My birthday is December 13th (we won’t discuss my age), and all I ever want is a pan of Coconut Magic Bars. My mom still makes them for me!
save this!
Want this recipe?
I’ll email it straight to your inbox!
Plus my weekly recipes. Unsubscribe anytime.
If you’ve never had them, you’re missing out! Melted butter and a brown sugar graham cracker crust go in first, then chocolate chips, coconut and pecans, with sweetened condensed milk poured over the top.
It all bakes into chewy, gooey bars with toasted coconut on top. It’s one of the easiest desserts I know!
What You’ll Learn
- How I make my Coconut Magic Bars in one pan, no mixer needed
- How mine compare to classic 7 layer bars
- My favorite swaps for the nuts, chips and coconut
- How I store them on the counter, in the fridge or in the freezer
Seven Layer Bars With Only Six Layers
When I first shared this recipe, so many of you told me on Facebook that your family calls them 7 layer bars. Some folks call them coconut cookie bars too, but there’s no cookie dough here, just a buttery graham cracker crust.
Here’s the funny part, though. I counted, and mine only have six layers! The classic seventh layer is butterscotch chips, and I skip them because I love the chocolate, coconut and pecans on their own.
Leave me a comment and tell me what your family calls them, because I love hearing all the different names.
Why My Family Loves These Coconut Bars
I don’t usually go for desserts this rich, but I can’t resist coconut bars with chocolate and pecans. Y’all, these bars are like heaven. I could eat the whole pan by myself.
They aren’t really a holiday dessert, but I still make them for our Christmas celebrations, and my whole family looks forward to them.
They travel well and look so pretty on a cookie tray, and one 8×8 pan goes a long way. If you love easy desserts like this, try my Cherry Dump Cake too.
Coconut Magic Bars Ingredient Notes
These bars only need a handful of pantry staples, and I’ve learned a few things about each one over the years.
The crust: Unsalted butter melts right in the baking pan and soaks into the crumbs.
Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor, or seal them in a Ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin. Store-bought graham cracker crumbs work too.
Brown sugar: I stir a little into the crumbs, and it gives the bottom layer a caramel flavor.
Sweetened condensed milk: This is the real magic. It melts down through every layer and holds the bars together. Just be sure you grab sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk, since they sit side by side on the shelf.
Pecans: If you have a few extra minutes, toast them first. Stir them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until they smell nutty, then let them cool before you layer them. It makes the whole pan taste richer.
How to Make Coconut Magic Bars
You don’t need a mixer, just the pan. I melt the butter right in it while the oven heats to 350°F, spread the brown sugar graham crumbs over the butter and build the layers.
Then I pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top without stirring and bake them until the coconut turns golden.
When you’re ready to start layering, the full recipe card below has every amount and step, plus a quick video.
save this!
I’ll email it, plus my weekly recipes.
My Best Tips
Wait to cut them: The hardest part is waiting. If you cut them warm, the gooey middle runs everywhere, so let the bars cool completely, then chill them about an hour for clean squares. A sharp knife wiped clean between cuts helps too.
Pour slowly: Pour the sweetened condensed milk slowly and spread it into the corners, so every bite gets some.
Watch the coconut: If your coconut is browning too fast before the edges bubble, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top for the last few minutes.
Line the pan: For easy cleanup, line the pan with parchment paper before you melt the butter. Then you can lift the whole slab out onto a cutting board.
Substitutions & Variations
- Nuts: Use walnuts instead of pecans, or leave the nuts out.
- Chocolate: Try white chocolate or milk chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet.
- Coconut: Use unsweetened coconut flakes if you like them a little less sweet.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free graham crackers.
- True 7 layer bars: Add a cup of butterscotch chips over the chocolate chips.
How to Store Leftovers
Room temperature: Keep your Coconut Magic Bars covered on the counter, in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: If you like them firmer, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap the cut bars well and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter.
Coconut Magic Bars FAQs
Are Hello Dolly bars the same as 7 layer bars?
Yes! Magic cookie bars, magic coconut bars, Hello Dolly bars and 7-layer bars are all names for this same layered graham cracker treat. Every family just has its favorite chips and nuts.
How do you know when magic bars are done?
Look for coconut that’s lightly browned on top and edges that bubble. The middle will still look a little soft, but it sets up as the bars cool.
These Coconut Magic Bars are out of this world. Maybe they’ll even show up on your birthday table someday! I have to say, a dessert like this makes turning one year older a little bit sweeter.
More Dessert Bars
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Raspberry Bars
- Chewy Pecan Pie Bars
- Cherry Bliss Brownies
- Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- Cherry Pie Bars
Coconut Magic Bars
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ÂĽ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs approximately 15 to 16 full sheets
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- Âľ cup pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Crush the graham crackers. Stir the brown sugar into the graham crackers; set aside.
- Put the butter into an 8 x 8 baking pan; heat in the oven until butter is completely melted.
- Remove from the oven and evenly spread the graham cracker and brown sugar mixture over the melted butter.
- In layers, alternate the chocolate chips, coconut and the pecans. Evenly pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the coconut is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is an estimate from an online calculator, not medical advice, and depends on your portion size.
A gift for you
deck the halls
Free recipe book
One little book, twelve recipes, zero guessing. Every recipe printable, freezer chart included. Free.
It’s on its way! Check your inbox (and Promotions) for your free cookbook.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
The Eagle brand recipe calls them Seven Layered Magic Bars. I don’t think table creme would work. It needs the thickness of the sweetened condensed milk to hold it together. It acts like a glue. LOL.
Also original recipe calls for butterscotch chips and walnuts. But, of course the nuts are your preference. I leave out the butterscotch chips because they make it even sweeter than it already is.
Baked in a 9×13” pan originally.
This is not the original Eagle brand recipe. There is no brown sugar in the original. They include butterscotch chips but we prefer them without the butterscotch chips. It is way too sweet with the butterscotch.
Can i use nestle table cream instead of condensed milk so it’s less sweet?
You can certainly try it, but, I’m not familiar with that product.
Make these and everyone absolutely love these thank you for the recipe
These recipes all look very tempting and I cant wait to try them. Thank You
This recipe does not fit in a 8×8 pan as stated,
I fixed it in a 9×13
U might want to do a correction
Hi, Joyce! It definitely fits in an 8×8 pan as I’ve made it about 100 times that way. But, you can certainly use a 9×13. Maybe you have a particularly shallow 8×8?
I make this all the time. I add butterscotch chips in my layers.
Great for gatherings.
These sound amazing! I’m sure my family will love them. It’s so similar to the coconut pecan frosting that goes on German chocolate cake. (A family favorite) thank you for the great recipe:)
Nanaimo bars!
TOOOO sweet! I should have omitted the brown sugar and used less chocolate  :(