They are a pure Midwestern treat for me, often brought to potlucks to round out a shared meal. All the names for the same dessert might seem confusing, but luckily, there’s nothing confusing about making them.
Video: How to Make 7-Layer Magic Bars
The Magic of Magic Cookie Bars
The true magic of these rich, sweet Magic Bars is how easy they are to make. There’s no mixing, no creaming butter with sugar, no adding the eggs one at a time. Instead, Magic Bars are pretty much assembled from a pantry of stock ingredients, which are then sprinkled and layered one on top of the next. (Usually there are seven different ingredients, which explains at least one of the alternate names!) Bake in the oven until toasty brown and the bars are done.
Essential Ingredient: Sweetened Condensed Milk
The one essential ingredient in the whole recipe is sweetened condensed milk. This sticky, gooey, honey-thick condensed milk is what binds all the ingredients together. It also caramelizes in the oven, giving a sweet depth to each bite similar to dulce de leche. Also, make sure you read the labels and buy sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk—the cans look very similar.
Fun Swaps and Substitutions
The essential components of the bars are the cookie base and the sweetened condensed milk to hold everything together. Beyond that, you have lots of options! For one of our favorites try this recipe for Peanut Butter Pretzel Magic Bars.
Here are some other ideas. For all of them, keep the overall ratios and proportions the same as the original ingredients:
Use gingersnaps, chocolate wafers, Biscoff cookies or any other dry, crumbly cookie instead of the graham crackersSwap white chocolate chips for the butterscotch chipsSwap peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chipsAdd marshmallowsAdd dried fruitAdd toffee bitsAdd M&M candies or any other small candyAdd a drizzle of caramel over the top
Tip for Easier Slicing
Gooey is the name of the game with these bars. While delicious, this can make them difficult to slice. Two things can help:
Storing Your Magic Cookie Bars
Store your sliced magic cookie bars between layers of parchment in an airtight container. They’ll keep in the fridge for about a week (recommended if it’s really warm where you live) or on the counter for about 5 days (fine in cooler temps).
More Favorite Bar Cookies to Try!
Blondies Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies Caramelitas Blueberry Crumb Bars Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
I like to add a sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt on top to add some crunch and help cut the sweet richness. The salt is totally non-traditional, though, so omit if you want that nostalgic, ultra-sweet Magic Bar experience. Dump the crumbs in the middle of the pan and then press them into an even layer with your fingers or the back of a flat-bottomed cup. Gently press the ingredients down with your palm so they stick to the condensed milk. The flavor of the bars is even better the day after baking. Bars stored at room temperature will be fairly soft and are best eaten within 3 to 5 days. For firm and chewy bars, store in the fridge for up to a week.
