Magic Cookie Bars

5 from 2 votes

Magic Cookie Bars have a buttery graham crust and are packed with chocolate chips, M&M’s, caramel bits, oats, and gooey sweetened condensed milk. Sweet, gooey, and irresistibly delicious! Shop the recipe here.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Magic Cookie Bars

Servings: bars

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $6.12

Equipment

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup, melted
2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs measure when crushed into crumbs; about 20–22 crackers
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk full-fat, see note 1
1/2 cup quick oats
2 cups chocolate chips see note 2
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel bits see note 3
1 cup M&M’s

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy bar removal. Don’t line it with wax paper or foil. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to return to room temperature—using hot butter makes the crust greasy.
Coarsely break up graham crackers and add to a powerful blender (you may need to do this in batches). Pulse/blend until all crackers are fine crumbs. Measure the crumbs and add to a large bowl, along with the salt. Stir in the melted-but-cooled butter and stir to create a thick mixture. Press this mixture into the prepared pan and use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to firmly press the crust into an even layer.
Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker crust. Spread it into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Evenly top the condensed milk with quick oats, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, caramel bits, and the M&M’s. Gently press everything into an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown, about 23–28 minutes. In my oven, the bars are done right at 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool completely—about 1–2 hours. Speed up the cooling process by putting them in the fridge after they’ve cooled for about 20 minutes at room temperature. Using the parchment overhang, remove the bars and use a sharp knife to make decisive cuts in the bars. Run the knife under warm water, dry on a kitchen towel, and repeat for each cut.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I love the richness and sweetness of milk chocolate, but any type of chocolate works, such as dark or semi-sweet chocolate (if you want to cut down on sweetness).

Note 2: It’s easy to pick evaporated milk or a similar product by mistake, but only sweetened condensed milk works in this recipe. Be sure to get the full-fat variety and avoid sugar-free. I use and love Eagle Brand® (not sponsored).

Note 3: Caramel bits are typically found in the baking aisle among other baking chips or caramels or in the candy aisle with similar caramel candies. You can replace these with 1/2 cup additional white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.

Storage: Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container separated by layers of parchment or wax paper. Store in the fridge if the temperature is warm or on the counter for cooler temperatures. (There is nothing about these bars that requires refrigeration, but if you prefer them to be less gooey and more firm, store them in the fridge.) They are best enjoyed within 3–5 days.

Nutrition