Name: Holiday Magic Cookie Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ⅓ cup butter, melted; 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs; 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk; 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes; 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1-1/2 cups Holiday M&Ms; 1 cup chopped pecans (optional); Parchment paper (optional)

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Magic Cookie Bars always remind me of Christmas! Holiday Magic Cookie Bars are topped with red and green M&Ms. These festive cookie bars will be the hit of your next party!

This is one treat I always make during the holidays. My mom always made these cookie bars when I was growing up so they remind me of Christmas.

I realize that not everyone calls these Magic Cookie Bars. These delicious bars are also called Hello Dolly Bars, 7-Layer bars, and Coconut Dreams.

Rumor has it that the recipe for these ooey-gooey bars first appeared on the back of a sweetened condensed milk can in the 1960s.

Ingredients For Holiday Magic Cookie Bars

(You can find the full, printable recipe card at the end of this post!)

butter
graham cracker crumbs
sweetened condensed milk
sweetened coconut flakes
chocolate chip morsels
Holiday M&Ms
Parchment paper (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Tips When Making Holiday Magic Cookie Bars

You’ll notice that this recipe doesn’t call for chopped nuts but you can totally add a cup of chopped pecans when adding the chocolate chips and coconut.

If you don’t have parchment paper, lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray before adding the graham cracker crust.

How To Make Holiday Magic Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

Combine butter and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well.

Press the graham cracker/butter mixture evenly in a 13″ x 9″ parchment paper-lined baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture.

Sprinkle coconut and chocolate chips evenly over the sweetened condensed milk.

Top with M&Ms and press lightly.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool for 1 hour before cutting into bars.

To Make Traditional Magic Cookie Bars

If you don’t care for M&Ms, you can totally leave them off and make Magic Cookie Bars the traditional way. Increase the coconut to 1-1/3 cups and add 1 cup chopped pecans when you’re adding the toppings. Press down lightly before baking.

How To Store Holiday Magic Cookie Bars

Store Magic Cookie Bars between layers of parchment paper in an air-tight container. These bars will keep at room temperature for about 3-4 days and in the refrigerator for a week.

Can You Freeze Magic Cookie Bars?

Yes, you can! Fully baked bars can be frozen for up to one month. Wrap the cooled bars individually in plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Place bars in a zip-lock bag. Thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

Yield: 24 Bars