Keto Magic Cookie Bars! One of my all-time favorite treats now comes in a keto and grain-free recipe. Use my easy sugar-free condensed milk to make this classic dessert in a healthy form. This is an updated recipe, now even easier and more delicious!
Oh, my low-carb, non-sugar friends, you are going to love me. Love me! Because I have come up with a great new recipe for sugar-free sweetened condensed milk, perfect for making this low carb, gluten free magic cookie bars recipe.
Be sure to check out the new video in the recipe!
I updated the condensed milk recently and now it’s even easier than ever. No need to stand over the pot, stirring for hours on end to reduce the mixture. The new version comes together in about 30 minutes and uses 3 basic ingredients! So now you can get to these delicious keto cookie bars even faster.
Magic cookie bars were one of my favorite childhood treats. They were so easy to make, perfect for a kid trying to flex her newly found baking muscles. And they were so satisfyingly gooey and delicious. Everyone I knew loved them, but they all had different names for them.
7 Layer Bars was a common one, because the traditional version had 7 ingredients all layered together. My family referred to them as Hello Dollies; I have no idea why but that’s what I grew up calling them. It was only once I moved to the US that I heard them referred to as Magic Cookie Bars.
When I went low carb, I assumed that these wonderful gooey bars were now off limits forever.
Of course they were, for heaven’s sake! They took at least three ingredients that were so very much not low carb or healthy. Graham crackers in the crust, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. All things that were on the keto no-no list. Unless, of course, you can find leto-friendly alternatives. Dare I even dream that it was possible?
Heck yeah, I dared. I dared greatly. And it was indeed possible!
How to Make Keto Magic Cookie Bars
- The biggest obstacle was coming up with a low carb sweetened condensed milk recipe. Which actually wasn’t that much of an obstacle at all, as it turns out. My old version was great but a little higher carb because it contained whole milk. It also took a lot longer to make, as you had to boil it for over an hour. My new sugar-free condensed milk is faster, easier, and lower carb because it takes only heavy whipping cream.
- The graham crackers obviously had to go too. Thankfully, nut flours and meals make a great substitute for low carb crusts, and taste just as good if not better. A little butter, a little sweetener, a little salt, pressed together into the pan and presto! A keto graham cracker crust.
- Those chocolate chips were a bit of an issue for a while. For a long time, I would use 90% cacao chocolate, which still had a bit of sugar. And the original version of these magic cookie bars had that as part of the recipe. However, since then there have been a few developments. One being my homemade sugar-free chocolate chips, which are perfect in this recipe. The other is that there is some great low carb chocolate on the market now, including Lily’s chocolate chips.
- If you can get a hold of them, be sure to try the new Lily’s Butterscotch chips in this recipe. The conventional magic cookie bars use butterscotch or peanut butter chips in addition to the chocolate chips, and it really takes this keto version over the top.
With all these pieces in place, I was ready to re-create that beloved childhood treat. My old recipe, which I originally published in 2012, was better than I could have hoped. They smelled just like magic cookie bars when baking, they looked just like magic cookie bars when being cut up, and they tasted just like magic cookie bars when eaten. They were less cloyingly sweet than the conventional bars, but that is definitely a good thing.
The updated version is very similar, except that I use my new sugar-free condensed milk. I’ve made the crust a little less crumbly as well, and I used Lily’s chocolate chips or my own homemade chocolate chips in place of the 90% dark chocolate bar. This means they have the same great taste but fewer carbs. Now that’s what I call an improvement!
I am looking forward to playing more with my new low carb condensed milk recipe. I have already made some gorgeous Key Lime Bars that you need to try. And I am pretty sure that this recipe will work just as well in my low carb dulce de leche and coconut flan recipes.
But believe me, the first thing you should make with it is a pan of Low Carb Magic Cookie Bars. Or Seven Layer Bars. Or Hello Dollies. Whatever you want to call them, just get on it!
Try these other delicious low carb bar recipes
Cherry Cream Chocolate Cookie Bars
Keto Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
Filling:
- ¼ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sugar-free butterscotch chips (or more chocolate chips)
- ½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 recipe sugar-free sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- For the crust, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt in the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan. Add melted butter and mix in until mixture begins to clump together. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove and let cool.
- Increase oven temperature to 350F.
- Sprinkle cooled crust with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and nuts. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Let cool in pan and cut into 16 bars.
Video
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Awesome to know that a low carb version of these sweet childhood treats are possible!
Andrea@simplylivinghealthy.org says
As always, looks scrumptious! I make a condensed milk with coconut milk for my Magic Coconut Bars (http://simplylivinghealthy.org/2012/02/09/magic-coconut-bars/) I only use 2 Tbsp of coconut sugar so not much in the scheme of the entire dessert but I am definitely going to try using Swerve in the recipe next time!
Carolyn says
That sounds delicious, I am definitely going to try that out with coconut milk.
Liz says
You are awesome, Carolyn! This is one of my favorite childhood treats…and I try to avoid them like the plague due to wanting my pants to zip up! But here you go making a low carb version…I can hear the applause! Hope you’re having a wonderful week~ xo
Laurie says
You are the best. Just the best. Magic bars… drool…
Patty G. says
I am SO excited for these! Can NOT wait to make them. Your recipes rock!
Pamela Frazier says
You are an absolute genius! I’ve been checking out your recipes, wow! Gives me hope that maybe I can do this after all.
Cathi G. says
Hi: I am wondering if Coconut Milk and Coconut Creme can replace the dairy and Can Sunflower Lecithin replace Xathan. gum for the thickener?
Carolyn says
Coconut milk and cream are fine for the dairy, but I have no idea about the lecithin as I have never worked with it.
Jeanette says
These look delectable! I can’t wait to try them. May I ask, how much low carb sweetened condensed milk do you end up with? Is it one cup? Thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Yes, it’s one cup. I believe it’s in the recipe under Yield. I figured it was about 8 servings, 2 tbsp per person, if you were just going to eat it straight. 🙂
Jeanette says
Thank you. Apparently, I can’t read the entire recipe before I jump in and ask questions! LOL! Thanks for your patience!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
I completely and totally believe these are magic. They look absolutely perfect!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
Once again, I am so impressed by what you are able to do without sugar. I think my blondies should be your next challenge lol
ovenbird says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Do these bars need to be refrigerated if made a few days ahead of serving?
Nout says
You are my hero. The full-carb version of these (Hello Dolly Squares is what I grew up calling them) are some of my favorite holiday treats. I never thought a low carb version was possible! So excited to try these out!
Karen @LowCarbOneDay says
That is great Carolyn! I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for the Low Carb Sweetened Condensed Milk. 🙂
Ivonne Carlo says
Yay! I can’t wait to make these Caroline! And it’s so great to hear the flan is coming in the future! You totally rock! 😀
Trina says
One of my all time favourite Christmas goodies (the only time we made them). My Mom and I will give this version a whirl this holiday season. I’ve been compiling great recipes for our annual holiday baking (since this is our first Christmas low carb). Thanks!
angela says
Hey I’ve been searching and searching for great holiday cookie recipes. I have a few but definitely would like more variety. Could you tell me if you know where I could find some great recipes (gluten free.low carb?)
Carolyn says
I did a round up of great LC mostly GF recipes last year… https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/12/low-carb-gluten-free-holiday-cookie-round-up.html
shelly (cookies and cups) says
Well, now that I know how to make my own sweetened condensed milk I don’t know that I will ever leave the house!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Oh girl, I feel the magic just looking at them!
Judy@lifeonthefoodchain.com says
Hoo boy, Carolyn, I haven’t even had breakfast yet (am trying chia-flax thing today, finally remembered to pick up chia at the market) and now I want these instead. Next batch, can you get rid of the calories, too? LOL. Often we low-carbers forget that calories actually count, too.
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
wow these look great and gluten free! Even BETTER!
Katharine says
Drooling!!!!
the 3volution of j3nn says
I’ve just discovered the greatness of Swerve (and Zsweet). I wish I could do dairy right now, I’d be allll over these. They look SO GOOD!
Batya says
I just experimented today with a dairy-free version of this, made with almond milk. I haven’t had the chance to try the finished cookie bars yet, but I think it worked!
Carolyn says
Oh cool! I wasn’t sure almond milk would work at all for the condensed milk. Let me know what happens in the end.
Kathy Jo says
I’m a little late to the conversation, but I just wanted you to know I made a double batch, using half and half with water in place of the whole milk, and it only took about 15 minutes more and it is delicious! It wasn’t as thick as real sweetened condensed milk (I probably should have used more xantham gum) but it is sweet and caramel tasting!! Thank you for all your recipes!!!
Lisa Stafford says
I have made this using coconut milk and it turned out great.
Carolyn says
Several people have said the same so I am very glad it works!
Melinda says
Coconut milk from the can?
Stephanie Niksa says
How did you do that? I would love to be able to make this dairy free
Cecily says
I made the sweetened condensed milk with coconut cream and it seem to turn out fabulous!
Carolyn says
So good to hear!
Jo Newton says
How much Coconut Cream? Same as Carolyn’s original Condensed Milk recipe?