Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
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Slice up a little holiday cheer in these Christmas Magic Cookie Bars. Layers of graham crackers, semi-sweet chocolate, Christmas M&M’s, coconut flakes, white chocolate, and more. A dessert that bakes up into a sweet holiday confection.
If you have ever had a classic magic cookie bar, you know how fun they are. You layer ingredients into a baking dish, and the treat is sliceable as it bakes. These are called one-pan bars, magic bars, or even seven-layer bars.
Check out my other recipes that scream the holiday season with each bite: Christmas macarons, five Christmas cookie doughs in one dough, sugar cookie fudge, and Ritz cracker toffee.
Reasons To Try This Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
- Festive Flair: These are easy Christmas desserts that require minimal effort and offer a fun, festive presentation for guests and loved ones.
- Sweet Tooth Approved: This is a sweet tooth-approved treat. Its layers of flavor pair perfectly together.
- Crowd-approved: You can make these bars for holiday events, such as co-worker potlucks and gatherings, or even as a gift to a loved one this holiday season.
Ingredients Needed
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
- Graham Crackers: For the base, you will use graham cracker crumbs. You can crush your own or buy them pre-crushed. Use a food processor to get that sand-like texture.
- Butter: Butter will add a nice, rich flavor and help the graham cracker mixture stick together.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is the secret ingredient that helps bake all the layers together so they hold together.
- Chocolate: Semi-sweet and white chocolate chips add sweetness to the bars.
- Coconut Flakes: Sweetened coconut flakes will add a nice, chewy texture to the bars.
- M&M’s: I used Christmas M&M’s, but you can use any color of candied M&M’s you would like.
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Substitutions and Variations
- The crust can be made with Vanilla Wafers, golden Oreos, or another type of cookie. If necessary, you can also opt for a gluten-free option.
- Instead of sweetened condensed milk, use dulce de leche for a caramel-inspired twist.
- Use some peanut butter or butterscotch chips for added flavor.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes can lessen the sweetness of this dessert. To get a crunchy flavor, toast coconuts.
- Crushed pretzels would add a salty and sweet layer to the bars.
- Add a layer of crushed pecans for an excellent crunch factor.
- Top the bars with mini marshmallows once you remove them from the oven.
- For a more holiday-inspired option, use crushed peppermint candies for a minty twist. Chopping Andes mints would also be delicious.
- Instead of M&M’s, you can use Reese’s pieces for a peanut butter twist.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How to Make Magic Cookie Bars
Line your baking dish with parchment paper, and I used binder clips to keep the parchment paper in place.
- Add the graham crackers and melted butter to a bowl. Mix well, and then press the crackers into the pan, packing them in.
- Drizzle with condensed milk, spreading it all over the graham cracker layer.
- Top with chocolate chips, and then do coconut flakes.
- Bake as directed until lightly browned. Then remove from the oven. Top with the M&M’s and white chocolate chips. Let the bars fully cool, then slice and serve.
Tips For Success
- Lining your pan with parchment paper will ensure the bars do not stick. I find using binder clips helps ensure the parchment paper stays in place as it bakes.
- Firmly packing your graham crackers into the pan is key. This will create a sliceable crust as they bake.
- Ensure you even layer when you spread your ingredients on top of the bars. That way, each bite has a consistent flavor.
- Add the white chocolate chips and the M&M’s while the bars are still warm, which will help the chocolate melt a bit.
- Let the bars set up correctly before you slice them so the magic bars hold shape.
How To Store and Freeze
These Christmas magic cookie bars can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They are best within the first couple of days of being made.
Freeze the bars in a freezer-friendly container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. When you want to eat them, remove them from the freezer and thaw at room temperature or eat them straight from the freezer.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make these bars 1-2 days before you would like to serve them up. Just keep them at room temperature covered.
Yes, baking is a must, or the bars will not hold shape as they bake. This step will form the crust and help the ingredients hold shape. Bake as directed in the recipe card.
If your bars are falling apart, here are a few reasons this could have happened. You can be part of it if you did not press the graham cracker mixture enough into the pans. Or if you cut and served the bars when they were still warm. Either could be the cause.
More Christmas Desserts
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Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter melted
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ⅓ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup red and green M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×9 square baking dish with parchment paper. Use large binder clips to keep the parchment paper overhang from falling on top of the bars.
- In a medium bowl, add 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs and ½ cup butter. Stir well until the graham cracker crumbs are all coated in butter and look like wet sand.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup butter
- Pour the graham cracker crust mixture into the prepared baking dish and firmly and evenly press into the bottom of the pan.
- Drizzle 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk on top of the graham cracker crust to try to coat all of the crust.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Sprinkle 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips over the sweetened condensed milk.2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Top with 1 ⅓ cups sweetened flaked coconut. Make sure to evenly distribute the coconut on the top.1 ⅓ cups sweetened flaked coconut
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned.
- Once the bars out of the oven, immediately top with ½ cup red and green M&M’s and ½ cup white chocolate chips.½ cup white chocolate chips, ½ cup red and green M&M’s
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Cut into 16 squares and serve.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
