Magic Cookie Bars were one of my favorite childhood treats. They were so easy and a perfect dessert for a kid trying to flex her newfound baking muscles. My father called them Hello Dollies, and he adored them. And I could never say no to that buttery graham cracker crust topped with chocolate, nuts, and gooey caramelized condensed milk.
When I went low carb for health concerns, I knew I had to find a way to make sugar-free condensed milk. And once I had mastered that delicious baking ingredient, the next logical step was to make Keto Magic Cookie Bars.
You will be delighted to know that these are just as easy (and just as delicious!) as the high carb version. My keto pie crust makes an excellent substitute for the base. And the topping is just as gooey, sweet, and chockfull of mix-ins as the original.
Whether you call them 7 Layer Bars, Hello Dollies, or Magic Cookie Bars, you’re sure to love this low-carb, gluten-free treat.
The condensed milk is useful in many other wonderful recipes, from Keto Key Lime Pie to Sugar-Free White Chocolate Fudge.
Reader’s Thoughts
“I’ve made these bars so many times and they always turn out great! Helps my blood sugar numbers and satisfies my sweet tooth. thank you!” — Dana
Why makes this recipe special
- Easier condensed milk – this latest version comes together in 30 minutes with a handful of ingredients. And it stores nicely in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
- Gluten-free crust: Almond flour and other nut meals make a crisp, satisfying base.
- Keto friendly toppings: Some chopped nuts and shredded coconut, along with keto chocolate chips, give these bars the classic look and taste.
- Balanced sweetness: These keto magic cookie bars are less cloying than the original, so the nuts and chocolate shine through.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Almond flour works best for this crust, for both texture and flavor. Other nut and seed flours will work but may be a bit more crumbly.
- Sweetener: The crust is best made with an erythritol based sweetener, as allulose will make it too soft.
- Butter: For the shortbread crust, nothing beats the flavor and texture that butter offers.
- Salt: A little salt balances with the sweetness in these bars.
- Sugar-free chocolate chips: Your favorite brand should work fine. I used Lily’s.
- Sugar-free peanut butter chips: No one seems to be making the butterscotch chips anymore, so I switched to keto peanut butter chips. You can also simply do more chocolate chips. Lily’s salted caramel chips would be delicious too!
- Coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Nuts: You can use chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Sugar free condensed milk: You will need to make this prior to making the bars.
Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Make the crust: Combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the melted butter until the mixture clumps together.
- Bake the crust: Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and bake until the edges start to brown. Remove and cool.
- Assemble the bars: Sprinkle chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, coconut, and nuts over the cooled crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk on top and bake until mixture is bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Cool. Let the bars cool in pan and cut into pieces.
Tips for Success
I recommend using metal pans for this recipe, as it will help the crust firm up properly. Make sure you let it cool completely before adding the toppings.
Keep in mind that erythritol based sweeteners, with no allulose, are the only ones that will produce a crisp crust.
You can also use a 9×9 inch pan, but the bars will cook through faster so keep your eye on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t purchase keto condensed milk, you make it! But don’t worry, it’s very simple to do and results in a spectacular low carb baking ingredient. I’ve found that I can keep it in the fridge for 10 to 14 days without spoilage. It’s a great way to use up heavy cream that is about to expire.
This keto magic cookie bar recipe has 6.5g of carbs and 3.4g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.1g net carbs per bar.
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
More keto dessert bars to try
Keto Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cup (165 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (45.5 g) granular sweetener, erythritol-based
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
Filling:
- 1/4 cup (59.15 g) sugar-free chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (42.5 g) sugar-free peanut butter chips, (or more chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup (42.5 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (54.5 g) chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 recipe keto condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and lightly grease an 8×8 inch metal baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and salt in the . Add melted butter and mix in until mixture begins to clump together. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove and let cool completely.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF.
- Sprinkle the cooled crust with the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, coconut and nuts.
- Pour the condensed milk evenly over top and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Remove and let cool in pan before cutting into bars.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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You can still buy tge butterscotch keto chips, I just ordered some this week.
Could you add peanut butter swirl or peanuts instead of peanut butter chips?
Well I am not really sure but I say you should experiment.
I get confused about why/when to use erythrotol based sweeteners and allulose. I prefer allulose but wondering why this recipe needs erythrotol.
Please read the blog post, as I explain why I suggest erythritol for the crust.
I have made these they’re regular magic bars and the cranberry magic bars and I love them both! Even people that don’t eat low carb like them! I have a batch of magic cookie bars cooling currently 🙌 can’t wait 😋
Hello,
I have made this recipe several times, and it is really delicious.
I just have to tweak and play too.
I am making this today to share with my son, and I used chopped macadamia nuts, and chopped pecans.
I didn’t really want to use almond flour for the base and I was digging around in my baking area and came up with Spectrum Essentials, Decadent Blend Chia and Flax Seed, with Coconut and Cocoa.
I mixed the cup and 1/2 of this with erythritol and butter. I baked it for 10:00 minutes. I’m waiting for it to cool so I can add my toppings and rebake the entire thing.
It turned out really well.
I purchased this product at VitaCost online. It’s 11.29 for a 12 oz package.
It’s Fair Trade ingredients.
Sometimes almonds bother me so I did this.
I hope you look up this product and don’t hate me for messing with your recipe.
Thank you for all of your hard work and energy in your recipes and videos. you have been a blessing on me and a lot of people who have changed their lives with your help!
Sometimes almonds bother me too. Thanks for sharing your modification!
Fan freaking tastic!! I love the original version of these snacks, and I was so happy to find a keto version. I was skeptical of the crust and the consensed milk version, but I was more than impressed. I found they also freeze well, I put 1 bar between wax or parchment paper, and then a ziploc. It came out really well, and the paper kept it from sticking to the ziploc.
The only problem is the butterscotch chips are no longer sold…I’m buying a bunch on ebay before they’re completely gone!
Will 100% be making this recipe in the future.
Oh my gosh these are my new favorite! I never used to like these growing up but my friend just bought the reg ones from Walmart and I thought mmmm I need to find a recipe. So worth the effort! Thank you for all your efforts! I made two batches of the condensed milk so I can hopefully make the key lime pie soon!
Do I store these in the refrigerator because they have heavy cream in the recipe?
Or is room temp OK. Since they don’t have real sugar, they don’t have a natural preservative besides salt.
They should be fine for 2 days or so on the counter, in the fridge if longer than that.
Holy cow! I still have the bars in the oven, but I can say that the sweetened condensed milk is the best! That just opened up a bunch of receipes for me! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Carolyn :-). Quick question… I’m thinking of subbing the Butterscotch Chips with Cranberries. Would you recommend uncooked (frozen/but defrosted), your dried recipe or neither? I have plenty of both in the freezer, lol. Thanks in advance.
Disregard question, lol. I just noticed in comments that I’ve made your cranberry version. How could I forget. We loved them! Hugsss…
could I use pecan flour instead of almond flour?
Yes! I did that for my pecan cranberry version.
Great idea to sub pecan flour for almond!
Hello! My family called these Hello Dolly bars too (my mother’s family is mostly Dutch) – but we used saltines for the crust- never graham crackers- and my mom would often use pecans instead of walnuts. Any thoughts on a keto friendly saltine?? I love all your recipes!!!!
I wouldn’t bother making any kind of cracker, that’s just an extra step. Just use less sweetener and more salt in the crust as is, if you want a more savory flavor.
These are wonderful! I even made the sweetened condensed milk with coconut cream and they did not seem too coconuty. These are a do again!
Yum – great way in get in that sugar free carving we all have while sticking to our plan!
Do words. These bars and indeed magical. I will definitely be whipping these up again soon.
These cookies are definitely magic! WOW! AMAZING!