If you are looking for the perfect "set it and forget it" holiday dessert, these Christmas Magic Bars are it. Known by many as 7-Layer Bars, this festive version is loaded with seasonal colors and that classic, gooey condensed milk center we all crave.
Originally posted on December 22, 2013.
The best part? You don't even need a mixer.
You just layer, bake, and enjoy. However, getting that "picture-perfect" holiday look can be tricky with melting chocolate and cracking candies.
To make these Christmas Magic Bars, I used OREO Cookies for the crust, then topped it with toffee bits, peanuts, pretzels, holiday chocolate chips, and Christmas M&M's. This is absolutely one of my favorite combinations.
How to make Christmas Magic Bars
Here are my professional tips for making sure your bars look as good as they taste!
- Crush OREO Cookies into fine crumbs.
- I like to use a food processor because it makes this job so easy, but you can place your cookies into a large zip-top bag and whack at the cookies using a meat mallet, the back of a pan, or a rolling pin.
- Be sure you get your cookies crushed up into small pieces.
- Mix the crushed OREO Cookies with melted butter.
- Once again, I use the food processor. I just drizzle the melted butter in through the feed tube with the processor still running. The butter blends with the cookies and quickly comes together.
- If you don't use the food processor, you can add the butter to your zip-top bag and knead it into the cookies, or you can pour the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the butter.
- Press the cookie mixture into an even layer in a 9x13 baking pan.
- For easy removal, I like to line my pan with non-stick tin foil. That way, once the magic bars are baked, I simply lift the bars out using the tin foil.
- Then I can peel off the foil and cut the bars.
- Sprinkle on your toppings, including toffee bits, peanuts, and pretzels.
- Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the top and spread evenly.
- Top with broken pieces of red cream-filled Oreo cookies, ½ cup of the red and green M&M's, and ½ of the bag of Holiday morsels.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes until the sweetened condensed milk has caramelized.
- The sweetened condensed milk will start to bubble around the edges, but may not be completely caramelized in the center of the pan.
- You can cover the edges with some tin foil and allow the center to continue to bake.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle on the remaining red and green M&M's and Holiday Chocolate Morsels.
- I like to sprinkle these on at the end of the baking cycle because the candies that have been in the oven the whole time will begin cracking, and the chocolate chips will have browned, and the new ones will be bright and colorful.
- Return to the oven for about 3 minutes just to allow the chocolate chips enough time to soften so they will stick to the bars.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and tap it on the counter a few times. This will help secure all the M&M's.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. This can take a few hours.
- Then cut the bars into squares.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tips for the Perfect Christmas Cookie Bar
1. The "Fresh Finish" Secret
One common issue with baking M&M's is that they tend to crack in the high heat of the oven. Additionally, red and green chocolate chips can occasionally lose their vibrancy and turn a bit brown.
The Fix: Reserve a handful of your candies and chips. About 2 minutes before you take the bars out of the oven—or even immediately after they come out—sprinkle the fresh candies on top. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press them into the gooey condensed milk layer. This ensures your bars have bright, popping holiday colors!
2. Prevent Over-Browning
Because of the sugar content in the coconut and condensed milk, the top of these bars can sometimes brown too quickly before the center is set.
- Pro Tip: Place an empty cookie sheet on the baking rack directly above your pan of Magic Bars. This acts as a heat shield, protecting the top of your bars from direct heat and keeping them perfectly golden instead of dark brown.
3. Patience is Key
I know it’s tempting to dive in while the chocolate is melty, but you must allow these bars to cool completely before cutting. For the cleanest squares, I even recommend chilling them in the fridge for an hour before slicing.
How to Store Your Magic Bars
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Friendly: These bars freeze beautifully! Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Perfect for prepping your holiday treats in advance.
Related Recipes
Recipe and Video
- 30 Original Oreo Cookies crushed into fine crumbs
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 14 ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup Heath toffee bits
- ⅓ cup salted and roasted peanuts
- ½ cup pretzels broken into small pieces
- 16 Winter Oreo Cookies with Red Vanilla Filling broken into small pieces
- 1 cup red and green M&M's
- 1 bag Nestle Holiday Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels with Red and Green Morsels
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Line a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.
-
Mix crushed Original Oreo Cookies with melted butter.
-
Press into and even layer in the 9x13 baking pan.
-
Sprinkle on toffee bits, peanuts, and pretzels.
-
Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly.
-
Add the pieces of red cream filled Oreos cookies, ½ cup of the red and green M&M's and ½ of the bag of Holiday morsels.
-
Bake for 25-27 minutes until the sweetened condensed milk has caramelized. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the remaining red and green M&M's and Holiday Chocolate Morsels.
-
Return to oven for 3 minutes.
-
Remove pan from oven, and tap it on the counter a few times. This will help secure all the M&M's.
-
Cool completely.
-
Peel off foil. Cut into 24-30 squares.
-
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Recipe Video
The M&M's tend to crack as they bake, and the red and green chocolate chips can turn a bit brown, so that's why I like to add some at the last minute. The fresh candies look really pretty on top. Be sure to press them down using a spatula or spoon.
You can also place a cookie sheet on the baking rack above your pan of Christmas Magic Bars while in the oven. The cookie sheet will shield the bars from getting too brown on top.
Allow the Christmas Magic Bars to cool completely before cutting.
The edges will get a bit crunchier than the inside bars.
- Banana Split Bars – A Fun and Easy Summer Dessert - March 4, 2026
- Pineapple Fudge (No Candy Thermometer Needed!) - March 4, 2026
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie Recipe - March 3, 2026
Stephanie Markey says
Have you ever froze them after baking?
Beth says
Yes, Stephanie, I have frozen them. They freeze well, but the M&M's will sometimes speckle (get white spots on them) if not wrapped well or thawed too quickly. I found it best to wrap them well in wax paper, then overwrap them in tin foil and place them in a zip-top bag or airtight container. Before you plan to serve them set them on the counter and let them come to room temperature for several hours (at least 4 hours or overnight) until thawed. Then, open the packaging and place them on your serving tray. This helps with the condensation issue that causes the speckles on the M&M's. They taste great once thawed.
ColleenB.~TX. says
My, how this recipe has changed over the years. I still use the original recipe from my Borden recipe booklet.
Back in 1981 if you sent in a couple labels from Borden Sweetened condensed milk, they would in turn send you the recipe booklet. Price on the booklet was $1.00 if you didn't send in 2 labels off the cans.
Great little booklet and has been well used through the years.
Anyway, Thank You for a new version of the recipe. I printed it out and will probably be making them soon
Beth says
The original recipe is delicious! I love that you can use the simple concept to make lots of different flavor variations. I hope you enjoy this one!
Betty says
Omg. I love magic cookie bars and make them every year for cookie exchange. I love your version and I look forward to making them in the coming weeks. Thank you for sharing.
Beth says
These are my mom's favorite Christmas cookie. I hope you enjoy them as much as she does each year.
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
These look so yummy and festive! Beth, I couldn't tell for sure if the content of the post is from present day or 2013. So if you are under the weather with no tree up or gifts wrapped, i'll be praying you are well soon! If not, MERRY CHRISTMAS, and thanks for another season filled with your amazing treats!
Beth says
LOL! Yep, the story is from 2013, but sadly I am sick once again. I think I work too hard during the holidays and almost always end up getting sick. I am fighting off a cold and hope it goes away soon. Thanks for thinking of me. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Courtenay says
can you freeze these??
Beth says
Yes, I do it all the time.
Anonymous says
Great recipe!
I'm not sure the Winter Oreos are available this year in this area - do they taste like normal oreos to just substitute those in?
beth says
Yes, actually they just have red colored filing, but otherwise are exactly the same flavor as regular Oreos.
karenb says
Beth, I just got home from the store with the ingredients to make these and noticed the "Printable form" of the Christmas Magic Bars does not include the Pretzels in the ingredients. I'm glad I read your entire post and bought the pretzels!! These look amazing-my family can't wait to try them!!!
beth says
Oh, thanks for letting me know. I just started doing the printable recipes this week and forgot to update it after I realized I had left the pretzels out of the ingredients list on the blog post. I fixed the blog post before publishing it, but I didn't even think to go back and fix the printable file. Gotta be better about that!
Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff says
I do believe that you have taken everything I love and put it in one bar!!! Pssst ... I know why they are called last minute magic bars .... it would be like magic, if they last longer than a minute 😉
The Partiologist says
I LOVE 7-layer bars and your Christmas adaptation! Just hand your family their gift in a shopping bag along with one of these bars and they won't even know the gift was not wrapped! 🙂