Monster Magic Cookie Bars Recipe (7 layer bars)

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These Magic Cookie Bars are a 7 layer bar recipe that’s so easy to assemble. Just pile up your favorite treats over the easy cookie crust and bake. These are even better than the original: they have peanut butter and M&Ms for the perfect dessert!

magic bars with nuts, pretzels and m&ms on top.

Monster Magic 7 Layer Bars

These seven layer magic bars are terrific, especially for those who aren’t a fan of coconut. Trust me when I say that these magic cookie bars without coconut will steal your heart.

These Magic Bars became an instant hit in the 1960s after the Hello Dolly musical. Many say that’s where these magic bars got their original name, Hello Dolly Bars. Regardless of what they’re called, they have a crunchy crust with tons of toppings and condensed milk evenly poured over the seven layers!

Why you’ll love this recipe

This one recipe makes 24 magic bars so it’s convenient to make for large gatherings
Each layer is filled with your favorite sweet and salty treats: peanut butter, pretzels, and M&Ms!
The sweetened condensed milk creates the magic of the bars.
The nutter butter cookie crust makes the perfect base for this cookie bar recipe.

Ingredients Needed

Nutter Butters: These are peanut butter sandwich cookies, use any brand.
Butter: melted to stick the cookie crumbs together to form the crust.
Nuts: I used coarsely chopped pecans but use any cup chopped nuts you like
Chocolate chips: I’m using semi sweet chocolate but you can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer
Peanut butter chips: Reese’s peanut butter chips are my favorite
Pretzels: coarsely chopped pretzels for a salty crunch
M&Ms: plain or any flavor
Sweetened condensed milk: to evenly pour on top of the layers for a glossy finish

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to make Magic Cookie Bars

Use stick cooking spray on the baking pan and preheat the oven to 350°.
Finely crush a cup of graham crackers in a food processor and mix with melted butter to press into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle semi sweet chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter chips, pretzels, and M&Ms evenly over the top of the crust. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the layer bars.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Cool Completely before cutting.

Variations

They’re just so easy to make and have endless variations to it! You can easily swap out the ingredients and still end up with a perfect gooey bar.

Here are some of my favorite magic bar variations:

I love Nutter Butter cookies, but any peanut butter sandwich cookie will work for the crust. Or, you can use crushed graham crackers, Oreos, or vanilla or chocolate wafer cookies.
Use cup chopped nuts of almonds, peanuts or walnuts instead of pecans. Or do a combo!
Feeling creative? Swap out peanut butter chips for butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips to change up the flavors.
Load up on the peanut butter and swap the M&Ms for chopped peanut butter cups.
Want to add coconut? Sprinkle some shredded coconut on your magic bar.
Don’t want to have 7 layers? Try my Chocolate Chip Cookie Magic Bars or these tasty Butterscotch Pecan Magic Bars recipes.

Explore more variations and get inspired by all the fun flavor combos you can create with layer bars when you search for magic bars here.

Expert Tips

Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk for these layer magic cookies recipes. It’s what brings the layers together and creates the gooey texture we love. Read the can to make sure it doesn’t say evaporated milk.
The bars are done baking when they’re golden around the edges and the sweetened condensed milk looks dried and shiny.
Let them cool completely before slicing.
Don’t skip lining the pan – this makes for easy removal.

FAQs

Can magic cookie bars be frozen?

Yes! You can freeze a full batch of these magic cookie bars for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Should magic cookie bars be refrigerated?

They don’t need to be refrigerated. They might slice better cold because of how gooey they are but otherwise they are fine room temperature.

Can I use reduced fat sweetened condensed milk?

Yes, you can. Either kind works as long as you’re using condensed milk not evaporated milk.