How to Make Hello Dolly Bars (7 Layer Bars)

Hello Dolly Bars, with sweetened condensed milk, are one of the best desserts out there.

Hello Dolly Bars Have A Great Combination of Ingredients

The bars, also known as magic cookie bars, Hello Dollies recipe, or 7 layer bars, is such a quick and easy recipe to make.

With the combination of pecans, chocolate chips, toasted coconut, and a graham cracker crust, you can’t go wrong.

The hello Dolly bars recipe has been popular on Pinterest and Facebook. It’s also a traditional recipe that people have loved for years, partly because it’s so easy to make.

The Perfect Dessert Year Round

The dessert bars are perfect for the holidays, or any occasion, and take less than 15 minutes to make and get into the oven. I share this often with friends and neighbors.

I absolutely love Hello Dolly Bars and I could honestly just sit and lick the inside of the sweetened condensed milk can, but with the added chocolate chips, pecans, graham crackers, and shredded coconut…Hello! 

Must be why they call them Hello Dolly Bars! 

A Great Tradition

The 7 layer bars recipe can be made in several different ways and might depend on what your family tradition is for the ingredients.

For example, I left the butterscotch chips off of this recipe, but you can add those along with the chocolate chips for even more flavors.

Some people like to eat walnuts instead of pecans.

You can also add peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips to the mix, if you’d like even more of flavor additions.

How To Make Hello Dolly Bars

1. Crush the graham crackers and mix with melted butter and then press into the greased baking dish.
2. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut on top.
3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
4. Cool and serve.

The bars are great for holiday and Christmas parties, gifts for teachers and friends, or to just sit around and eat them at home. I prefer the latter (wink…wink).

I have not always been a big coconut fan, but I like it these days. After you cook it, it’s toasted and oh-so-delicious. 

(On a side note, seven layer bars typically have butterscotch chips; however, I decided to leave them out of this recipe). 

I haven’t always known about magic bars or Hello Dolly Bars.

My friend brought some over a few years ago and shared with us and I couldn’t figure out how on earth I’d gotten through life without eating them?

Needless to say, she became my new best friend. 

Hello Dolly Bars with peanut butter chips

Full printable recipe with ingredients, measurements, and instructions at the bottom of the past in the recipe card.

What You Will Need For the Hello Dolly Bars

• Oven
• 9″ x 9″ Baking dish
• Non-stick spray
• Medium-sized bowl
• Tinfoil
• Microwave or stovetop to melt the butter
• Saucepan or microwave-safe bowl to melt the butter
• Graham crackers
• Butter
• Chocolate chips
• Chopped pecans
• Shredded coconut
• Can of sweetened condensed milk

How To Make The Hello Dolly Bars Recipe

First, crush up a packet of graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. It won’t hurt anything if there are a few chunks in there.

You can either crush them in the Cuisinart 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.

Add the graham crackers to the melted butter and stir it in. 

Press the graham cracker and butter mixture into the bottom of the 9″ x 9″ casserole dish.

I put some tinfoil in the pan and sprayed it with a non-stick spray.

It makes it easier to take the Hello Dolly Bars out of the pan when they cool, and it makes for an easy clean-up. 

Updated: You don’t have to use aluminum foil, but it makes it easier to get the bars out when you go to cut them.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips around the top. 

Next, sprinkle the pecans on top of the chocolate chips.

My friend Karen shared a great tip with me about switching out the nuts for pretzels.

If you’re allergic to pecans or nuts, or just don’t like them, adding pretzels in their place helps add some salt back in so the sweet isn’t overwhelming. She said it tasted amazing!

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. 

More delicious dessert recipes:

• Easy Stovetop Candied Pecans are great for the holiday season and make great gifts.
• Fudge That Will Make All Your Friends Jealous is always a hit with friends and family.
• Peanut Butter Fudge to Die For has been one of the most popular recipes on the blog–for good reason–it’s amazing!
• Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars are an easy dessert to make and combine cheesecake and pecan pie for a decadent treat.

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.

Updated: I’ve had a few comments lately about the bars not setting up properly after baking. As they bake, you will want the edges to be a darker golden than the inside of the dessert.

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 are still going to be a little bit gooey, but should cut easily.

And, Hello Dolly Bars!

These are the original Hello Dolly Bars! 

 Try this version with peanut butter chips. 

Do seven layer bars freeze well?

Yes, they do freeze well. Be sure to wrap them up in Saran Wrap and a Ziplock bag to prevent freezer burn. Place in the fridge or set on the counter to thaw. 

Should seven layer bars be refrigerated?

No, they do not have to be refrigerated. Hello Dolly Bars, seven layer bars, or magic bars can stay on the counter for a few days. 

How long do magic bars keep?

Magic bars, Hello Dolly Bars, or seven layer 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 from sticking together. 

Hello Dolly Bars Recipe Card

Check out the Hello Dolly Bars recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start cooking! You’ll love how easy this recipe is to make. 

Then, share your comments below and share a picture of your dessert on the Pinterest Pin! 

If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share with us. 

More delicious recipes at Julia’s Simply Southern, South Your Mouth, and Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.