These Gluten Free Magic Bars use homemade or store bought gf graham crackers and all the traditional goodies you want!
UPDATE: Gluten Free Magic Bars were originally published on April 6, 2021 and have been updated with plenty of new information and a video.
Some of the items linked in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission.
For the longest time, I never thought I'd be able to eat another magic bar, aka seven layer bar. But with my homemade gluten free graham crackers, I'm lucky to be able to make these again. And I might even say that these are better than I remember them ever being! Maybe it's the Easter M&M's, but I don't really care because I'll keep making them again and again.
What are Magic Bars?
If you're not as old as me, you may not have a clue what magic bars are. I grew up with these wonderful little treats that were originally developed by Eagle Brand, the company who created sweetened condensed milk. They also go by other names, Magic Cookie Bars or Seven Layer Bars to name a few. The reason these are called "magic" is because you layer everything into a pan, pour sweetened condensed milk over the top, and bake. When they come out of the oven, the sweetened condensed milk has baked into each layer, creating a bar that holds together and tastes amazing!
ingredients needed for magic bars
- Gluten free graham cracker crumbs - you can get my homemade gf graham crackers in the oven in literally 10 minutes tops. But there are store bought ones for those who don't want to make them (I like Schar brand {affiliate link} the best).
- Butter - melted butter gets added to the graham cracker crumbs as the base.
- Toppings - there are so many options to choose from, you could technically make different magic bars every day for a year! Chocolate chips, nuts, butterscotch chips, coconut, M&M's, you name it.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - the star ingredient, the "glue" that holds it all together. I could literally drink this stuff. Anything it touches, it turns to gold.
- Flake salt. There's a whole lotta sweet going on in these bars, so a little sprinkling of salt helps balance out the sweetness. I like to use flake salt because I have it on hand and I like the big bursts of salt.
here's how easy it is to make them
Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press into the bottom of an 8 by 11-inch baking pan. Add any chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and/or butterscotch chips on top of crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk over chips as evenly as possible.
Add nuts, followed by coconut and M&M's. Use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press down lightly on the top layer to compact all the layers together. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set. Cool, chill, and cut into bars.
Quick Tip #1
There seems to be great debate over when to add the liquid "gold," before or after putting on the toppings. I like to add it right in between all the toppings. Add all the chips and then the milk, followed by the nuts, coconut, and anything else (M&M's). That way there's "glue" right smack dab in the middle, so everything has a great chance of sticking together. Press everything down using the bottom of a small measuring cup or glass.
Quick Tip #2
While the tradition is to use a 9 by 13-inch pan, I make mine in an 8 by 11-inch pan. This is so the bars will be a little thicker and I can then cut them smaller. All those toppings need a good sturdy base to hold them all together. Making the bars just a little bit thicker is like proper bar "engineering." 😁
Magic Bars FAQs
Because they're so easy to make and "magically" form bars after each component is layered in the pan and baked.
The original components of a 7 layer (magic) bar were graham cracker crumbs, butter, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts, and coconut. You can stick with these same ingredients or switch them up to suit your needs.
Magic bars stored at room temperature in an airtight container will be slightly softer and are best eaten within 3-4 days. When stored in the refrigerator, bars will be firmer and chewier and will last up to a week.
More gluten free bar recipes
- gluten free s'mores bars recipe
- no bake peanut butter bars
- perfect gluten free lemon bars
- cranberry bliss bars
- gluten free scotcheroos
- gluten free stollen bars
- gluten free chocolate crunch bars
We can now make gluten free magic cookie bars with ease. They're just as sweet and sticky (and delicious!) as we remember!
Gluten Free Magic Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200g) homemade gluten free graham cracker crumbs (or store bought)
- 1 stick (½ cup or 113g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170g) butterscotch chips
- ½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips
- 1 14-ounce can (396g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup chopped toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc)
- 1 cup (71g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 10-ounce (283.5g) bag M&M's
- flake sea salt for sprinkling on top, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8 by 11-inch baking pan with parchment paper to overhang on opposite sides. Set aside.
- Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and grind into fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Add chocolate, butterscotch, and white chocolate chips. Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chips. Follow this by the toasted nuts and coconut, and then the M&Ms. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press down somewhat firmly on the M&Ms to adhere them into the bars. Finish with flake salt.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. Cool. Cut into small bars.
Pat
If I choose to use your recipe for the gf graham crumb crackers, do I need to first make the crackers and then crush them or can I just use the “dough” pressed into the pan and bake with the remaining ingredients?
Kim
That's a good question and a great idea, honestly! I wish I'd thought of it, but without experimenting with it, I don't know how it would work (whether you'd need to bake it alone for a few minutes first).
Mary
These look sooo amazing & perfect for any occasion! Yours look so cute with Easter colors! I bet you could do red & green for Christmas etc.
Kim
Thanks, Mary! And that's a great idea for any holiday 😍
Amy
TwoQuick questions:
1. Please confirm amount of coconut.
2. What’s the oven temp?
Kim
I'm so sorry, Amy!! I totally left out the oven temp. It's 350 degrees. I changed it already. The coconut is 1 1/2 cups, which is already listed in the ingredients.
My apologies!