Decadent layered cookie bars (Print version)

Luscious layered bars with graham crust, chocolate, coconut, and crunchy nuts ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Layers

03 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
04 - 1 cup butterscotch chips (optional)
05 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
06 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
07 - 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl, then press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust layer.
04 - Evenly distribute the semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut, and chopped nuts over the condensed milk.
05 - Gently press down the layers using the back of a spatula to compact them.
06 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until edges are golden brown and the center is set.
07 - Remove from oven and allow bars to cool completely before cutting into 16 pieces.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They come together in under 50 minutes from start to finish, making them perfect for last-minute cravings or unexpected guests.
  • No mixer, no whipping, no temperamental batter—just layers, a spatula, and the oven does the thinking.
  • The texture is impossibly chewy on the inside with golden, slightly crispy edges that feel like a small indulgence.
02 -
  • Cutting too early is the only real way to ruin these—I learned this the hard way by trying to cut while they were still warm and ending up with a crumbly mess that tasted perfect but looked like disaster.
  • The condensed milk is doing invisible work; don't substitute it with evaporated milk or regular milk, or the bars won't hold together the way they should.
03 -
  • Toast your coconut and nuts for two minutes in a dry skillet before layering—this deepens their flavor and adds a subtle crunch that takes the bars from good to memorable.
  • Pour the condensed milk slowly and let it pool and soak into the crust for a minute before layering the chips, which helps bind everything into one cohesive bar.
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