Whenever I am inevitably asked to bring a dish to contribute to an office party for my husband, or for an event my son is attending, or just for those times you need an “emergency” snack or dessert to give someone, my special easy magic bars are always my go-to.

There are many different versions and interpretations of what a magic bar is, but it’s basically a cross between a brownie and cookie in bar form, and are usually very ooey and gooey. There are so many ways to play around with a basic recipe base for magic bars, customizing them to include your own preferences and experimentations, but the best quality of whatever magic bar you try is that they are so easy to whip together, it’s almost unfair how much people love them! Seriously—whenever I make magic bars for anyone, they are gobbled up in no time! Making a batch of magic bars requires very little skill, time, or pricey ingredients.  

In my opinion, what makes my magic bars so magic is how the sweetened condensed milk creates a scrumptiously sticky combination with all the other ingredients, highlighting the different textural components—the crunchy nuts, sweet coconut, and of course, irresistible chocolate. And of course, my absolute favorite base in the world tying everything together is the crumby graham cracker crumb foundation. Yum! Feel free to experiment with the magic bar concept as much as you want. You can use butterscotch or even peanut butter chips instead of chocolate, and other nuts instead of walnuts. But of course I will insist that my magic bar recipe is delicious and perfect just the way it is. Enjoy!  

Debra’s Magic Bars 

Ingredients:  

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  

2) Coat a baking dish (13-inch-by-9-inch) with cooking spray. 

3) Combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together until it resembles wet sand. Press into the bottom of the pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumb mixture. Layer with chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and walnuts. Slightly press down with the back of a fork.  

4) Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store at room temperature and enjoy!