Christmas Magic Cookie Bars

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Christmas Magic Cookie Bars

a photo of a magic cookie bar that has been topped with Christmas m&m's, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Christmas magic cookie bars have a buttery graham cracker crust that is topped with a layer of sweetened condensed milk, then oats followed by a combination of different baking chips and m&m’s. You’re going to LOVE them!

A few years ago a friend asked why I never have a magic bars recipe on the blog and I told her, because I have never found one our family loves and I’m not posting unless I think it’s totally delicious!

 

Fast forward a few years and many recipes and the kids are here to tell you that this Christmas magic bars recipe is literally the only magic bars recipe you need . I love the simplicity of chocolates and grahams but you could always throw in salted peanuts or other nuts, different chips like butterscotch, dark chocolate, peanut butter m&m’s, the possibilities are endless! 

What is it about recipes and 7 layers? Have you ever noticed that? Why aren’t there 8 layers? Or 6? We even have our own collection 7 layer recipes…haha! Our 7 layer pea salad is so dreamy! And of course there is always a 7 layer Mexican dip, which contributed to the 7 layer dip taquitos. But anyway, 7 layers! Most magic cookie bars out there are called 7 layer magic cookie bars.

I don’t know how many layers you would say that these bars have. If you go straight from the ingredients list, then these are 7 layers too. You have the graham cracker crust, then the sweetened condensed milk, the oats and all the baking chips and m&m’s. But I’m not going to call them 7 layer magic bars because I want you to be able to add or omit “layers” to make your own magic.

 

What Do I Need to Make Magic Cookie Bars?

Believe it or not, you are only 9 ingredients away from magic! Here is what you will need:

  • Graham Crackers – you can buy graham cracker crumbs or make your own in the food processor
  • Sugar – just regular white granulated sugar
  • Butter – helps bind the gc crumbs and sugar to make a crunchy crust, use unsalted, and melt it in the microwave for about 60 seconds
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk – we always go with Eagle Brand, this layer binds everything together
  • Quick Oats – I love the texture of the quick oats in this recipe but you could use old fashioned if you prefer
  • Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – feel free to swap these for milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on what you like
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips – swap with butterscotch chips if you want
  • White Chocolate Chips – adds sweetness and creaminess
  • Holiday m&m’s – you can use any m&m’s you want for any holiday or just for a normal day

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. 

 

More Options for Toppings

Part of what makes these cookie bars magic is layering it up in just the way you want it. If the toppings

Sea Salt Pecan Toffee

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Sea Salt Pecan Toffee is the answer to your snacking and sweet tooth dreams. The end. Do I exaggerate? Sometimes, yes. But right now? Not really.

There aren’t a whole lot of foods that I label as “The Best Ever” or “crazy insane amazingly delicious” but this toffee recipe is exactly that. All of those things. It is EVERYTHING.

hand holding salted toffee

Pecan Toffee

If you have never made candy or toffee or any hot sugary boiled treat, do not fear it. Because I have a wicked easy toffee making tip that you’re going to love. No candy thermometers are needed.

Want the toffee-making tip that you’ll never forget? Set a brown paper bag near the stove and let the mixture boil until it matches the bag in color. (You can also use a jar of peanut butter for color reference.)

I have never used a thermometer for making toffee. (Admittedly, at this point, I don’t need the paper bag any longer. I just eyeball it.) This takes between 18-20 minutes and I ALWAYS set a timer for 17 minutes.

Just in case I find myself distracted, the timer prevents me from letting the candy burn. It will go from perfectly amber colored to burnt in about 30 seconds, as soon as it turns light brown, pull it off the heat.

Once you’ve made this a few times, you’ll be able to smell when it’s done too.

Sea Salt Toffee

We’ve made this toffee at least six times since Christmas because everyone I shared it with has requested it again and again.

Three different people have called or texted to ask what the heck was in the toffee because they could not stop eating it.

I have already emailed the recipe out twice with promises that I would get it on the blog soon. One friend had me laughing with her text, “Is there ACTUAL crack in this? Drugs? What did you put in it? I can’t stop eating it!”

I have yet to meet anyone who can resist the salty-sweet combination in this salted toffee with pecans.

If you love salty-sweet combinations, like these Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies, this pecan toffee is going to make you very happy.

The BEST Christmas Cookies for Families – M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The BEST Christmas Cookies for Families – M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

a photo of a large chocolate chip cookies with red and green Christmas m&m's in it.

Few things say Christmas better than green and red M&Ms! Throw some into these perfectly chewy M&M chocolate chip cookies, and you have festive Christmas cookies that everyone loves!

Every Christmas our kids gather around with Cade and I and we make the most hideously decorated sugar cookies (link to cookies and royal icing) but even when I think they won’t care anymore, they absolutely go nuts if they don’t see me pulling out all the supplies for Christmas cookies.

However, as much as we love those sink-your-teeth-in sugar cookies, like seriously they are the perfect sugar cookie, just ask our readers, everyone needs a quick and easy Christmas cookie for the family party that won’t suck hours of your time. 

And this is it. 

In fact, we haunt the stores every holiday for different colored m&m’s and make them all year round. Hello, Easter Cookies… haha! We can’t stop! Yes, it’s the same recipe, but just trust me, you needed to be reminded that you can, and SHOULD make a Christmas version.

Ingredients for Christmas M&M Cookies

There won’t be any surprises here! You’ll need all the usual chocolate chip cookie ingredients plus some Christmas m&m’s. Here is a brief overview of what you will need:

  • Unsalted Butter – using unsalted allows you to control the saltiness of the recipe and make sure it is softened
  • Brown Sugar – you want fresh moist brown sugar for optimal texture
  • White Sugar – just regular granulated white sugar
  • Egg – gives structure to the cookies and helps hold everything together
  • Vanilla Extract – adds to the flavor, and use the real stuff…no imitation vanilla
  • Flour – make sure to measure the flour correctly so they come out chewy and soft and not dry
  • Baking Soda – gives the cookies their rise and fluffiness
  • Cornstarch – acts as a tenderizer that helps make the cookies stay thick but soft and chewy
  • Salt – balances all the sweetness and enhances flavor
  • Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – use regular size or minis and you can use milk chocolate, dark, white…whatever your favorite is!
  • Christmas M&M’s – regular or any holiday M&M’s can be used

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. You can also save or print the recipe from there.

How to Make M&M Cookies

The steps are simple, just like making regular batch of Read more

White Chocolate Molasses Cookies [+ Video]

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White Chocolate Molasses Cookies [+ Video]

a photo of a stack of soft molasses cookies that are stuffed with melty white chocolate. the top cookie has been broken in half so you can see the inside of the cookie and the white chocolate is melting out.

A perfectly soft molasses cookie recipe is essential for the holidays, but these white chocolate molasses cookies take things to a whole new level.

That’s right folks, these are not your typical holiday molasses cookie. I know that this is a pretty popular cookie, molasses or ginger snap, for this time of year, but that does not mean that it has to be completely traditional. These white chocolate chewy molasses cookies are actually an adapted recipe from my dad’s side of the family and is over 150 years old! I’ve been holding onto this recipe since I got it from my aunt last year just so that I could share it at the right time of year with all of you.

Family Holiday Traditions

My mom would spend hours in the kitchen baking the holiday recipes that had been passed down through the generations like this one just so we could deliver them to neighbors and families that my parents would find who were in need. Often the treats to those families included a little extra cash, gifts or toys for the kids.

In fact, sometimes my dad would even dress up as Santa so that the families wouldn’t know who he was when he dropped off the goodies. This white chocolate molasses cookies recipe is one we can use to pass on the same tradition which means that I feel like I should do as my mom did and teach my children. It’s hard sometimes. Some of the cookie dough got so squished and squashed that the white chocolate was sticking out everywhere and it looked like quite the mess but I’m so grateful for the memory of helping a 7 year old discover the magic of making cookies for the holidays to give to neighbors and friends and spread Christmas cheer.

Ingredients for White Chocolate Molasses Cookies

I am an avid cookie lover! I’ll choose a cookie over almost any other dessert (except pie, good golly I love pie!), but not all cookies are created equal. I love a thick and chewy cookie that is perfectly baked. I love them a little crispy around the edges and nice and chewy in the middle. These molasses cookies check all the important cookie boxes and the melty white chocolate in the middle is the best surprise. Here are the ingredients you will need:

  • Butter, Shortening, or Lard – we usually do half and half
  • Light Brown Sugar – adds sweetness and even more molasses flavor
  • Egg – adds structure to the cookies
  • Molasses – adds sweetness and perfect molasses flavor, Grandma’s brand is our favorite
  • Flour – just regular all pur

The Little Things Newsletter #393 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’m in Buffalo, NY today to see Rowan Lindamood dance in The Nutcracker and I couldn’t be more excited! My oldest son is here with me and we’ll be enjoying the ballet tonight along with all the tasty foods that we can cram into the weekend.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:

Baked Parmesan pork chops are tender and juicy with a crispy Parmesan crust. Pair them with a quick rice pilaf and some sauteed asparagus for a dinner everyone will enjoy. When I can make the whole dinner in 40 minutes or less, that’s a win in my book!

The sweet heat of honey sriracha Brussels Sprouts will have everyone devouring these little bites before they make it to the table.

Spiced ground beef, black beans, and cheese top these stuffed sweet potatoes to combine sweet and savory flavors in the best possible way. Each bite of these Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes blends the creamy, sweet potato with the boldness of a beefy taco, creating a delicious, wholesome fusion of Southwestern-inspired goodness.

Crisp and buttery on the outside, fluffy on the inside, this easy waffle recipe is perfection. Included are loads of options for sweet or savory waffles, plus all the toppings you could ever desire.

How many waffle toppings can you think of off the top of your head? My family has a well-established weakness for waffles and with that comes a weakness for all the awesome ways that you can top a hot crisp freshly made waffle.

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