I’ve always loved Seven Layer Bars or Magic Bars. Same recipe but people call it by different names depending on where they live. The bars are super soft, gooey, decadent, and have an amazing amount of texture and different flavors in every bite.It’s a one-bowl, no mixer recipe that’s fast, easy, and goofproof. Rather than making the bars with a classic graham cracker crust, I made a chocolate chip cookie crust. Chocolate chips boost the overall chocolate factor, and instead of traditional butterscotch chips I used peanut butter chips. The coconut adds chewiness and texture while the creamy sweetened condensed milk coats the ingredients and gives the bars their signature gooey factor.
½cuppeanut butter chipsbutterscotch chips may be substituted
1cupsweetened shredded coconut flakesmeasured loosely not packed
about two-thirds can14-ounce sweetened condensed milk (eyeball it)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Do not skip lining your pan because clean-up will be more difficult.
To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
Add the cookie mix, egg, and stir to combine.
Turn dough out into prepared pan and using a spatula or your fingertips, create an even, smooth, flat crust.
Evenly sprinkle with the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and coconut.
Evenly drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes (I baked 27), or until lightly golden brown around edges and barely bubbling in the center, and the center is mostly set. Keep an extremely close eye on bars in the final 10 minutes of baking because coconut can go from raw-looking to burnt in one minute. If necessary, tent the pan (cover pan with a sheet of foil) in the last 5 minutes of baking to help prevent the coconut from burning if center isn’t quite set but coconut is looking browned enough.
Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool in pan for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving. Bars firm up and will look less ‘juicy’ as they cool, however even when fully cooled and set, they’re very moist and juicy. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.