Dark cho | NancyC

If you’ve never made Magic Cookie Bars, you really need to try them! The original Magic Cookie Bars recipe is from Eagle Brand®, a classic and well-loved recipe, and I decided to try making them with dark chocolate chips and toffee bits. These are really rich and yummy, and they’re so easy to make! They are also very addictive. I gave some to my friend Alisa and she said she couldn’t stop eating them! 🙂 This recipe makes a nice big 9×13″ panful, so there’s plenty for sharing!

DARK CHOCOLATE–TOFFEE MAGIC COOKIE BARS by NancyC, adapted from Eagle Brand®

Makes a 9×13″ pan

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (you’ll need about 8 to 8 1/2 whole crackers)

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (10-ounce) bag, or 1 3/4 cups. dark chocolate chips (or substitute a 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which is equivalent to 2 cups)

1 1/3 cups (or a 3 1/2-ounce can) sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup Heath® English Toffee Bits (also called Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits)

1 cup chopped pecans (or substitute walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350˚F (or 325˚F if using a glass baking dish). Grease or spray a 9×13″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press evenly into a thin layer in bottom of greased or sprayed pan (see below, left photo).

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut, toffee bits, and nuts. Press all ingredients down firmly and evenly in pan with a fork (see above, right photo).

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, then cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.

For perfectly cut cookie bars, here’s a tip from Eagle Brand®: Line the entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan (or you could use parchment paper). Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual bars.

Here are some other variations you can make on Magic Cookie Bars:

7-Layer Magic Cookie Bars: Substitute 1 cup (6-oz.) of the following: butterscotch flavored chips, peanut butter flavored chips or white chocolate chips, for 1 cup of the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Magic Peanut Cookie Bars: Substitute 2 cups (about 3/4 lb.) chocolate-covered peanuts for the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

Magic Rainbow Cookie Bars: Substitute 2 cups plain M & M’s for the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Other Ideas: You can also substitute the chocolate chips or nuts with dried cranberries, raisins or mini-marshmallows.