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Melting chocolate, chewy coconut, and crunchy nuts are layered over a buttery graham cracker crust to make these Hello Dolly Bars.
My kids and husband devoured these bars lightning fast. Luckily, they’re very easy to make as I suspect they’re going to be popular in our home for a lot of years to come.
Like the Chocolate Revel Bars, Monster Cookie Bars, and Gingerbread Bars, the Hello Dolly Bars freeze beautifully and are great choices for make-ahead holiday baking.
Coconut lovers can’t resist fudgy brownies filled with sweet chewy coconut and melting chocolate chips, that is a combination that I can never resist. Crustless Coconut Pie is a simple custard pie filled to the brim with sweet bites of coconut.
Salty sweet graham cracker toffee is perfect for snacking on its own or crumbling over ice cream.
Hello Dolly Bars
Have you heard of Hello Dolly Bars? When I spied that name, I simply had to try the recipe. This dessert is another recipe success from my beloved stack of Amish cookbooks.
I don’t know just why it brings me so much joy to bake from vintage cookbooks, but it really is fun!
These bars are also known as Magic Cookie Bars. While often confused with 7 layer bars (count the layers, there are six layers here, not seven) those bars usually include a handful or two of chocolate M&M candies as well.
Hello Dollies
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- butter or margarine
- graham cracker crumbs
- sweetened flaked coconut
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- chopped pecans or walnuts
- sweetened condensed milk
Hello Dolly Bars Recipe
Begin by melting the butter in a 9-inch square pan.
Layer in graham cracker crumbs, coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour condensed milk over the top.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
If you’re a fan of vintage desserts, you’ll want to try the Gooey Butter Cake – and the Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake too.
My family’s Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie is a classic recipe that we make at least once every summer.
The Overnight Coffee Cake is another Amish recipe favorite along with these Amish Sugar Cookies.
And for an unexpected treat, try these Snickers Stuffed Amish Peanut Butter Cookies. (Yes, the Amish eat candy bars.) They are a huge success any time they’re made.
Hello Dolly Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed about 7 full graham crackers
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 9-inch square pan. Layer in graham cracker crumbs, coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour milk over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 11/16/21 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/25/25}
My family has made these for every holiday since before I was born. They are the best.
Such a treat, Bonnie!
Can’t wait to try this one looks absolutely amazing. I know with the ingredients it’s going to taste fabulous.
It is soo delightful! Rich, but delicious!
Missing butterscotch chips. Crushed nuts should be first layer after graham crackers then 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, then 1 cup chocolate chips, then coconut, then sweetened condensed milk. Then I add more crushed pecans on top. It’s a family favorite. I made them last night and again today for our Thanksgiving dinner!
Sounds like you have a version your famil enjoys, thank you for sharing Danielle.
Can these be frozen? I’d like to make then a week or so before they’ll be consumed?
Yes, Lisa, these can be frozen.
My recipe is 1 sleeve of Graham crackers + butter put in a 9 x 12 size pan. 1 cup coconut. 1 9oz bag chocolate chips + 1 9oz bag of butterscotch chips. 1 cup of pecan nuts + 1 can of the condensed milk. Layered + baked. Yum ?
It’s fun to see how many variations there are for our favorite recipes, Dee. Thanks for sharing.
Looks so so yum.
But…I’d like to make it bigger…
Can I do A 9×13 or even a cookie sheet or would that be too thin?
You could do a bigger pan, Renae. I would recommend doubling the recipe though as they would be extremely thin and not likely fill the whole cookie sheet.
Renae, I’ve made this in a 9×13 pan for years. My recipe is the same except change graham cracker crumbs to 1 1/2 cups (and add 2 tbsp sugar & mix well). Sprinkle crumbs evenly over melted butter in pan. Increase chocolate chips to 2 cups. Nuts 1 cup. Increase flaked coconut to 1 1/2 cups. Then pour the sweetened condensed milk over all.
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Mary.
These sound good.
If I’m gluten free what can i make the crust with?
P, s .haven’t found a good gf Graham cracker as yet!
Maybe an almond flour crust?
Mary – I have not tried it with an almond flour crust. I think you need something with more substance than just a one-to-one substitution of Almond flour. Have you tried the GF crackers by Honeymaid? Annie’s also has a GF “Bunny grahams” they have vanilla or cocoa, those would work well.
How about Rice Krispies
Are you wanting to just add Rice Krispies? I am sure you could try it.
Kellogg’s makes gluten free corn flakes? I think corn flake crumbs would work.
There are gluten free Graham crackers!! I know someone who is gf and she told me about them!
Schaar makes Graham biscuits. I crush these up for gluten free bases to Cheesecake or these bars. They taste like the real deal!
Those would work great, Sabina. Thank you for sharing the idea.
You can buy an already premade gluten-free pie crust and then take a fork to break up that crust and use it for whatever it is you are baking. Easy Peasy!
The Original 7-layer Magic Bars have Butterscotch chips as well as Chocolate chips. Ergo, 7-layers
Its Butterscotch chips,not M&M’s to make 7 layer bars.
My grandmother made a pan of these,my very own,to take home every Christmas. The Joy’s if being the first grandchild!!!
?????
She was talking about Monster Bars with the M&Ms.
My grandma’s 7 layer bars included butterscotch chips too. For whoever would want gluten-free, you could try using ground Honey Nut Cheerios? Schafer makes pretty good gf graham crackers too.