• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Live-In Kitchen logo

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Work Together
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Dessert Recipes » Bar Recipes

    Seven Layer Bars

    Lindsay Moe

    67 shares

    Learn to make a bake sale classic – 7 Layer Bars! With seven layers of flavor including chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, and pecans, this one is special because the buttery graham cracker crust has a secret ingredient!

    a stack of three seven layer bars on a piece of parchment
    Jump to Recipe

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.

    Call your sweet tooth, we’re making dessert bars!

    If you’re not from the Midwest, you might be wondering, “What are bars?” Well, it’s basically a lazy way of making cookies in a pan that you can easily share at bake sales, picnics, church gatherings, funerals, parties, or with your own family on a Friday night.

    What are seven layer bars?

    This is a classic American dessert recipe that consists of a graham cracker crust topped with baking chips, shredded coconut, nuts, and sweetened condensed milk. They’re very sweet and hard to pass up, making them perfect for special occasions and holidays.

    What makes these the best 7 layer bars

    I love coconut, so I took the flavor up a notch by using coconut oil instead of butter in the graham cracker crust. It results in an extra flavorful bar cookie that’s one of my favorites.

    Seven layer bar ingredients

    • Coconut oil
    • Graham crackers
    • Sweetened, shredded coconut
    • Semisweet chocolate chips
    • Butterscotch chips
    • Sweetened condensed milk
    • Pecans
    all of the ingredients used to make seven layer bars

    How to make seven layer bars

    1. In a small bowl, combine melted coconut oil and graham cracker crumbs.
    2. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
    3. Layer coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips on top of the crust.
    4. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.
    5. Sprinkle pecans evenly over everything.
    6. Bake 25 minutes at 350ºF. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.
    a collage showing the layers of seven layer bars

    Top tips and questions

    What are other names for seven layer bars?

    This dessert is a favorite around many parts of the United States, and they’ve developed different names and origin stories as well. While you may know them as seven layer bars, they’ve also been called magic cookie bars, magic bars, or Hello Dolly bars (hello dollies).

    While many people have claimed to be the original creator of these bars, my bet is on Eagle Brand, the company that makes sweetened condensed milk, who published it right on the can.

    seven layer bars on a piece of parchment with a bite out of one

    Where’s the seventh layer?

    Seven layer bars is kind of a silly name since there aren’t usually 7 layers (it all depends on what you like to  add). The name refers more to “seven layers of flavor” within the bars. This is probably why other names have emerged to confuse dessert fans for generations.

    How to crush graham crackers

    There are lots of easy ways to crush graham crackers for making a crust. I like to put them in a resealable food storage bag and crush them with a rolling pin (affiliate link) or heavy drinking glass. Alternatively you could crush them by hand or place them in a food processor.

    Make sure you break down any big pieces of graham cracker since they will cause your bars to fall apart. Instead, aim for a fine, sand-like texture. Be sure to see the process photos to get an idea of what you’re going for.

    crushed graham crackers in a bowl

    How to measure coconut oil

    Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but you’ll want it to be melted to mix with the graham crackers. I recommend measuring it while it is solid, then transferring it to a small bowl and melting in the microwave before adding the graham crackers.

    Can I use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk?

    Evaporated milk is not the same as sweetened condensed milk, and can not be used as a substitute in this recipe. The cans can sometimes look very similar, so make sure you look closely when purchasing.

    How to store seven layer bars

    Be sure you allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to help them hold together. Bars can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

    To freeze the bars, cut into squares and place them, not touching each other, on a baking sheet in the freezer until firm. This will help them not to stick to each other. Transfer to a freezer safe zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    When you’re ready to enjoy your treat, simply leave it at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, or microwave for a few seconds at a time. If you overheat them when reheating, they may fall apart.

    seven layer bars on a piece of parchment

    Tips for customizing seven layer bars

    • Add white chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips
    • Swap the pecans for chopped walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts
    • Use butter instead of coconut oil
    • Bake in a smaller pan (adjusting the cooking time as needed) to achieve a thicker bar
    • Make them a little less sweet by using unsweetened shredded coconut

    More dessert bar recipes

    • Scotcheroos
    • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
    • Peanut Butter Oat Bars
    • Pecan Pie Bars
    • Gingerbread Bars
    • Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
    • Nutty Chocolate Oat Bars
    • White Chocolate Pistachio Blondies
    • Chocolate Chunk Blondies
    • Butterscotch Bars
    • Crispy Brown Butter Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
    • Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
    a stack of three seven layer bars on a piece of parchment

    If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

    sign up for our newsletter graphic

    Recipe

    a stack of three seven layer bars on a piece of parchment

    Seven Layer Bars

    7 layer bars, also known as magic cookie bars or hello dollies. A graham cracker crust topped with baking chips, nuts, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 20
    Calories: 248kcal
    Author: Lindsay Moe

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
    • 1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed (about 1 ½ cups)
    • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
    • ¾ cup butterscotch chips
    • 14 ounces canned sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    • Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
    • In a small bowl, combine coconut oil and graham cracker crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    • Layer coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips on top of graham crackers.
    • Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top and sprinkle on pecans.
    • Bake 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

    Notes

     

    Tips for customizing seven layer bars

    • Add white chocolate chips and/or peanut butter chips
    • Swap the pecans for chopped walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts
    • Use butter instead of coconut oil
    • Bake in a smaller pan (adjusting the cooking time as needed) to achieve a thicker bar
    • Make them a little less sweet by using unsweetened shredded coconut

    Nutrition

    Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 0.8mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theliveinkitchen or tag #theliveinkitchen!

    More Bar Recipes

    • three chocolate oat bars with oatmeal on a wood cutting board
      Chocolate Revel Bars
    • a stack of Scotcheroos with a bite taken out of the top square
      Scotcheroos
    • pumpkin chocolate chip bars on white parchment paper with chocolate chunks
      Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
    • featured image of peanut butter oat bars stacked on top of each other
      Peanut Butter Oat Bars

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • single serving vegan cookie dough on a spoon
      Vegan Cookie Dough for One
    • featured image of two shot glasses with buttery nipple shot
      Buttery Nipple Shot
    • zesty cream cheese stuffed mini peppers close up
      Zesty Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
    • single serving lemonade in a glass with lemons
      Single Serving Lemonade

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Lindsay
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Extras

    • Newsletter
    • Resources
    • On the Side

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Wild Flour Media

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 The Live-In Kitchen

    Please read my Privacy Policy.
    67 shares