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Christmas Magic Bars topped with Red and Green M&M Candies

Published: Dec 17, 2017 · Recipe by: Beth · This post may contain affiliate links.

Christmas Magic Bars are gooey and rich with their OREO crust, caramel center, and loads of red and green M&M Candies, Holiday Chocolate Chips, Toffee, Pretzels, and Peanuts. They are so easy to make and to take along with you to a holiday party.

Originally posted on December 22, 2013.

Red and Green Magic Bars | HungryHappenings.com

If you have ten minutes, you have more than enough time to prepare a pan of these Christmas Magic Bars. Sounds good, right?

If you haven’t discovered the wonders of magic bars (a.k.a. 7 layer bars or gooey bars) now is the time. You simply top a crust of cookie or cake with sweetened condensed milk then sprinkle on your favorite toppings and let the magic happen as the magic bars bake in the oven.

The sweetened condensed milk caramelizes while baking and turns into a gooey soft caramel that holds the bars together.

Christmas Magic Bars piled on top of each other on a white plate and white background with text

The beauty of magic bar recipes is that you can play around with all the other ingredients.

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.

To give you an idea of how you can change things up when making homemade magic bars check out these other recipes I’ve created:

  • S’mores Magic Bars for the 4th of July (Topped with marshmallows and chocolate these s’mores bars are so gooey and yummy. To make them for Christmas simply use red and green M&M’s instead of red, white, and blue candies.)
  • Chocolate Caramel and Peanut Halloween Magic Bars (Once again use red and green M&M’s to make this recipe for Christmas.)
  • Candy Corn Magic Bars (Red, white, and green Reindeer Corn can be swapped out for the traditional orange, yellow, and white candies.)
  • Orange and Black OREO Magic Bars (These are topped with orange colored white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips which is perfect for Halloween but for Christmas you can use red, green and white chips if you can find them or swap out the orange chips for white chips and add some red and green holiday sprinkles on top.)

So many possibilities!

Christmas dessert ideas

While these bars were sitting on my counter cooling, some friends stopped by the house. I was thrilled to see how their eyes got big with excitement when they saw the dessert and they were elated when I offered them one.

What happened next had me in stitches.

Each woman began to, um, let see, how to put this delicately, make noises that should have come from behind closed doors. That’s the sign of a great dessert.

Christmas sweets

How to make Christmas Magic Bars

(see the new video tutorial below)

collage of images showing how to make Christmas magic bars

  1. 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 wack 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Press the cookie mixture into and even layer in 9×13 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.
  4. Sprinkle on your toppings including toffee bits, peanuts, and pretzels.
  5. Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly.
  6. Top with broken pieces of red cream filled Oreos cookies, 1/2 cup of the red and green M&M’s and 1/2 of the bag of Holiday morsels.
  7. 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.
  8. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the remaining red and green M&M’s and Holiday Chocolate Morsels.
    1. 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.
  9. Return to oven for about 3 minutes just to allow the chocolate chips enough time to soften so they will stick to the bars.
  10. Remove the pan from the oven, and tap it on the counter a few times. This will help secure all the M&M’s.
  11. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. This can take a few hours.
  12. Then cut the bars into squares.
  13. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Christmas desserts

Christmas Magic Bars Video Tutorial:

 NOTES:

  • 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. 

Christmas Magic Bars

5 from 1 vote
Print
Christmas Magic Bars
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
How to make 7 Layer Magic Bars with a Christmas theme.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: christmas magic bars
Servings: 24 -30 bars
Author: Beth Jackson Klosterboer
Ingredients
  • 30 Original Oreo Cookies crushed into fine crumbs
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup Heath toffee bits
  • 1/3 cup salted and roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 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
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.
  3. Mix crushed Original Oreo Cookies with melted butter.
  4. Press into and even layer in the 9x13 baking pan.
  5. Sprinkle on toffee bits, peanuts, and pretzels.
  6. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly.
  7. Add the pieces of red cream filled Oreos cookies, 1/2 cup of the red and green M&M's and 1/2 of the bag of Holiday morsels.
  8. 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.
  9. Return to oven for 3 minutes.
  10. Remove pan from oven, and tap it on the counter a few times. This will help secure all the M&M's.
  11. Cool completely.
  12. Peel off foil. Cut into 24-30 squares.
  13. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

This December, turn your favorite candy and cookies into these fun, colorful Red and Green Christmas Magic Bars. It's a last minute dessert recipe you can make on short notice, but it's a hit all through the Holiday Season.

Be sure to check out all my fun Christmas Recipes!

More Magic Bar Recipes

from Hungry Happenings

Halloween dessert ideas

Halloween Magic Bars

Halloween dessert ideas

Sweet and Salty Candy Corn and Peanut Magic Bars for Halloween or Fal

Halloween recipes

Caramel, Chocolate and Peanut Butter Halloween Magic Bars

More Easy Last Minute Christmas Sweets

Winter candy ideas

Nutter Butter Polar Bear Cookies

Cute winter snacks

Frosty Snowmen Pretzels

Christmas truffle recipe

Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

Reindeer recipe

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Candy Bars

Christmas candy ideas

Almond M&M and Mike and Ike Candy Christmas Lights

Cute Christmas snacks

Snack Cake Penguins

About the Author, Beth Jackson Klosterboer

Beth is a professional chocolatier, recipe developer, event planner, and cookbook author who loves to make fun food.

Read More about Beth...

Previous Post: « How to Make Gummy Candy – Bears, Worms, Fish & More with Video Tutorial
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stephanie Markey

    December 21, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Have you ever froze them after baking?

    Reply
    • Beth

      December 21, 2021 at 2:37 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. ColleenB.~TX.

    December 14, 2021 at 6:00 am

    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

    Reply
    • Beth

      December 14, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      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!

      Reply
  3. Betty

    November 15, 2018 at 10:13 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Beth

      November 15, 2018 at 11:24 am

      These are my mom’s favorite Christmas cookie. I hope you enjoy them as much as she does each year.

      Reply
  4. Karen @ Sugartown Sweets

    December 20, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Beth

      December 22, 2017 at 6:13 pm

      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.

      Reply
  5. Courtenay

    December 14, 2015 at 11:39 am

    can you freeze these??

    Reply
    • Beth

      December 14, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      Yes, I do it all the time.

      Reply
  6. Anonymous

    December 8, 2014 at 12:12 am

    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?

    Reply
    • beth

      December 8, 2014 at 12:49 am

      Yes, actually they just have red colored filing, but otherwise are exactly the same flavor as regular Oreos.

      Reply
  7. karenb

    December 23, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    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!!!

    Reply
    • beth

      December 23, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      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!

      Reply
  8. Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff

    December 23, 2013 at 3:22 pm

    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 😉

    Reply
  9. The Partiologist

    December 23, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    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! 🙂

    Reply

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