magical layer bars
these magical layer bars are traditionally known by many different names: magic bars, 7 layer bars (though i’m not exactly sure what makes up the 7 layers..), cookie bars, hello dolly bars, and the list goes on. whatever you want to call them, you definitely will want to eat them. they are caramel-ey, coconut-ey, chocolate-ey, nutty, sweet, and have a touch of salt. plus, who doesn’t love graham cracker crust?! these bars aim to please and always deliver!
i made these for the first time when my husband’s family was coming to town. his mom is a self-proclaimed chocoholic, and his dad loves coconut. after searching recipes for those ingredients, i came up with my own spin on this classic bar.
if you search online for other, more traditional recipes, they usually call only for graham crumbs and butter for the crust, and only about 1/2 the amount of graham crumbs i use. i don’t know about you, but i absolutely love graham cracker crust, so for me, the thicker the better! also, i kept reading that these bars traditionally fall right apart and create a mess. um, no thank you. for these reasons, i thought it would be better to make a thicker, more cookie-like crust, which is why i use the extra graham crumbs, egg, and baking powder. mine don’t fall apart, and they taste divine!
they are definitely sweet, so i added a sprinkling of flaked sea salt on top at the end, creating the perfect salty/sweet balance. i made them again this time for easter, and i added the colorful m&m’s on top to make them festive. they are great for any holiday, theme, or for any other day!
Ingredients
3 c. ground graham crackers
1/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. walnuts, pecans, or a mix
2 c. chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (or homemade condensed coconut milk, see notes below on how to make)
2 c. shredded or flaked (pictured) coconut (i use unsweetened since everything else is already sweet)
Instructions
preheat oven to 375.
butter a 13x9 baking pan and cover with parchment paper. let the paper overhang by ~2in. so you can easily lift them out when baked. the butter is to prevent the parchment paper from sticking to the pan.
grind up the graham crackers (apparently you can buy them already ground, but i couldn't find it) in a food processor until the consistency of a coarse flour.
combine ground grahams in a bowl with the salt, brown sugar, and baking powder.
add in the egg and then the butter (but allow the butter to cool a bit before adding so that the egg doesn't scramble).
press the crust into the prepared pan until even & bake ~15 mins. until set & dry. allow to cool completely.
once the crust is cool, layer on the nuts, then the chocolate, then the coconut.
cover the dish evenly with the sweetened condensed (or coconut) milk.
bake again until coconut is toasted (about 30 minutes).
you will want to eat them immediately, but allow them to cool completely before you cut--you don't want your hard work to fall apart!
if you want to make them festive, cut colorful m&m's in half and press into the gooey spots on top.
eat, enjoy, and come back to comment & let me know what you think!
Notes
recipe for homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk: -sweeted 1 14 oz. can of full fat coconut milk with 1/2 c. of honey to a boil -once it boils, bring down to a simmer for ~20 minutes, or until it reduced by half
Be the first to comment.