Oatmeal Seven Layer Bars or Magic Bars

If you like Seven Layer Bars, Hello Dollies and Magic Cookie Bars, but are out of graham crackers, here's an alternative. Oatmeal Seven Layer Bars or Oatmeal Magic Bars are made with oats instead of graham crackers. I wouldn't call them a "healthy" twist on an old favorite, but they're a good stand in for the original. Plus graham crackers are more expensive these days!

How to Make Oatmeal Magic Bars

Traditional Seven Layer Bars and Magic Bars have a crust made with 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs and a half cup of melted butter, whereas the crust on Oatmeal Magic Bars bars is made with a mixture of quick oats, flour, brown sugar and butter. To make it, you pulse flour, oats, sugar and butter together in a food processor as you would for pie dough. You then layer most of the oat mixture on the bottom and save the remaining for a crumb topping.

Skipping the Food Processor

In the past I've made these with a food processor because grinding those oats gives you a finer crust. If you don't have a food processor and want to try it without grinding, quick oats will work. With old fashioned oats, it should work but you'll have a much crumblier bottom. But the bars are doable without the processor. Update: Oat flour definitely works and is the best ingredient here! If you using oat flour, you only need ¾ cup or about 80 grams.

Half Batch Version

Do have a half can of condensed milk you need to use? Make Oatmeal Seven Layer Bars! These come together so quickly. A half batch will fit perfectly in an 8-inch square pan. Just pour on that leftover half can of condensed milk.

Do Magic Cookie Bars Freeze Well?

These types of bars freezer perfectly! Whether you use the graham crackers or make Oatmeal Magic Bars, just bake, cool and wrap tightly. They should be good in the freezer for at least a month.

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Recipe

Oatmeal Seven Layer Bars

Anna

Similar to Hello Dollies and Seven Layer Bars, these bars have a crust and topping made with oats.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Cooling and Chilling 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (135 grams)
• 1 cup oats or ¾ cup oat flour (80 grams)
• ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
• ⅜ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup extra dark chocolate chips
• ⅔ cup butterscotch chips
• ⅓ cup flaked sweetened coconut optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
• If using oat flour, soften the butter. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Add softened butter and mix by hand or with the paddle attachment until mixture is sandy. Reserve about ⅔ cup oat mixture and press remainder on bottom of the pan. Bake 10 minutes.
• If using oats rather than oat flour, combine flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. Pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture is sandy. Reserve ⅔ cup oat mixture and press remainder on bottom of the pan. Bake 10 minutes.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crust. Mix together the nuts, chips and coconut and sprinkle in an even layer across the condensed milk. Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture over the chips and press down slightly.
• Bake on center rack for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle a few more chocolate and butterscotch chips on top. Let cool completely, and then cut into bars.

Keyword butterscotch, Seven Layer Bars

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