Butterscotch Magic Bars (Easy 7-Layer Dessert Bars)

PSA: No magic time machine needed to travel back to the best parts of childhood!! These bars are chocolatey, nutty, a little bit messy (in the best way) and wrapped in nostalgic.

After one bite of these Butterscotch Magic Bars (also known as 7 Layer Bars) you’ll be transported to school bake sales, grandma’s house or maybe cozy holiday evenings at home. A buttery graham cracker crust, coconut flakes, melty chocolate and butterscotch chips chips, chopped pecans and gooey condensed milk come together for the ultimate dessert bar.

If it’s your first time hearing about these bars, you’re in for quite a treat. Every bite is sweet, full of flavor and texture. And the best part is, you just need a handful of ingredients and about 30 minutes to spare. So turn on an episode of Friends and let’s whip up these yummy dessert bars.

Why You’ll Love These Butterscotch Magic Bars

• They are 7 layers of deliciousness! When these bars come together, they are filled with so much texture and flavor in each bite. They start with a crunchy graham cracker crust, have a gooey and flakey coconut center and are topped with chocolate and pecans to make the most deliciously bars.
• They’re stupid easy to make. Little kitchen skills and time are needed to make these bars. It’s really a process of dumping ingredients into a baking dish! The hardest part will be resisting seconds or thirds! Ha!
• They make a large batch. If you’re looking for an easy dessert bar to make for your next party or get-together, these 7 layer Magic Bars are perfect! They make about 12-16 larger bars. Or you can make plate of bite-sized bars for snacking! However you choose to serve them, you’re sure to have enough for a larger group gathering.

How to Make Butterscotch Magic Bars Step by Step

Step 1. Butter and line baking dish.

This is probably one of the most important steps when making dessert bars. You don’t want the bars to stick to the edges, and you want to make sure you can easily and cleanly remove them from the pan to slice. 

1. Start by buttering baking dish. Make sure all corners and edges are buttered for extra measure.
2. Next, make your parchment paper sling. This is the best trick for easily removing your bars after they’re done cooking. Place a piece of parchment paper large enough to peak above the edges of the bars. 
3. Set the dish to the side and get to the good part…making the good stuff!!

Step 2. Make Graham Cracker Crust

Seven layer bars may not technically have seven layers, but they have seven ingredients that build the layers to the bars. The base of the bar is a graham cracker crust made with crushed graham crackers and melted butter.

Start by placing two sleeves (about 18-20 full crackers) of graham crackers in a large plastic bag. Gently seal the bag and release most of the air. Using a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs.

Pour the crumbs and melted butter into a bowl and stir to mix until a crust comes together. Dump into a parchment-lined baking sheet and press with the back of a measuring cup or glass until the crust is tightly packed in an even layer.

Step 3. Chocolate, Butterscotch and Coconut

Next sprinkle with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and coconut flakes. Spread them in an even layer over the top of the graham cracker crust.

Step 4. Condensed milk, pecans and extra chocolate

This is where the bars really start to come together. Pour a can of condensed milk over the top of the chocolate chips and coconut. Make sure to evenly spread the condensed milk. Gently shake the pan bak and forth to allow the condensed milk to settle on the surface of the bars. 

Sprinkle top with chopped pecans and some extra chocolate chips. 

Step 5. Bake, cool, slice and enjoy!

Place the bars in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Your house is going to smell delicious at this point! 

This next step will be hard to do! When you remove the bars from the oven, let them cool and set completely. Once they’ve cooled, you can even toss them in fridge to set and harden. 

Slice the magic bars into 12-16 squares. You can even slice smaller for bite-sized bars.

Tips for Making the Magic Seven Layer Bars

• How to Cut Perfect Bars Every Time. Make sure your bars are cooled completely, that way they are set and cut cleanly. Use a sharp knife to cut and clean between each slice with a clean dish damp dish towel to remove any bits of bar that stick to the knife.
• You don’t need a food processor to make the graham cracker crust. Place your crackers in a plastic airtight bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin.
• Butter and line pan with parchment paper. As we mention in most of our dessert bar recipes, this is one of the most important steps. Read step by step details below!
• Evenly spread condensed milk! You don’t want bites of bar missing the gooey condensed milk. Drizzle the condensed milk as evenly as possible over the top of the bars. Shake the pan to make sure the milk evenly settles. You may need to spread with a spatula if the condensed milk needs some extra help spreading around the pan.

Best way to store dessert bars…

Before you store your Butterscotch Magic Bars, make sure they have cooled completely. Whether your baking ahead or have leftovers, here are our tips for storing your brownies. 

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3-4 days. After about 4 days, they will start to dry out and won’t taste as good. 
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. For the best shelf life, we recommend wrapping the bars tightly in plastic wrap. 
• Freezer: If you want to save some for a craving later on, freezing can be a good option. Cut and wrap each bar in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer safe ziplock or airtight container for up to 3 months.