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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Thanks so much for this recipe. Hello Dollies are a family favourite where I come from [Canada]. I switched to keto this year and am so glad to find a comparable recipe.
I am also Canadian and grew up calling them Hello Dollies.
These should be called OMG bars because that’s what I said when I ate my first one!!! Love your recipes and all of the info you have on here. Keep up the awesome work!
Hooray! thanks!.
OMG these were sooooooo good! Just like the ones I remember as a kid. My family wolfed them down, although my husband (who is non-keto) did give me grief that they didn’t have the butterscotch chips in them. LOL
I didn’t have heavy whipping cream on hand, so I used two cans of evaporated coconut milk. I wanted to make a double batch 🙂
It turned out really well.
How do you think using gelatin would work instead of xantham? I have not had a lot of luck with xantham. It always seems to create a slimy texture to me.
No, absolutely not in this recipe. You don’t want it to gel, you want it to be thick and viscous.
I accidentally baked the crust part for 20 minutes instead of 10….should I throw it out and start over? Or do you think it will be okay? I still have to add the toppings and bake another 20-25 minutes. Help! ????
It should probably be okay. The toppings do help protect the crust. The edges may get overdone, though.
I lilly chocolate is a little to pricey for my budget, do you happen to have any other recommendations?
To be frank, any decent sugar free chocolate that isn’t made with yucky ingredients like sucralose or maltitol is on the pricy side. It’s expensive to make. You can, however, get some 90% or 85% Lindt chocolate and chop that up. I’ve done that before. It does contain some sugar but it won’t really raise the carb count much.
Yum and so simple!
Gooey scrumptiousness!!
How yummy! I’m going to whip up a batch!
I am a sucker for magic cookie bars! These look AMAZING!
OMGoodness…these are to DIE for good! I was hesitant to try these, cause I normally don’t like many recipes with almond flour, but oh my, these were PERFECT! They were so sweet that I ended up cutting them into smaller bars….I got 36 tiny squares, and I think that size is just right, at least for me.
And, just to contribute, these really taste like my sister’s “Better Than Sex” bars (very high carb)…just sayin…;)
Thanks SO MUCH for all that you do!! 🙂
Is the nutritional information for 16 or for 24 bars? At the top of the recipe and at the bottom, it indicates the recipe should be cut into 16 pieces to serve 16, but the nutritional info seems to be based on 24?
Oh sorry, 16. The updated version is only 16 bars. Let me go fix that…
I am on a low carb diet! This recipe is perfect and just in time for July 4th!
The link to print the condensed milk is broken. Thought you might like to know.
I’ve just made the sweetened condensed milk to use in the ‘Creme Easter Eggs’. It tastes amazing, but is quite dark in comparison with your photo of your eggs. Any idea why this might be?