Hello Dolly Bars

Layered cookie bars
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 20 servings
Yield: 20 bars

These Hello Dolly bars—also known as seven-layer bars, coconut dream bars, or magic cookie bars—are made with a combination of semisweet chocolate and butterscotch chips. The Hello Dolly name is a reference to the Broadway musical "Hello, Dolly!" which was a popular musical when these bars were created in the mid-1960s. The bars are assembled in seven layers, and they are incredibly delicious. They come together like magic, thanks to a drizzle of condensed milk which binds the layers together.

While these bars are a great treat for the holidays, you really don't need a special occasion to bake them. There's very little preparation involved, since it's just a matter of layering the ingredients and popping the bars in the oven. 

You can change your Hello Dolly bars up a bit by replacing the butterscotch chips with more chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee chips, or white chocolate chips; or make dulce de leche with sweetened condensed milk and drizzle it on the bars for added tastiness.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, about 8 whole graham crackers

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips

  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

  • 1 (15-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Combine it with the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and mix well. Spread and evenly pat the crumb mixture in the bottom of the baking pan.

  4. Sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips evenly over the crumb mixture, followed by an even layer of the butterscotch chips, the flaked sweetened coconut, and finishing with the chopped walnuts.

  5. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the bars, without stirring, so the layers remain intact.

  6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

  7. Cool the pan on a rack and then cut into bars.

  8. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • Cook the sweetened condensed milk to make a caramel sauce for these bars. To make the caramel in a slow cooker, place a small towel on the bottom of the slow cooker and place the unopened can on the towel (to ensure the can does not stain the slow cooker). Add water to the slow cooker to a depth of 1 inch above the can. Cover the pot and cook on high for 2 hours. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 to 5 hours longer.
  • Alternatively, transfer the sweetened condensed milk to two small canning jars and cover tightly with the lids. Place them in the slow cooker, cover with water, and cook for 2 hours on high and then 4 to 5 hours on low. Using jars, you can see the color of the caramel.
  • You can store the bars at room temperature in a sealed container for up to three days, or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297 Calories
18g Fat
33g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 77mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 98mg 8%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 194mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)