Make These Once…and You’ll Be Asked for Them Forever (7 Layer Cookies)

Name: Seven Layer Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1 full sleeve); ½ cup salted butter; 1 cup shredded (sweetened coconut flakes); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 cup butterscotch chips; 1 can sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup chopped walnuts

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These Seven Layer Cookies have all the good stuff, from chocolate and butterscotch to coconut and graham crackers. From the first batch to the last, these cookies bake up sweet and gooey with that perfect mix of crunchy and chewy every time.

Two stacked dessert bars with visible chocolate chips, nuts, and shredded coconut on a white plate, with a glass of milk in the background.

7-Layer Cookies Recipe

These tried and true Seven Layer Cookies have become holiday heroes on my dessert table. With soft, gooey centers and golden edges, these are the cookies everyone seems to hover around. I’ve been making them for years, and as soon as the pan hits the counter, crumbs outnumber the cookies in no time.

You might also hear them called magic cookie bars or hello dolly bars, but the idea is always the same. Graham crackers, chocolate and butterscotch chips and coconut bake together with sweetened condensed milk to create that gooey texture everyone loves. These simple bar style cookies taste amazing and only take minutes to prepare, perfect for busy holidays.

If you love dessert bars, don’t miss my S’mores Bars and Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Bars. They are both just as fun and just as delicious.

A tray of nut-topped dessert bars cut into squares sits on parchment paper, with a gold fork and scattered chocolate and butterscotch chips nearby.

Why We Love This Recipe

Easy to make: There is no rolling or cutting here. Just layer everything in the pan and let the oven do the work.
Decadent flavors: With a mix of buttery graham crackers, coconut and melted chocolate these cookies are the ultimate rich and decadent treat.
Great for sharing: They slice cleanly, travel well and disappear fast, which makes them perfect for potlucks, parties and any casual get together.

Ingredients Needed to Make These Cookies

Seven baking ingredients displayed in bowls, including graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, sweetened coconut flakes, salted butter, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and sweetened condensed milk.

Graham cracker crumbs: Creates a crust that holds the cookie bars together.
Salted butter: Melted butter mixes with the crumbs for a buttery base.
Sweetened coconut flakes: These add a chewy, toasted layer that works perfectly with the other flavors.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: They melt and give the cookie a rich chocolate flavor.
Butterscotch chips: These add an extra sweet layer that pairs well with chocolate.
Sweetened condensed milk: This is the ingredient that turns them into gooey cookies.
Chopped walnuts: They add the perfect crunch.

Find the full printable recipe with measurements and directions in the recipe card below.

How To Make Seven Layer Dessert Bars

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the sides of the dish. Set aside.

Step 2. Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until fully melted, then add it to a mixing bowl with the graham cracker crumbs. Mix until fully combined, then press the graham cracker and butter mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Crushed graham crackers in a white bowl with melted butter being poured in from a separate bowl.

A parchment-lined square baking dish with a pressed graham cracker crust, surrounded by bowls of chopped walnuts and peanut butter chips.

Step 3. Layer the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips on top of the graham cracker layer.

Step 4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

A square baking dish lined with parchment paper, filled with a mixture topped with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. A small bowl of chopped walnuts is nearby.

A square baking dish lined with parchment paper contains a dessert topped with melted white chocolate and butterscotch chips. A bowl of chopped nuts is visible in the corner.

Step 5. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top in an even layer.

Step 6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

A square baking dish lined with parchment paper, filled with a dessert topped with chopped walnuts and a layer of melted white chocolate.

A square nut-topped dessert bar sits on parchment paper atop a cooling rack.

Step 7. Carefully lift the entire layer of cookies up and out of the baking dish using the overhanging parchment paper. Transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before cutting into 16 equal squares. Serve and enjoy!

How To Store Leftover Cookies

Refrigerator: If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freezer: Freeze the bar cookies in a parchment lined airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to place a layer of parchment between the layers so they pull apart easier.

Three dessert bars with a crumbly texture, chocolate chips, nuts, and a gooey filling are stacked on a wooden surface. A glass of milk is in the background.

Tips and Tricks

Though these are easy cookies to make, here are my favorite tips to make sure they turn out perfect every time.

Press the cracker mixture firmly so the crust stays together when you slice the bars.
Let the bar cookies cool completely before cutting to help keep the layers clean and neat.
Shake or stir the can of sweetened condensed milk to help it pour smoothly.
Chop the walnuts into small pieces so they settle into the layers instead of sitting on top.
Lightly press the top layer before baking so everything holds together after slicing.
If the edges bake faster, place a piece of foil loosely over the pan during the last few minutes of baking.

A plate with two stacked dessert bars topped with shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips; a fork holds a bite in the foreground.

Variations and Add-ins

These cookies are delicious just as they are, but sometimes it’s fun to change things up. Try one of these simple ideas next time you make them.

Nuts: Swap the walnuts for chopped pecans if you prefer a different crunch.
Chocolate: Add a handful of white chocolate chips for an extra sweet layer.
Peanut butter: Mix in a little peanut butter with the chocolate chips for a nutty twist.
Caramel: Stir a few caramel bits into the layers for extra gooeyness.
Fruit: Add chopped dried cranberries or raisins for a little extra chewiness.

FAQs

Why are my 7-layer cookies too gooey in the center?

They need a few more minutes in the oven. Look for golden brown edges and a set center.

Can I leave out the coconut?

The coconut adds a chewy layer, but the cookie bars still bake well without it.

Do these 7 layer bars need to be refrigerated?

You can leave them out at room temperature when serving but leftovers need to be kept in the fridge. Keeping them chilled helps the layers firm up and keeps them fresh.

Can I use a different size pan?

A larger pan works, but the layers will be thinner. You will need to reduce the bake time slightly and watch the edges a little closer.

A fork holds a piece of a dessert bar with chocolate chips and coconut flakes; a glass bottle of milk is in the blurred background.

Two dessert bars with chocolate chips, nuts, and shredded coconut are stacked on a white plate.

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Seven Layer Cookies

Course Dessert, Desserts & Sweets

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

These Seven Layer Cookies bring together chocolate, butterscotch, coconut and graham cracker crumbs in one decadent bar. They are sweet and gooey with just the right mix of crunchy and chewy in every bite.

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs about 1 full sleeve
▢ ½ cup salted butter
▢ 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
▢ 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
▢ 1 cup butterscotch chips
▢ 1 can sweetened condensed milk
▢ 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan with oil and line it with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the sides of the dish. Set aside.
Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until fully melted.
½ cup salted butter
Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl with the graham cracker crumbs and mix until fully combined. Press the graham cracker/butter mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
Layer the coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips on top of the graham cracker layer.
1 cup shredded, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips
Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the top.
1 cup chopped walnuts
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Pull the entire cookie bar up and out of the baking dish using the overhanging parchment paper and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before cutting into 16 equal squares.
Store any leftover cookies in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

Press the cracker mixture firmly so the crust stays together when you slice the bars.
Let the bar cookies cool completely before cutting to help keep the layers clean and neat.
Shake or stir the can of sweetened condensed milk to help it pour smoothly.
Chop the walnuts into small pieces so they settle into the layers instead of sitting on top.
Lightly press the top layer before baking so everything holds together after slicing.
If the edges bake faster, place a piece of foil loosely over the pan during the last few minutes of baking.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can freeze the bar cookies in a parchment lined airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to place a layer of parchment between the layers so they pull apart easier.

Nutrition

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used.

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Lisa, author of Fun Money Mom, standing in front of a kitchen counter with a cupcake.

About Lisa O’Driscoll

Lisa O’Driscoll is a lifestyle and parenting expert, cookbook author, and the creative force behind Fun Money Mom, a popular blog she’s Lisa O’Driscoll is a lifestyle and parenting expert, cookbook author, and the creative force behind Fun Money Mom, a popular blog she’s run since 2014. She’s the author of the children’s cookbook Roll It, Slice It, Mash It, Dice It, designed to get kids excited about cooking. With multiple TV appearances under her belt, she loves sharing her expertise on family-friendly recipes, creative DIYs, and party planning and is always on a mission to inspire and entertain!

Meet Lisa

Seven Layer Cookies: Gooey, Sweet & Totally Addictive