Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars

These five to seven layer magic bars have been a go-to cookie recipe in our family for decades! 

There are only a few easy ingredients in Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars. The Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk tops it all off to make this the BEST, ooey-gooey bar cookie recipe!

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

A thick crust made with crushed graham crackers and melted butter is the base layer of something good. Next pour out that can of rich, glorious sweetened condensed milk. Then sprinkle chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and pecans evenly over the graham cracker crust.

This bar cookie recipe finds perfections once all of the ingredients melt together and become golden brown. We may eat these with a spoon while still really warm from time to time, but letting them cool off and cutting into bars is best!

I can remember many times that my mom has mixed up a batch of these bar cookies to give to a friend. Magic cookies are one of the best desserts to take along to a potluck style meal.  There are ALWAYS many compliments, and the plate ALWAYS comes home clean! 

Eagle Brand Milk Magic Bars

My family goes straight for that high quality can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk and drizzles it all over those baking chips. Santa is a sucker for this dessert and always leaves more gifts when we leave him these cookies!

I love how easy it is to customize these cookies. My mom likes a thinner crust with fewer graham cracker crumbs. I like more crackers for a thicker crust. You can use half bags of baking chips or full bags of baking chips. The real magic is in experimenting to find the variation of this Eagle Brand Milk Magic Bars recipe that’s best for you!

Coconut and chopped nuts are optional and we often enjoy a simple five layer cookie. I will admit using the sweetened milk and baking chips alone is much more sweet. As my taste buds have matured I prefer how the coconut and nuts provide balance and mellow out the super sweet flavors.

Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars are definitely one of our family’s farmhouse favorite recipes! These seven layer bars are great all year around but we tend to make more for Christmas Cookie trays.

Ingredients Needed:

• Graham cracker crumbs
• Butter
• Can of sweetened condensed milk
• Butterscotch chips
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Flaked or shredded coconut
• Chopped pecans

Also Known as Hello Dollies or Seven Layer Cookies

As I purchased the ingredients I noticed that Eagle Brand milk is owned by Borden Dairy, which is owned by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) which is a cooperative of farmers. 

My family milked cows on our farm as I was growing up, and we were members of DFA because they have the staff to market milk to various processing plants.  Feeding, milking (two times a day, everyday, no matter what) and cleaning up after cows is a big job.  Lots of farmers, like my family joined together to invest in the cooperative to handle more of the milk marketing details.  We are still farmers, but we sold the dairy cows to another farmer about six years ago.

The food system is so big and complex, I always enjoy finding connections like this that make it all smaller.  And I’m always excited to share that when you buy food from big companies you are supporting local farming families.

Here are links to pick-up everything that is needed on Amazon:  Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham cracker crumbs and butter.

Here is another favorite cookie that can often be found on our farmhouse table, The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!  We hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Can use a minimum of one cup of graham cracker crumbs up to two cups depending on the thickness of the crust that you prefer
• Once all ingredients are sprinkled on unbaked crust press down so that everything will melt together as the chips warm and soften up
• Can use from a half to a full bag of each of the chocolate and butterscotch chips
• Coconut and pecans are optional, but really tie all of the super sweet ingredients together!
• Sweetened condensed milk can be poured on at any point
• The final layer or two will be the most visible, so add whatever ingredients you prefer on top
• Butterscotch chips can be substituted for peanut butter chips
• I like to purchase fine graham cracker crumbs that have already been ground, but you can make your own with a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin

How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

Melt butter in a 9 x 13″ baking dish and sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Stir together and use fingers to press evenly across the bottom of the dish.

The butter will help prevent from sticking, so I don’t typically use non-stick spray.

Pour sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crust.

Sprinkle the semi-sweet and butterscotch baking chips evenly over the top of the pan.

If using nuts and coconut add them in an even layer at this time.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Optional – sprinkle extra or remaining chips along the edge and in any bare spots. Serve warm and enjoy!

More Easy and Delicious Cookie Recipes:

Best Sour Cream Cookies are classic cut-out cookies that are super moist and delicious and a must at the holidays!

Buckeye Cookie Bars start with a Lorna Doone shortbread cookies and add layers of peanut butter and chocolate goodness.

Devil’s Food Cookies from a box of cake mix are so easy to make and satisfy chocolatey cravings.

No-Bake Orange Peanut Butter Cookies have a couple twists that make these classic No-Bake Peanut Cookies even better.

Printable Five Layer Bar Cookie Recipe

Originally published December 16, 2017 with pictures updated on June 8, 2022.