These Strawberries and Cream Magic Bars are pure magic. Made with fresh strawberries and a sugar cookie layer, they are seriously amazing!
I also have a recipe for the original seven layer bars!
I had another Grinch heart growing by 8 sizes I guess I won’t trade my children for goats moment the other day.
So we were at the zoo, and I was pretty sure that I could find a group of three goats while we were there who would be easier to manage than my three monsters. I was just making my selections when the most magical parenting moment happened.
We were playing at the playground, because, obviously why would you want to talk to an African Elephant when you could, oh, I don’t know, go down a slide 7,432 times? Anyway, we were playing at the playground and it is a brand new one, so the kids were extra pumped.
Gavin was climbing to this extra high level and Quinn was following him. I was standing off at the edge of the playground with Piper and the stroller reminding myself every three seconds that checking my email on my phone was not an option. Anyway, I see Gavin come sliding down the extra high slide . . . . but Quinn is not sliding down right behind him. I look up to see Quinn poking her little nose through the bars at the top . . . tears in her eyes . . . looking at me pleadingly.
She was too scared to come down.
Well. This is a fine pickle. Options: Abandon the baby to climb to the top and coax the toddler down the slide . . . . Nope.
I know! Scream at the toddler to come down! “Quinn! You are fine! It is a slide! Come down, buddy!!!”
More tears.
Gavin looks at me from across the playground and I swear something came over him. He looks at me and says, “Mom, is Quinn stuck at the top? Don’t worry! I’ve got her!” And he runs up to the top of the playground. I’m thinking to myself, “Yeah, good luck, kid,” when I see them talking to each other. He is being super animated and before I know it, they are both flying down the two slides. They pop out of the bottom and Gavin high fives Quinn and tells her she did a great job!
When they got to me I gave Quinn a huge hug and congratulated her and then I turned to Gavin and said, “What did you say??” And he said, “I just told her that she needed to be brave. She’s always brave when I tell her she needs to be.”
Cue the heart swelling.
So, in all honesty, these bars aren’t even a half as magical as that moment, but they are still pretty amazing. They are a tiny bit putzy. I mean you have to make the graham cracker layer, the sugar cookie layer, and the strawberry cream layer, but they are totally worth it. They are gooey and delicious and so packed with strawberry goodness!
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM MAGIC BARS
Strawberries and Cream Magic Bars
Ingredients
- 9 graham cracker sheets approximately 5.4 oz worth, crushed
- 6 TBSPs of unsalted butter melted
- 2 TBSPs granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup quartered fresh strawberries pureed
- 4 oz room temperature cream cheese
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the graham crackers, the 6 TBSPs of butter (melted) and the 2 TBSPs of sugar. Press into the bottom of the pan.
- In a different bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp baking powder, set aside.
- Beat together 3/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup unsalted butter until creamy, about two minutes. Add in the egg and then the vanilla until just combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture until it is fully combined.
- Very carefully spread the cookie dough mixture on top of the graham cracker crust. The easiest way to do this is to take small amounts, flatten it in your hands, and set it on the crust. You may not be able to entirely cover the graham cracker crust, that's okay.
- Beat together the cream cheese and the 1/2 cup pureed strawberries. Spread evenly over the cookie dough.
- Evenly spread the 1/2 cup sliced strawberries over the cream cheese layer. Top with the white chocolate chips and then evenly cover with the sweetened condensed milk.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Refrigerate overnight before slicing. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
did you make this
Strawberries and Cream Magic Bars
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Sammie says
I had a little ‘heart swell’ moment when I read about your children. I’ve got 3 as well (3 1/2 years between eldest & youngest with 1 in the middle!!!). When you see your own children looking out for each other and using their own language to help each other. Magical. So are these strawberry bars, they look delicious. Beautiful post. Sammie http://www.feastingisfun.com
SO magical!!
EYEZ says
Looks great fav straws.
Mir says
That IS a magical moment. My son would’ve left my daughter up there to go play. I mean, I love him, but that’s how he does. So I super appreciate your moment!
These bars are not quite as magical, as you point out, but they’re pretty dang close. I’ve never thought of doing strawberry before!
Ha!!! You know, on a different day he might have just left her too, lol!
Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking says
OK, you’re kids are just the cutest! If it were my troop, one of them would have just gone back up and pushed the other down the slide! But way to go on Gavin helping Quinn overcome the fear!
And those bars? Yup, almost as magical – they look amazeballs. But this… Well. This is a fine pickle.”, are you sure you’re not secretly British. You sure sound it. I’mma cracking up.
Hahahahaha Lisa!! I wish I was British!!!! My husband and I spent a week in London during our honeymoon and it was one of the best vacations of our lives! We loved the food, the people, the exploring, and most of all the TV, LOL!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
What a sweet moment! Those are rare around here for sure, but when they happen, I try to soak them up too. These bars are calling my name!!
Jaren, they have been SO rare this summer. Most of the time my older two are trying to straight up MURDER each other. That’s probably why the moment stuck out for me so much!
Joyce Garver says
I think all of these will be just heavenly
Thanks Joyce!
Dani says
I love this story. I’m a step-mom to 2, and so proud of the way they get along. Sure, there are squabbles now and again, but when stuff hits the fan, they have each others’ backs. This post got me right in the feels!
“This post got me right in the feels!” <------ Best comment I've gotten in a while! :)
Catherine says
What do you mean by graham cracker sheets? Is this just one individual cracker or two which are attached or the sheet of four crackers? I am very anxious to make this desert and not sure just what to do. Thank you for your help.
Hi Catherine! By graham cracker sheet I mean the two crackers that are connected (or four small crackers). I hope you like it!
Joan Milley says
I use the box of graham cracker crumbs… how much should I use? Thanks
Approximately 2 cups.
riyon says
I never thought we can make this with strawberries, actually strawberries are hard to find in my city. i know this is surprising.
Rita says
Hi, Catherine, can I forego the white chocolate chips in the recipe?
Anna @ Anna Can Do It! says
You had me at magic and this post indeed is magic! :)) Anyway, I love this recipe, sound simple and looks divine, I have to try this out as soon as my strawberries grow! Great recipe! – Love, Anna
Thanks Anna!
Pat Land says
This looks and sounds wonderful. I think I will try it with a Vanilla Wafer crust. I am not a real fan of Graham crackers. I will follow everything else right to the “T”.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
I hope you like it pat! And I just did a vanilla wafer crust on this recipe if you want to follow that: https://simplejoy.com/2016/05/peanut-butter-cup-pie.html
Tricia says
I am baking these now. However, the sweetened condensed milk looks very runny and unbaked. Is that what it should look like?
Tricia, there were small areas where the topping was gooey, but it really wasn’t runny.
Jduerr says
I just made these and had the same issue. I am going to cover the edges with foil since they are starting to brown and bake a few minutes longer.. Hoepfully this works. I think it may have had more filling towards the middle.
Sara says
Mine is runny too 👎🏻
I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t work for you, Sara. Without being in your kitchen, its hard to know what went wrong. Just want to double check that you only used 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) and not the whole can. It could just be as simple as needing more time in the oven though.