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Home » Bar Cookies

Animal Cracker Seven Layer Bars

Last updated on October 26, 2022 By Anna 28 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

Animal Cracker Seven Layer Bars is a recipe I came up with years ago when I needed to use up some condensed milk, but didn't have the graham crackers for the traditional version of Seven Layer Bars. I haven't made them in a while, but the recipe has become pretty popular here on Cookie Madness. It's also a good excuse to treat yourself to a box or two (or a bag) of Barnum's Animal Crackers. Hide them from the kids!

Animal Cracker Seven Layer Bars are traditional Magic Cookie Bars with Animal Crackers instead of graham crackers.

I'm looking at the photo and thinking it needs an update. Or am I just looking for an excuse to buy some Barnum's?

Tip: To cut them neatly, chill them or freeze them then cut with a chef’s knife.

Animal Cracker Seven Layer Bars

1 ¾ cups animal cracker crumbs (or just use graham crackers)
8 tablespoons butter, melted
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
½ cup peanut butter chips
⅔ cup white chips
1 cup pecans, chopped
½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 (14 oz) can condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If using a glass pan, use 325 degrees F. I like to use a 13x9 inch metal pan lined with foil or parchment. If using foil, it’s a good idea to grease the sides.

Mix together crumbs and melted butter; press into bottom of pan.

Mix all the chips, coconut and nuts together in another bowl and sprinkle all but about ½ cup of the mixture over the crust. Drizzle the condensed milk over top. Sprinkle remaining chip mixture over top and press down firmly with back of a greased spatula or a sheet of parchment.

Bake on center rack for about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Lift from pan, trim edges, and cut into bars. Makes about 32 bars

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Lily

    September 07, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    I'm going to try these! And uh, it will have many substiutes!

  2. Jenney Marie

    August 06, 2009 at 9:08 am

    I am sooooo excited to try this out! I was eating some Barnum Animal Crackers today and desided to look up recipes using them. I was thinking of how good they would be as a cust or something. (Side note: I use Nilla Wafer crust for pumpkin pie- it is AMAZING!!!!) I found your site and this recipe, I will be making these soon!!!! lol. Thanks so much. I love the site and look forward to finding more recipes.

  3. Jasmine

    June 15, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I made these yesterday with my extra box of animal crackers! i was a bit short so i added corn flakes too..turned out GREAT. i didn't have the nuts either but they were amazing! the 2nd day especially..unfortunitly very few make it to the 2nd day : )

  4. janet

    June 14, 2009 at 4:56 pm

    I'm sold....I bought animal crackers to make these this next week! They look soooo good. Thanks, Anna!

  5. Anna

    June 12, 2009 at 10:56 am

    That's so funny that CI used animal crackers in the crust. Had I known that, I wouldn't have crossed my fingers when I put the bars in the oven! In the end, the crust was almost better than graham crackers.

  6. hulagirl247

    June 12, 2009 at 10:54 am

    hi anna!

    you must have received a psychic message from me last night - i made my version of these (mine are slightly different than yours) and wondered if they would ever make the cookie madness post of the day!

    i'm at work so i can't give you the differences measurement-wise between your recipe & mine - but my end result looks twice as thick as yours.

    glad to see this old stand-by made the hit parade!

    have a terriffic weekend!

    ~hula~

  7. Jen

    June 12, 2009 at 10:48 am

    Jessica - Cooks Illustrated had a recipe a few years back for key lime bars that used animal crackers in the crust. They were great! These look good, too, but I can never keep animal crackers around long enough to use them in baked goods. I think they are my favorite cookie!

  8. Jessica

    June 11, 2009 at 11:32 pm

    What a fun idea! I wonder what other cookies/ pies one could incorporate animal crackers into...

  9. KAnn

    June 11, 2009 at 8:01 pm

    Oh, 7 Layer Bars are so good, aren't they?! I have mixed a little cinnamon in the crust which is good, too.

  10. C L

    June 11, 2009 at 7:31 pm

    Love this idea! Animal crackers would probably make the bars a teeny bit less sweet but oh so delicious. 🙂 Must put these on my "must make" list (which is getting longer every day). LOL 😉

  11. Emily

    June 11, 2009 at 6:58 pm

    Gah! I saw huge bags of animal crackers at the dollar store today and didn't buy any! I'm so mad at myself. These look great.

  12. Steph

    June 11, 2009 at 6:44 pm

    OMG!! Those look very yummy and addicting!

  13. JohnGL

    June 11, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    Anna, these are worth the animal (cookie) sacrifice! I,too, am drooling.

  14. HeartofGlass

    June 11, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    ATK did a lemon cheesecake with an animal cracker crust, but this looks even better--I loved animal crackers as a kid. I probably couldn't bear to break them all up if I made these and would have to leave some of them whole.

    Lifting lions will keep your bones strong!

  15. Shoshana

    June 11, 2009 at 4:08 pm

    I love the addition of peanut butter chips! It makes them even more decadent with very little work!

  16. Emily L.

    June 11, 2009 at 3:38 pm

    wouldn't it be cool if you cut them into animal shapes! Next time.

  17. Denise

    June 11, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    What a great way to use animal crackers up. They look yummy

  18. janet

    June 11, 2009 at 3:12 pm

    How cool to use animal crackers in lieu of grahams! Thank you, they look delicious...I could eat them right off the screen;-)

  19. Kerstin

    June 11, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    7 layer bars are the best! I like your animal cracker crust too 🙂

  20. Kay

    June 11, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    I oughta try that sometime! Usually around my house, it's more like I'd get in the mood for these bars, be out of graham crackers, stare in the cupboards for a substitute, and find the animal crackers, instead of deciding to do it on purpose. 😉 Anyway, I love 7-layer bars! Gotta make them again soon!

  21. snooky doodle

    June 11, 2009 at 2:31 pm

    oh I m drooling!

  22. dawn

    June 11, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I love 7-layer bars and 7-layer dip.
    I must try this recipe using the animal crackers

  23. Mrs. L

    June 11, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    I love that these were made with Animal Crackers. I'd of course have to buy double the amount because I couldn't use the ones that weren't "full" animals...those broken ones would have to get eaten so they didn't go to waste.

  24. Katrina

    June 11, 2009 at 2:04 pm

    Fun yumminess!

  25. VeggieGirl

    June 11, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Love the use of the animal crackers!!

  26. Patti

    June 11, 2009 at 1:41 pm

    Hey it says right on the package "good source of calcium" so no worries, right?

  27. Louise

    June 11, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    Your 7 Layer Bars look good. The ones I usually see here have a goopy layer of condensed milk that puts me off.

  28. Claire

    June 11, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    Wow...these are 7-layer bars "kicked up a notch!" I'm going to have to try them...with all the different flavors of chips they sound amazing!

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