These Milky Way Magic Bars come together so easily and they are so ooey gooey delicious! This is a great spin on the original seven layer bar recipe.
These Milky Way Magic Bars have long been a very popular recipe here. They are the simplest of recipes, but are incredibly addictive. I love making them for friends and families around the holidays, but they are perfect for summer time backyard BBQs too!
How to Make Milky Way Magic Bars
This is a brief overview of how to make this easy recipe. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the cookie layer base. Mix together the cookie mix from the pouch and press into a 9 by 13 inch pan. (See note below for a from scratch alternative.)
- Add the Milky Way layer. Top the cookie dough with cut up Milky Ways and chocolate chips.
- Pour on the sweetened condensed milk. All good magic bar recipes use sweetened condensed milk. Top with that.
- Bake the magic bars. Allow for them to cool before slicing into bars.
Making the Cookie Layer from Scratch
This recipe was originally made using a store-bought cookie mix. If you would rather make homemade cookie dough for this layer, you can do as I did in my Strawberries and Cream Magic Bars.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the vanilla and the egg.
- Add the flour mixture until the butter/sugar mixture and beat until just combined.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the 9 by 13 inch pan and follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Storing
After the bars have completely cooled, cut and store in an air tight container for up to one week.
Freezing
These bars freeze very well. Cut them into individual pieces and freeze them in a single layer for one hour. Then they can be stacked and stored in an air tight container and frozen for up to 3 months.
Milky Way Magic Bars
Ingredients
- 1 pouch of sugar cookie mix and what you need to make it 17.5 oz (read here for how to make this layer from scratch)
- 2 large milky way bars (1.84 ounce sized bars) chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix the cookie mix and press it into the bottom of the pan.
- Top the cookie dough with the Milky Way bars and the chocolate chips. Then pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the bars.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until the whole top is a golden brown and the edges are deep golden.
- Let cool. Cut into them and enjoy!
Gloria Fowler says
You don’t say what size can of carnation milk to use???
Hmmmm . . . why don’t I say what size can of carnation milk . . . ? That must be my editors fault!! I will fire her IMMEDIATELY. In the meantime, you are going to need a 14 oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Hana says
Please, could you help me out! Would love to try this recipe but no idea how here in greece find sugar cookie mix….can you tell me what it all has inside?
Hi Hana! I recently made a similar recipe with the sugar cookie layer from scratch. It came out slightly thinner than the sugar cookie layer in this recipe, but it could probably work as a replacement, check it out: https://simplejoy.com/2015/01/smores-magic-bars.html
Kate says
I added snickers bars instead of chocolate chips. Yum!!!
I’m so glad you liked it Kate!
Karen walker says
Do you use the recipe for the drop cookie or the cut-out cookie?
Good question, Karen! The drop. And my S’mores Magic Bars have a recipe for making that layer from scratch if you prefer.
Valerie Sims says
I am in UK can anyone tell me what is the equivalent of sugary pouch mix please?
Thank you
Hi Valerie! I have posted two other magic bar recipes since this one that use a sugar cookie base, but not from the pouch. You could use these to figure out that layer for this one. Check out my S’mores Magic Bars or my Strawberries and Cream Magic Bars
diana says
sounds delicious! and easy to make
Esther says
So sorry but my bars were mush! I think I made chocolate Flan. The cookie bottom did not cook per the instructions provided. I used Pilsbury sugar cookie dough. Could it be that the condensed milk was way too much liquid for the cookie bottom?
Hi Ester, I’m so sorry that this didn’t turn out for you! Did you use refrigerated dough? Mine was from a pouch, so I had a dry mix that I whipped up. If you used a refrigerator dough, it might be a big enough difference in the amount of dough that it didn’t get a long enough time to bake. Did that make sense? The only other thing I know others have struggled with is accidentally grabbing evaporated milk.
Bonnie Kreiser says
are you sure you didn’t use evaporated milk instead of sweet condensed milk? Big difference and easy mistake to make!
Jessica says
This happened to me also. I was just wondering why. I did use the correct type of milk but my pan may have been 12 by 8 instead of 13 by 9. Could that have been the problem?
Jessica says
I am going to try to make them again though because it really does look great. The edges of the pan were cooked through enough to eat so I did get a couple bites. I am not sure why the middle was so gooey. I wondered if I wasn’t supposed to use the whole can of milk. Maybe next time I will try using less.
Nancy says
Well, I saw your delicious looking pictures and went to see the recipes. BUT, seeing the word PUKE made me do a complete U-TURN . . . . Never to venture here again.
Hi Nancy! Well thank goodness you ventured far enough on my blog to be able to leave this sweet little gem. Have a great weekend!
Carrie says
Hahahaha! Excellent response. PUKE!!
Susan says
Really Nancy!!!
cheryl says
I followed your recipe exactly, but it looks more like a brownie or a blondie. Tastes good but very gooey even tho l baked longer than the recipe states. I used Betty Crocker dry sugar cookie mix, one egg, one stick of oleo, 14 oz. Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup chic chips, and 2 milky way 2 to go bars just like you stated. I did line the glass 13 x 9 pan with wax paper and sprayed it. Would that have caused them yo be overly gooey. I put them in the fridge and hope that will firm them up. Thanks
I wouldn’t think that the wax paper being sprayed would have impacted them not setting, but it’s hard to know for sure without being there. I’m really sorry these didn’t work out for you. I have made them several times and they always set up for me really nicely. Again, I’m sorry they didn’t work!