Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
on Dec 07, 2016, Updated Aug 01, 2024
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Christmas Magic Cookie Bars are made with simple ingredients you most likely already have on hand! Perfect for last-minute holiday baking and eating.
When it comes to treats to share, I’m all about something that’s easy to put together with ingredients I have on hand. Christmas Magic Cookie Bars are just the kind of thing I’m talking about.
These simple treats are extra addictive though, and just the kind of thing you’ll want to take somewhere, so you aren’t tempted to eat the whole pan yourself. Part of the “magic” of this recipe is that you can customize them however you like.
salted caramel pretzel bark and these Ritz Cookies (no-bake), too.
Add these to a goodie plate along with some Christmas Peanut Butter Cookies and Vanilla Melt Aways. Or pair them with a couple no-bake treats such as Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark and Chocolate-Covered Fluffernutter Cookies.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a super easy Christmas cookie recipe – all made in one pan!
- The ingredients are flexible – you can change it up to what you have on-hand.
- Can customize it to any holiday by changing up the color of M&Ms you top these cookie bars with.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Graham cracker crumbs: Can crush whole graham crackers or buy the crumbs in the box.
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet has a good balance but you could use milk or dark if you wanted.
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans
- M&Ms: Option but the Christmas colored M&Ms add a festive touch.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- Nuts: If you don’t have pecans or don’t like them, you can use any nuts. Chopped walnuts and almonds would also be good in these cookie bars.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips are wonderful but you could also swap them out for toffee pieces or butterscotch chips or do a mix of any of these.
- M&Ms: You don’t have to use M&Ms but they are a fun way to dress them up. You could also use holiday sprinkles for a touch of color.
How to Make Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
- Step #1. Melt the butter and put it in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Step #2. Add the graham cracker crumbs on top of the butter.
- Step #3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.
- Step #4. Spread the rest of the ingredients evenly over the top and press down.
- Step #5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Step #6. Cut the bars after they have cooled completely.
Recipe FAQs
A 9×13-inch baking pan with a cover is the best pan to make Christmas cookie bars in because you can store them easily in the pan and transport them anywhere.
If you don’t have a box of graham cracker crumbs, you can crush one sleeve of graham crackers in a food processor and pulsed them until they are fine crumbs or put them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to break them down into crumbs.
Christmas Magic Cookie Bars work well for all kinds of holiday parties, post caroling get-togethers, and church Christmas functions. They are also wonderful additions to a dessert bar or goodie plate because they are so easy to make!
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have graham cracker crumbs, you can crush one package/sleeve of graham crackers for the bottom layer.
- Make this recipe a day or two ahead of time when you have time to make serving a treat easier.
- If you change up some of the ingredients (like the coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts), be sure to replace them with roughly equal amounts of whatever you’re adding in so the bars will still hold together.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes to Consider
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Magic Christmas Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, one package/sleeve of crackers
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz.
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 11/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup plain or mini M&Ms, holiday colors, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put the melted butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the butter.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs.
- Add chocolate chips and then top evenly with remaining ingredients. Press down gently.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Store covered at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t like something it can be omitted or substituted.
- Any nuts well in this recipe – chopped walnuts and almonds would be good alternatives.
- If you don’t want to use M&Ms, toffee bits, butterscotch chips or sprinkles would all be good.
- Store bars covered at room temperature up to three to four days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
We watched “Let It Snow” with Candice Cameron-Bure recently. Two thumbs up and happy tears…..Can’t help it, I wear my heart on my shirt sleeve. And….oh….magic cookie bars….I despised coconut until it was mixed with sweetened condensed milk….LOVE! I may or may not be guilty of having an opened can of that amazing stuff under my bed to enjoy when I was a kid. How was I supposed to know she knew what was in the cupboards! Geesh!