7 Layer Magic Bars (Vegan!)

Vegan magic bars are sweet, chewy, and addictive! These 7 layer magic bars are so good you won't be able to tell they're dairy free!

This post is sponsored by Nature's Charm. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Why you'll love this 7 layer magic bar recipe:

• Made with only 7 ingredients. I bet you have many in your pantry!
• Super easy to make. This is probably one of the easiest dessert recipes you'll ever make!
• Kid-friendly. Whether they're young or old, your kids can easily help you make this recipe!
• Not too sweet. To be clear, these are a sweet dessert, but the flaky salt on top of the bars cut the sweetness and balance the flavors
• Easy to customize. You can swap out the chocolate chip layer, pecan, or coconut layers to make these bars your own!

Why are they called 7 layer bars?

These bars are called 7 layer bars because of the seven delicious layers: graham crackers, melted butter, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut flakes, sweetened condensed milk, and flaky salt.

You may also know this dessert as dream bars, coconut dream bars, magic bars, magic cookie bars, or Hello Dolly bars.

The dessert originates back in 1856 when a man named Gail Borden started selling a cookie creation using condensed milk in New York City, as a way to promote the versatility of condensed milk.

He later offered money for dessert recipes using condensed milk, and a recipe called "Hello Dolly's" (named after the popular Broadway musical at the time, "Hello, Dolly!") was combined with Borden's original cookie creation, and labeled by Eagle brand in the 1960s.

Recipe ingredients

• Graham cracker crumbs. You can buy either whole crackers and crush them yourself or boxed cracker crumbs. Here is a helpful list of which graham crackers are vegan-friendly.
• Vegan butter. Melt the butter so it's easier to incorporate with the cracker crumbs.
• Vegan chocolate chips. I highly recommend using dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness.
• Vegan white chocolate chips. This is an optional ingredient, and if you can't find it, you can add more regular chocolate chips.
• Pecans. I toasted raw pecan halves and broke them into pieces with my hands, but you can leave them as halves.
• Coconut. Although many recipes call for sweetened shredded coconut, I highly recommend using unsweetened coconut flakes. The bars are sweet on their own, there's no need for the coconut to be sweetened as well.
• Vegan sweetened condensed milk. I used Nature's Charm sweetened condensed oat milk!
• Flaky salt. The salt balances out the sweetness!

Choosing a vegan sweetened condensed milk:

Although I used sweetened condensed oat milk in this recipe, you can also use sweetened condensed coconut milk. Coconut condensed milk seems quite readily available in many stores these days, and will work perfectly for these bars!

Oat condensed milk is a great option for those who don't like or can't eat coconut. In this case, make sure you take out the coconut flakes too!

Substitutions

Although I think this magic bars recipe is golden as is, there are ways to adjust the ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Here are some of my recommendations to substitute the ingredients:

• Graham cracker crumbs - You can use different crackers (think digestive biscuits or saltine crackers) but depending on the crackers, you may need to adjust the amount of butter.
• Vegan butter - Feel free to use coconut oil, or regular dairy butter if you are not vegan.
• Chocolate chips - You can use chocolate chips or chocolate bars containing dairy if you consume dairy products.
• Pecans - Feel free to use a different nut if you cannot eat pecans.
• Coconut flakes - You can swap it out for sliced almonds.
• Sweetened condensed oat milk - Feel free to use sweetened condensed coconut milk, or regular dairy sweetened condensed milk if you don't follow a vegan diet.

How to make vegan 7 layer bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and melted vegan butter. Mix together until combined.
3. Pour it into your pan and press it in with your fingertips or the bottom of a measuring cup so that it forms an evenly flat layer.

4. Over the graham cracker layer, sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Make sure to spread them out evenly.
5. On top of the chocolate chips, add an even layer of pecans.
6. Add a layer of coconut flakes and lightly press down to make sure the surface is flat.

7. Pour a can of sweetened condensed oat milk over the coconut. Try to pour evenly, making sure to get the edges and corners. You can use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently push the condensed milk to the sides if needed.
8. Sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
9. Once baked, take it out of the oven and let it come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before you slice and serve.

Recipe pro-tips

Make sure each layer is flat. The layers have to be flat for the bars to bake evenly, so take a second after putting in each layer to make sure it's even.

Don't pour all the condensed milk in the center. The center is the last to bake through, so if the condensed milk is pooled in the center, you'll have a gooey mess in the middle with dry edges.

Keep the bars chilled. These bars are soft at room temperature, especially if you live in warmer climates. I highly suggest keeping the bars chilled in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

Recipe variations:

There are many ways to customize these vegan dessert bars. You can practically use any nuts and chocolate products of your choice! Here are some fun variations:

To make tropical magic bars, replace the butter with virgin coconut oil. Swap half the chocolate chips with chopped dried pineapple, and use sweetened condensed coconut milk.

To make peanut butter magic bars, swap the pecans for peanuts, and use either semi-sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter cups!

To make nut-free magic bars, replace the pecans with sunflower seeds, and use salty pretzels instead of coconut flakes.

Storing and freezing directions:

Refrigeration: These dairy free bars will keep for 1 week when stored in an airtight container.

Freezing: You can store these bars in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply wrap each square individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and put them in a freezer bag.

How to make gluten-free magic bars:

To make gluten-free magic bars, use gluten-free graham crackers, or any gluten-free cookies of your choice! Make sure the chocolate chips you use are gluten-free as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Bars & Squares

• Are you a fellow chocoholic? These gluten-free brownies, pumpkin cheesecake brownies, and nanaimo bars are up your alley!
• These peanut butter oatmeal bars are the perfect treat to make if you need a healthy treat that you can meal prep for the week! It's also easy enough to make with your kids.
• If you love pumpkin desserts, try these pumpkin blondies or pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, or pumpkin cheesecake brownies.
• Cranberry bars and raspberry blondies are perfect if you love a fruity dessert. The cranberry bars are full of oats and the blondies are like a buttery chocolate chip cookie in bar form with berries in it!
• These matcha rice crispy treats and matcha blondies are for all of my fellow matcha lovers!

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