In elementary school, bake sales were alllllll about the puppy chow. If I couldn’t get a bag, a close second to that for me were seven layer bars. They are DELICIOUS. Perfectly sweet and salty and savory and decadent. Magical. Some people call these magic cookie bars, but I’ve always known them as seven layer bars, even though there’s normally not seven layers. I don’t make the naming rules.
As the name implies, there aren’t a lot of ingredients that go into these bars, there are only seven if you make them the normal way, and eight if you’re like me and like to top baked goods with flakey salt. Even though I’m on a meal plan right now that doesn’t really allow for such a delicious treat, I did eat two of them fresh out of the oven. Everything in moderation, right? As for the rest, I packaged them up and dropped them off to some friends so the fruits of my labor could be enjoyed. Also it’s nice to drop treats off to people. I call it ding dong ditch delivery.
These are easy to make and require minimal prep time. If you want to skip making the graham cracker crust, you could get two pre-made 8-inch graham cracker pie plates and use those. If you can only find 9-inch pie plates, the bars won’t fill up the pans as the volume will be a little off but should still work in a pinch! I encourage you to make some treats – maybe these bars – and drop them off to your friends at a safe distance and brighten their day.
Seven Layer Bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
1 1/2 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1 cup Butterscotch Chips
14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
Flakey salt, optional
Instructions
Prep a 9×13 inch baking dish with a double layer of aluminum foil so it will be easy to lift the bars out of the pan when done.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, toast the pecan pieces in the prepared baking sheet until the oven has come up to temperature. Take the pan out, remove pieces and set aside, keeping the foil lined pan as is.
As the oven is preheating, combine the butter and graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl and mix until it resembled wet sand and all of the graham crackers are saturated in butter. Dump into the prepared baking dish – it will still be warm – and press into the bottom of the pan by using a measuring cup to ensure an even distribution.
Once the crust is set, gently top with the pecan pieces, followed by the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips. Gently pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top and fill in all the gaps by using a spoon to gently spread the milk around, making sure not to disturb the crust or chips. Once evenly distributed, top with the coconut and gently press into the milk.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the coconut is toasty brown. Remove from oven and top with flakey salt if desired. Let set in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then lift out onto a cutting board. Pull the foil away and let cool for another 10 minutes before slicing. Let completely cool before storing in an airtight container.
Happy Eating!
Kelly
