If you loved the classic Magic Bars from childhood, then prepare to meet the next best thing: magic cookies! These 5 Ingredient Magic Cookies are sweet, delicious, and made with coconut condensed milk for a vegan-friendly alternative to the traditional recipe. Plus, they are much easier to make than the classic Magic Bar recipe, which means you can enjoy the taste of your childhood in just a matter of minutes! Think of it just like… magic!
Friends, some of my favorite recipes to create are the ones that remind me of my childhood… but are made even better. Now, don’t get me wrong: I LOVE to make the classic recipes. But there are some recipes from childhood that I realized very quickly can be made a lot faster, healthier, and dare I say, MORE delicious, than their classic counterpart. This is one of those recipes!
I loved traditional Magic Bars as a kid. If you’ve never had a Magic Bar, it’s a layered dessert, similar to a brownie, that is made from layers of chocolate chips, condensed milk, and coconut flakes, layered on top of a graham cracker crust. It’s delicious, packed with tons of flavors and textures, and I can easily eat a whole tray myself! But when it comes to making this dessert, that’s another story. Magic Bars take forever to make, on account of the fact that there are tons of layers to assemble. And let’s be honest, most of us don’t have time for that!
These cookies are truly the best of both worlds, because they have all of the classic flavors and ingredients that you’d find in Magic Bars, but come together in a fraction of the time. That’s because as the cookies bake, the condensed milk hardens, giving them that crunchy-yet-chewy texture that you know and love. And if you’ve never made Magic Bars before, then let this be your perfect gateway into this deliciously nostalgic recipe!
The 5 Ingredients Needed to Make These Magic Cookies
All you need are 5 simple ingredients in order to bring these delicious- and dare I say, magcial- cookies to life!
- Cashews: Cashews are a great source of healthy fats and add lots of crunch to these cookies! While the traditional recipe calls for a medley of nuts, I prefer to keep things simple by just using cashews.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: Since these cookies are plenty sweet on their own, thanks to the condensed milk, you’ll want to use unsweetened coconut flakes, to avoid these cookies becoming too sweet.
- Chocolate Chips: Pick your favorite chocolate chips and use them in these cookies! If you want to get even more creative, you can also add in white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips, too.
- Graham Crackers: You’ll need crushed graham cracker crumbs to make these cookies. If you want to keep these cookies gluten-free, these are my favorite gluten-free graham crackers to use!
- Coconut Condensed Milk: And while traditional Magic Bars aren’t vegan-friendly, this recipe is by swapping out coconut condensed milk instead. And if you want to use dairy condensed milk, that also works too. Use what you have!
How to Make This Flavor-Packed 20 Minute Cookie Recipe
To make these magic cookies, start by preheating the oven to 350 F. Next, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl: the cashews, unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and coconut condensed milk. Then, mix until all of the ingredients are fully coated in the condensed milk.
Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to scoop out large spoonfuls of the mixture and line them up on the baking sheet. Be sure to give each scoop ample room, as the coconut condensed milk will cause the cookies to spread.
Bake the cookies for 15-16 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Once they’re done, remove them from the oven and allow them to fully cool for approximately 10 minutes. This is very important, as the condensed milk needs time to set! If any of the milk scattered across the baking sheet, use a spoon to push them back into the cookies.
When the cookies have cooled and the condensed milk has hardened, serve your cookies, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Cashews
- 1 ½ Cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- ¾ Cup Chocolate Chips
- 3-4 Graham Crackers, crushed
- ¾ Can Coconut Condensed Milk, this is approximately 11-12 ounces. You can also use regular condensed milk, if you prefer!
Instructions
- To make these magic cookies, start by preheating the oven to 350 F.
- Next, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl: the cashews, unsweetened coconut flakes, chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and coconut condensed milk.
- Mix until all of the ingredients are fully coated in the condensed milk.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to scoop out large spoonfuls of the mixture and line them up on the baking sheet. Be sure to give each scoop ample room, as the coconut condensed milk will cause the cookies to spread.
- Bake the cookies for 15-16 minutes, until they're golden brown.
- Once they're done, remove them from the oven and allow them to fully cool for approximately 10 minutes. This is very important, as the condensed milk needs time to set! If any of the milk scattered across the baking sheet, use a spoon to push them back into the cookies.
- When the cookies have cooled and the condensed milk has hardened, serve your cookies, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Does the sugar free condensed milk cook up the same? Or I could try and make my own condensed milk like Someone else did in the comments
Hi Katie! I’ve never used sugar free condensed milk, but I imagine it should cook the same.
So delicious and easy!!!! Will definitely be making again <3
My friend brought these to work last week. One bite and I was in heaven! They are so delicious and they were gone immediately. I’ve been scouring the internet ever since then for the recipe and this is the one! I can’t wait to make them myself. Recipe looks easy enough. Hope I can find the condensed coconut milk. Any suggestions on best place to buy?
Hi Marsha, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! You can find condensed coconut milk at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or any health foods store!
Excellent Instructions. Recipe is delicious. Curious about nutrition information.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Sue! If you want the nutritional information, you can plug the recipe into an app like MyFitnessPal and generate it that way ☻
My Whole Foods does not carry condensed coconut milk.. can I use coconut cream?