Hello Dolly Bars Recipe (7-Layer Bars)
Hello Dolly Bars, also known as Magic Cookie Bars or 7-Layer Bars, is a rich and chewy dessert made with a buttery graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans, all mingled together with sweetened condensed milk. Baked until golden and gooey, these nostalgic treats are the perfect mash-up of crunchy sweetness.
I’ve baked Hello Dolly Bars for over 15 years and have tested every possible variation—this version gets the most requests from friends and family.
| Prep Time | Cook Time/Rest Time | Servings | Prep Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 30 minutes/1 hour | 9 | Beginner + |
Featured Comment
sheila says:
“I am now addicted! Had to give some to my mother, friend, and neighbors to keep from eating the whole pan myself.”
How Did They Get Their Name?
Hello Dolly Bars gained popularity after the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! was released in 1964. Recipes started appearing in magazines and newspaper articles, and the dessert star was born!
Ingredient Notes
Graham Cracker Crumbs – Crushing whole crackers gives a better texture than store-bought crumbs. One sleeve usually yields the right amount, but measure to be sure.
Butter – A bit more than one stick helps the crust stay crisp and golden.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet gives the best balance. Mix in dark, milk, or white chocolate for variety.
Pecans – They add a soft crunch and nutty flavor.
Sweetened Shredded Coconut – This is key to the recipe’s flavor. Toasting is optional but it will create a golden, less chewy finish.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – It binds everything together and gives a subtle caramel taste that deepens the flavor of the bars.
Full printable recipe with ingredients, measurements, and instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Unique Hello Dolly Bar Variations
To add a salty twist, swap out the graham crackers for crushed pretzels. You can also sprinkle a few pretzels on top of the dessert.
Try adding ½ cup of raisins or cranberries and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a warm, slightly spiced twist.
If you’d like a gluten-free version, crush Honey Nut Cheerios instead of the graham crackers.
How To Make The Hello Dolly Bars Recipe – Step-By-Step Instructions
First, crush a packet of graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. A few chunks in there won’t hurt anything.
You can either crush full sheets of graham crackers in the Cuisinart food processor or use a Ziplock bag, as I did. Using a rolling pin helped crush them faster. Usually, one sleeve from a Graham cracker box is enough to make 2 cups for the crust.
Next, melt the butter and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add the graham crackers to the melted butter and stir them in.
Press the graham cracker and butter mixture into the bottom of the 9″ x 9″ greased casserole dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans around the top. I used aluminum foil, but parchment paper works better.
Add the coconut on top and spread it out evenly. And now comes the best part. Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the top. We will literally fight over licking the can in this house. It is so good. You can use generic sweetened condensed milk or Eagle Brand.
Bake the Hello Dolly Bars at 325 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the coconut turns a golden brown around the edges. Every oven is different, so sometimes they need to be baked a little longer to get golden brown.
Allow them to cool for at least an hour at room temperature. Then, place them in the refrigerator to cool and firm up before cutting. They will still be a little bit gooey, but should cut easily.
Tips And Tricks For Hello Dolly Bars
Baking the dessert is easy, but here are a few ideas to make it a little easier.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. It makes lifting and cutting the bars so much easier—and prevents sticking.
- Avoid overbaking. Take them out when the edges are golden brown. The center might look a bit soft, but it will firm up as it cools.
- Cool completely before slicing. Allow them to cool for at least an hour at room temperature. Then, place them in the refrigerator to cool and firm up before cutting. They will still be a little bit gooey, but should cut easily.
- Toast your toppings. Toasting the coconut and pecans adds depth and a golden crunch that stands out.
- Dial up the chocolate. Use a mix of chips—milk, dark, or white—for extra richness. Or add mini chips for even melt distribution.
- Warm the sweetened condensed milk can slightly to help it pour and spread easily. (Do not microwave. Use a saucepan with a little water around the can).
Can You Make Them Without Coconut?
Yes, you can skip the coconut in the bars. It will have a slightly different texture and flavor without coconut.
Alternate Or Additional Ingredients
Hello Dolly bars are very versatile. You can add or omit other ingredients as desired.
- Walnuts
- Crushed vanilla wafers for an alternative crust
- Dulce de leche condensed milk
- Crushed chocolate graham squares for the crust
- Crushed shortbread cookies for the crust
- Toffee chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Add some diced maraschino cherries or crushed pineapple (drained) for a fruity twist
Do seven-layer bars freeze well?
Yes, they do freeze well. To prevent freezer burn, wrap them in Saran Wrap and a Ziplock bag. To defrost, place them in the fridge or set them on the counter to thaw.
Should seven-layer bars be refrigerated?
No, they do not have to be refrigerated. The bars can be stored on the counter for a few days.
How long do they keep?
The bars will keep for three to five days on the counter and up to a week in the refrigerator. Keep the bars in an airtight container with wax paper between the bars to keep them from sticking together.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- These Hello Dolly peanut butter chip bars are the perfect mix of sweet, gooey, and crunchy in every bite.
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars are an easy dessert to make, and cheesecake and pecan pie are combined for a decadent treat.
- The candied pecan dessert bars bring that irresistible combo of buttery crust and caramelized crunch to your table.
- If you’re craving something rich and chewy, these sweetened condensed milk chocolate chip bars are a must-bake.
- These soft and cinnamon-kissed snickerdoodle bars are everything you love about the cookie in an easy-to-slice treat.
Hello Dolly Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers usually one sleeve is enough
- 10 Tablespoon butter melted
- 1 – 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
- Line a 9-inch x 9-inch baking dish with tin foil. Spray the tin foil with non stick spray.
- Crush the graham crackers in a bag and add the 2 cups to a bowl.
- Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Pour the graham crackers and butter mixture into the casserole dish and press down with your hand.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
- Next, sprinkle the pecans on top.
- Finally, sprinkle the coconut on top.
- Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over all of the ingredients.
- Bake for 25-30* minutes, or until the edges are golden.
- Allow to cool for one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for the video it’s quite easy to make these delicious bars. Anyway thumbs up for making videos on your blog. It’s rare to see on other blogs any videos.
Thanks so much! Have a great afternoon!
Also butterscotch chips added over the chocolate chips is delicious. Our family calls these 7 layer cookies
That sounds fantastic! Mmm…
In your Hello Dolly recipe, it’s typed 1 cup condensed milk. In the instructions , it’s says CAN. So is it 1 cup or 1 can consensed milk?
Hi Judy,
You will use one can, sorry for the confusion. Where does it say cup? I’d like to correct it. Thanks for letting me know!
I can’t remember where I had these before but when I saw the recipe I knew I wanted to try them. I followed the recipe exactly and….this was a huge mistake! I am now addicted! Had to give some to my mother, friend, and neighbors to keep from eating the whole pan myself. Thanks for the recipe. My husband said they tasted like the holidays, so I will bring it out again then, for sure (who am I kidding, probably way before that.)
You are the sweetest! I love this and I totally get it. I am completely addicted to them, too! Thanks for sharing!
I recently made these bars with your recipe, however I wanted to put in a larger pan. I measured the square inches of each and added the extra % to get about 9×13. Used grams for easier math. 266g graham cracker, 190g butter, 282g choc chip, 133g pecans, 120 coconut. I did not open another can of sweetened condensed milk but scraped every bit out of the can and bake as per your directions. They were a big hit. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Will again sooner than later.
Wow! I love to hear this and I am so impressed with your math! Thanks so much for sharing this and I’m glad to hear you loved it!
These were my favourite squares since I was a kid. I even wanted them for my birthday one year instead of cake. My mom never put butterscotch chips on it and used walnuts. Best ever, I think I’m stopping at the grocery store tomorrow to get the ingredient. Great recipe!
Love the memory! Thanks for sharing. Hope you enjoy them!
I really like this recipe can’t wait to try it! I was just wondering what your thoughts are about fresh cranberries added?
I’ve never tried that but I bet it would be great! Let us know how you like it if you try.
Cooked them for 40 minutes and they didn’t set up properly; could have used half the amount of condensed milk – any other time I have made hello dolly recipes it’s always in a 9×13 pan not 9×9 these are quite thick and don’t hold together that’s after cooling on the counter for an hour and 3 hours or so in the fridge.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I will have to try in a larger pan.
@Judy, I had the same thing happen.
@Judy, I had the same experience. Way too soggy.
@K, me too!!
This is a six layer cookie. You can’t leave out the butterscotch chips, they make the cookie in my opinion.
It is a good addition!
I looked up this recipe to figure out how many “servings” there are in my recipe and the amount of calories per each bar, lol. I have eaten these for 50 years and made them often over the years. Everyone (who likes coconut) loves them. My Mom’s recipe has the 7 ingredients — your missing one is vanilla for the crust! My recipe is also easy to remember, all quantities are a one: 1 stick butter, in a glass 8×8 (or7 x11) dish, melt in pre-heating oven; stir in a 1 tsp vanilla; sprinkle with 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (level it out if needed for the crust); then sprinkle with 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup pecan halves; top with 1 can sweetened condensed milk. (But I also often go a little over the 1 cup amounts — especially the coconut, chocolate and pecans — needs a real layer of each!) Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it sit as you describe and chill to cut into squares; let come closer to room temp again if it is too solid to cut easily, but it doesn’t have to have exactly straight edges. Gooey goodness! It is very rich, so small squares are fine if needing to make it stretch for more people. I have also doubled it with 2 times the exact same measures for a 9×13 glass baking dish.
Oooohhh, vanilla in the crust sounds so good! I will add that next time. I love that your recipe is all “1s.” Thank you so much for sharing all this!
Can you make this using a Packaged Graham cracker pie shell?
I haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not. It might overflow a little, so you might want to get the larger pie shell.
Let us know how it goes!
This looks amazing. I don’t have sweetened coconut, just the unsweetened kind. Do you think it will taste alright?
I think it will be fine. The sweetened condensed milk should help with that! Enjoy!
Just add sugar to the coconut… works great!
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing that tip!
@Heather, I’ve made them with unsweetened coconut many times as that’s what i keep on hand -but imo – they really are better with the sweetened. So I splurge on these! And really cutting down on the sugar with these bars is kind of a mute point haha. They are good either way!
Love these bars! Just curious though, in whose kitchen do these bars last 3-5 days?! Not mine! 🙂
Too funny! They don’t last long here, either!
These are a family favorite. I always knew them as Hello Dolly cookies – but never found many others that called them that – always 7-layer or magic bars.
They do have a few names! They are a fun treat to make and eat!
I an not a fan of Graham cracker crust, so I use oats with melted butter and brown sugar for the crust.
Wow, that sounds great! Thanks for sharing and I will try that next time.
@Kellie J Staab, I use Oreo baking crust
Some how I completely missed the butter,I had same results with pan removal even after using parchment paper.I’m looking down at this sweet mess and started thinking how do I fix this so I get another pan reline with parchment press crumbs and butter in the bottom then scape the first batch out and put it in on top of crust spinkle with a few more pecans, c.chips,b.chips and pour on another can of c.milk baked agian. Let it sit in a cool spot overnight and it released PERFECTLY. I’m glad I did it again fabulous treat with just a few pantry items.
Great idea! Glad it released!
@Julie Pollitt, I would have just grabbed a spoon! 😉👍
I’ve never made these with pouring the condensed milk over all the ingredients. The recipe I have puts the condensed milk on top of the graham cracker crust and the add the rest of the layers. I will have to try it this way.
Your way sounds good, too!
We call these Magic Bars in our family, I always put in the butterscotch chips but also sometimes ad dried cranberries or dried cherries.
Such a great idea with the dried cranberries or cherries!
I made this for the first time a couple of months ago I’ve always loved hello dolly bars but was intimidated by the complex flavors oh I should have started making these years ago!! So easy one pan one bowl no muss no fuss
These look amazing! Can the packaged graham crumbs be used instead of crushing your own, or would they be too fine? Thanks!
Hi Jane! I think the prepackaged ones would be fine. Just be sure to mix them with the butter and that will help. Merry Christmas!
Ugh.. 🙁 what a mess.. I used foil and sprayed non-stick spray as directed but the contents soaked through. I dumped the finished product onto a cutting board to pick off the foil. Then I flipped it back into the baking dish but made the mistake of smushing it back into shape and now it looks like mush not beautiful chips and coconut… I think this recipe had way too much sweetened condensed milk. I have the mess in the freezer hoping to salvage it but am not hopeful. At least it will taste good and but, sadly, I won’t want to share it with non-family members like I was planning. Sorry but not willing to try this version of the recipe again.
Hi Moi, I am so sorry you had that experience.
How long did you cook the bars for? Was the coconut golden brown on top? If not, it didn’t cook long enough.
I am not quite sure why that happened. I actually made it yesterday to send to my cousins today and it came out fine. The recipe is a tried and true recipe, so I am wondering if it could have been another issue possibly?
I have had issues with my oven in the past where things didn’t cook properly and they came out mushy or uncooked. I had my husband calibrate the oven and then it started to work properly.
Did you let it cool long enough before flipping it over? I am sorry that happened!
These bars are on condensed milk cans as magic 7 layers bars.
It’s a delicious recipe that has been around a very long time!
What is the measuremet of a stick of butter-+= what in a measurement-1/2 cup, 3/4 cup what?
thanks
Hi Norma,
It is 2/3 cup of butter. Hope you enjoy them!
I just made your Hello Dolly bars and they came out perfect! I baked them an extra 6 minutes until the edges were browner.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Oh great! So glad to hear that. I love those things. I could make them all the time. Thanks for the tip on the extra six minutes. I’ll have to try that.
If you’ve read through the recipe, and there is any doubt in your mind, let me assure you, they’re amazing. Simply the ooey-gooiest, most decadent dessert I’ve ever eaten. Just do it, I promise you won’t regret it!!
Great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing! I am a total piggy with these. 😉
Do you think the cooking time should be altered when cooking in a toaster oven? What about with a silicone bar mold? Should the time be altered?
Hi Ruby,
I am not sure it would cook as evenly in a toaster oven. You might want to cook it at a lower temperature, maybe 10 degrees and keep an eye on it. I would think it would be about the same time, but I haven’t cooked it in a toaster oven so I am not sure.
I am not sure about a silicone bar mold. I haven’t used one, so I don’t know about that.
I found this recipe after trying these for the first time at a gathering. Mine came out a bit too thick and gooey, and after looking around more, every other recipe I can find uses the same quantity of ingredients in a 9×13 pan. I will be trying that next time, but they are still very tasty!
Glad you liked it! They will be a bit gooey. But a 9×13 will definitely work!
My mom used to make these at Christmas time when I was a kid. I had forgotten about them until recently. I searched Google for a recipe and this one had the most reviews with the highest stars so I chose it. This recipe did not disappoint! This recipe was a hit with my family and they all insisted that it has to be a Christmas tradition now. Thank you for bringing back a childhood favorite for me.
50 some years ago, I remember my mom making them often.
Didn’t really think of them as an adult until I saw a recipe which jogged my mind.
Now I make them often using your recipe. They are always loved!! I continually am surprised when people haven’t heard of them!
Hi Jami,
I am so glad you found them again. They are such a fun treat. I know, I am surprised, too!
I make these every year and the recipes always call for one can of condensed milk for a 9 x 13 pan. I can only imagine these will be richer and gooyer. Which Im all for!!! Making them now!!!
Hope you love them!
Love these easy dessert bars!
I came across these easy dessert bars on pinterest and just had to try them. They are so irresistible and already gone. I can’t wait to make them again.
So great to hear!
I made these for a neighborhood potluck and everyone loved them. I loved how easy they were to make!
These were so, so good. We loved every bite of these bars!
So glad you all liked them!
I am so glad I found this recipe! These bars are amazing!
Made these with similar recipe that called for 9×13 pan which made bars too thin. I won’t use semi-sweet morsels again. Too bitter. Going to try again.
..
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Hi Barbara,
I like to make these in a 9×9 pan so they are nice and thick. You can use milk chocolate, butterscotch, and/or peanut butter chips for this recipe.
The first time I ate this was in the early 70s when my boss’s wife brought them in to work. She apologized profusely because the recipe called for graham cracker crumbs, but she didn’t know she was out. She didn’t want to make the 10 mile drive to the store, so she substituted corn flake crumbs. OMG! They were wonderful! I’ve eaten the bars with the graham cracker crumbs many times in the past 50 years, but I still prefer cornflake crumbs because — damn — the recipe is sweet enough it doesn’t need graham crackers. Cornflake crumbs aren’t nearly as sweet and give the dish a different texture. Try it!
I have never tried it with Corn Flake crumbs. Wow, that sounds incredible! I will for sure be trying it like that. Thank you so much for sharing all that!
These are not Hello Dolly Bars. Thay are Magic Cookie Bars.
Hi Clarissa,
They delicious bars are all pretty much the same and basically all share a name – Hello Dolly Bars, Magic Bars, 7 Layer Bars.
I found a recipe for Hello Dolly bars in a cookbook over 45 years ago, and THIS is exactly how the originals were made. Same order of layers, same can of condensed milk poured on top. And no butterscotch chips. So good!
Yes! It’s a tried and true favorite! I love all the old recipes!
I love these bars. This last time I made them the graham cracker crust did not form correctly. It was falling apart and was very loose. Not sure how to fix this problem. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Robbin,
Thank you! Did you make sure all of the graham crackers were covered with butter? That will help hold it together. You can also take a glass or something flat and hard to press the crust into the bottom of the pan. That should help hold it together a little more. Hope that helps!
what size pan for triple the recipe
Hi Toni,
I would do double the recipe in a 9×13 and then one more in a 9×9. Hope you love it!