s pantry never looked so good! 7 layers of heaven!
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy
June 25, 2011 at 1:10 pmThis sounds a killer recipe- coconut, nuts & chocolate all in one- truly magical!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
June 24, 2011 at 10:36 pmOh yes, I’ve made these magically delicious bars a time or two myself, and they are fabulous! They can be a bear to get out of the pan though, so I line mine with parchment. 🙂
The Harried Cook
June 24, 2011 at 10:00 pmThese look fantastic! I’ve seen six layer bars, but of course everything good needs to be made better 🙂 Great job, Maris!
lisa @ smart food and fit
June 24, 2011 at 7:58 pmOmg, these look dangerous! I could literally eat the own pan! Great photo’s too! You always take great food pics!
Tessa
June 24, 2011 at 6:06 pmI really love this simple version of magic bars! I too have an over-crowded shelf (or maybe 2 shelves…) full of baking supplies. I don’t think I have any peanut butter chips though. I’ll have to buy some on my next trip to the store.
Terris-FreeEats
June 24, 2011 at 1:42 pmWow, these bars definitely bring back fond memories. Magic bars were among one of my first culinary feats as a kid. My 3 older brothers would go wild when I made them and I felt like a total rockstar when they would ooh and ahh over them. Yours look delicious and decadent!
emily (a nutritionist eats)
June 24, 2011 at 1:32 pmI have a similar recipe from my mother-in-law (well, future) – they are so good! Maybe because I love all of the ingredients. 🙂
gsnNYC
June 24, 2011 at 1:26 pmThese look delish! I know what I’ll be making this weekend!
NancyC
June 24, 2011 at 1:17 pmYum–those look great! I’ve made another variation of Magic Bars before, but I’ll have to try it this way!
Geni
June 24, 2011 at 12:29 pmMy grandmother had “Magic Bars” in her recipe box as well. I now have her box and now and then peruse through it, looking for gems like these. Very similar recipe and they really are delicious.
Liz
June 24, 2011 at 11:41 amOh, I shouldn’t have looked!!!! I love Magic cookie bars…and now I have a huge craving for their wonderful goodness! So delish!
Ali Grace
June 24, 2011 at 10:53 amI love these magic bars! You can literally put anything in them and they still turn out great. And I love that you have your grandmother’s handwritten recipe. Even though they’re hard to read, there’s something so special about it!
Dana
June 24, 2011 at 10:19 amOhh yum! I love recipes like this where no matter what goodies you have on hand, if you add them in, it comes out great!
Linda
June 24, 2011 at 10:18 amOh you brought back some good memories with these bars! When I was growing up my one aunt made these all the time! They were always included on her cookie tray! Being Italian these really stood out as they were so sweet and different from all the typical Italian cookies all the other aunts and my mother would make. I always think of her when I see them. I really don’t know why I just don’t make them myself… and now I have the recipe!!
Susan
June 24, 2011 at 10:05 amOh my gosh, my mother-in-law and husband’s grandmother used to make the same bars and we always enjoyed them. Magically delicious is right!
Anna and Liz Recipes
June 24, 2011 at 9:59 amOMG I make magic bars all the time and these look amazing!
So glad I foundyour site! :()
Kay
June 24, 2011 at 9:23 amI love these! It also reminds me of the movie “Dick” with Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams – they make these for President Nixon, haha!
Gen
June 24, 2011 at 9:10 amThese look really delicious!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe! 😀
Rosa
June 24, 2011 at 8:49 amThose look devilishly scrumptious! I am a bar addict.
Cheers,
Rosa
Pudding Pie Lane
June 24, 2011 at 8:22 amDo you think you have enough layers in there? :p Looks extremely yummy (I would say that 7 times over but it might get a bit repetitive! 🙂
Kristen
June 24, 2011 at 7:36 amWhat a great combo – no wonder they are called Magic bars. Looks like you created a little bit of magic with your pantry extras!
Joanne
June 24, 2011 at 7:30 amThat sounds like one dangerous shelf to have around. I can’t keep chips of any kind sitting here otherwise I grab a handful every time I pass them.
Awesome bars though! Totally worth buying peanut butter chips for.
Barbara
June 24, 2011 at 7:09 amDangerous recipe, Maris, and I don’t mean the sticking in an ungreased pan, either.
(Didn’t the refrigeration make things easier?)
I bet this is like candy…one bite is not enough.
Kitchen Belleicious
June 24, 2011 at 7:00 amMagic indeed! You are like a houdini! These look incredible, rich, decadent and they are screaming my name to try them. Okay, I will take a dozen please!
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger)
June 24, 2011 at 6:50 amYour baking shelf sounds just like mine! I never know what lurks there-in!
These bars look great, and I think your reason for the name is hysterical.
Maureen
June 24, 2011 at 4:18 amI haven’t made these in YEARS and when I did I don’t think they ever looked as delicious as yours.
Maureen
June 24, 2011 at 4:17 amI haven’t made these in YEARS
sheila @ Elements
June 24, 2011 at 12:54 amThese look scrumptious!!! I’m sure they get gobbled up fast!!! I love the story behind the name of the bars! 🙂
Sawsan@chef in disguise
June 23, 2011 at 10:34 pmOh! sorry they stuck to the pan..but it looks like you have some serious magical powers because you go them out and they look heavenly 🙂
I have never made a magic bar before and looks like I am missing alot
bellini
June 23, 2011 at 10:12 pmThis renews memories for an old recipe Maris! My mom used to make these too.
yummychunklet
June 23, 2011 at 9:30 pmThese look intensely delicious. Awesome way to sugar overload! Yum!
rebecca
June 23, 2011 at 9:09 pmfun recipe and thanks for sharing the lemon cake recipe to your mum hope she likes it
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray
June 23, 2011 at 9:07 pmAhahaha, I love your reason for the name. So funny! I’ve had something like these bars before, and they are so yummy! So many good things in them.
Angela
June 23, 2011 at 9:05 pmI think I remember these from one of my mom’s church cookbooks (the ones where everyone contributes a recipe). They look very yum.
Kate (What Kate is Cooking)
June 23, 2011 at 7:22 pmAhhh, these remind me of my childhood! I LOVE all of these ingredients! Magic indeed 🙂
Greg
June 23, 2011 at 5:30 pmThat’s what I call a fun spring cleaning project. They look great. We have all our sweet stuff for baking in one cabinet too, maybe it’s time to do some cleaning of our own.
jan
June 23, 2011 at 5:26 pmMy recipe differs slightly but i know why they’re called “Magic Cookie Bars”. In the recipe I have from my grandmother, you melt the butter in the baking pan, then layer on the rest of the ingredients. They are “magic” because there is no stirring and they are a single-pan dessert.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
June 23, 2011 at 5:00 pmindeed magical…. i want one!
Chris
June 23, 2011 at 4:59 pmThis look a bit irresistible. Its fabulous what a little cleaning can do. Next time you do some cleaning, call me! I will take these off your hands. heee
Tar
June 23, 2011 at 4:55 pmThis is my favorite dessert EVER! We made these all the time when I was a kid. We always used butterscotch chips and pecans instead of the pb chips and walnuts, but I’d love to try that variation!
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
June 23, 2011 at 4:50 pmYum!! I could use gf crackers and make this!! It’s so rare to find desert recipes that I can easily make gf!!!
kankana
June 23, 2011 at 4:36 pm7 is my fav number .. and this 7 layer my dear friend sure does look magical to me 🙂
marci
June 23, 2011 at 4:31 pmYUM. So many delicious things all in one bite.
Nami @ Just One Cookbook
June 23, 2011 at 4:16 pmYour grandma must be really happy! You made your grandma’s recipe alive. 🙂 Oh yes, I can tell this is magically delicious! My pantry has very small portion of baking supplies. LOL. One day I hope it will get bigger and bigger!
Caroline
June 23, 2011 at 3:55 pmI’ve been wanting to make magic bars for a while, but haven’t gotten around to it. What a perfect way to use up ingredients in the pantry and de-clutter! I sure wouldn’t mind having these treats laying around my apartment. 🙂
Courtney
June 23, 2011 at 3:38 pmOh, how you make me feel better by admitting a mistake. 🙂 Now I know even really good cooks mess up every now and then. Those bars still look pretty magical, though!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
June 23, 2011 at 3:01 pmI just made Eight Layer Magic Bars a few days ago and posted about them!!!
Yours look wonderful! 🙂
The Waspy Redhead
June 23, 2011 at 2:46 pmYou are evil. That is all. 🙂
Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet
June 23, 2011 at 2:10 pmIt is amazing what you can do with condensed milk! These look like candy bars with all the right flavors.
Shari @ Chicago Cuisine Critique
June 23, 2011 at 1:40 pmYum! These look great! 🙂
Lauren@LittleYellowKitchen
June 23, 2011 at 1:40 pmi looove magic bars! These looks even more magically because of the peanut butter chips. Mmmm!
natalie (the sweets life)
June 23, 2011 at 1:17 pmthese are the best–i have never made these and not had people go crazy over them!!
A plum by any other name
June 23, 2011 at 1:14 pmCan I say that your bars look gorgeous? I hope I’m not out of line. I guess good things are worth the elbow grease to unlodge them…
brandi
June 23, 2011 at 1:13 pmThese are probably my husband’s all time favorite sweet, besides chocolate chip cookies. Always a good choice in our house 🙂
Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
June 23, 2011 at 1:00 pmahhhh these would taste great with a starbucks coffee :D. i love family recipes!
Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray
June 23, 2011 at 12:40 pmMy college roommates and I were OBSESSED with these. So easy to make, and you can switch out the ingredients for practically anything in your cabinet–we occasionally had varieties with pecans, chocolate chunks, butterscotch chips, mini marshmallows…the list goes on. 🙂
Heather @girlichef
June 23, 2011 at 12:19 pmha ha ha, they do sound like they’d be killers in that pan if you forget, tee hee. These sound make a good contribution to our holiday treat platters. 🙂
Erica
June 23, 2011 at 12:18 pmwhooooops. I’ve totally forgotten to grease prior to baking too 🙂 They look like they came out pretty gorgeous despite the stick. mmm- what a fun way to use up leftover ingredients
Alexis @ There She Goes
June 23, 2011 at 12:02 pmevery time i come here, i see something i would call my “kryptonite” i would destroy. 2 seconds 🙂