Seven Layer Magic Bars Recipe (Keto and Dairy Free)

We use affiliate links. If you purchase something using one of these links, we may receive compensation or commission.

Seven Layer Magic Bars Recipe (Keto and Dairy Free)

You remember those bars made with coconut and chocolate chips that are at almost every dessert table at dinners during the Christmas season, right?

Some people call them magic bars and some call them seven-layer bars and one I haven’t ever heard of before but maybe you have….dolly bars!

With all of the different names they are called, I remember them being called seven layer magic bars most of all.

It is a family favorite classic dessert that never gets old and is still made today with lots of variations!

It is my favorite sweet treat with toasted coconut flakes, semi-sweet chocolate chips and buttery crust!

The original recipe calls for all the sugar and gluten with the buttery graham cracker crust, but I have found a way to make this not only sugar free but gluten free AND dairy free!

Mind blowing really and some would look at me with skeptical eyes, but it really is an amazing easy recipe!

The only steps that take a little time is making the keto sweetened condensed milk and crushing the keto graham cereal to fine crumbs in a food processor.

Let’s make the Keto Sweetened Condensed Milk!

First you need to make the keto sweetened condensed milk so it can have time to cool and thicken up.

In a small saucepan melt 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup Livlo vegan ghee while whisking.

If you are not concerned with being dairy free, you can of course substitute in 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup butter as they are equally interchangeable.

Now whisk in the sweeteners. In my original recipe I used erythritol and allulose to maintain the pouring consistency.

In this case of being dairy free, you need to use erythritol and keto brown sugar instead of the allulose.

The brown sugar helps it to thicken up better I have found.

Now bring the milk mixture to a boil while whisking. Once it has come to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it simmer 10-12 minutes. Stir it occasionally and watch that it does not boil again and stays at a simmer.

Now you will need 1 egg yolk in a small bowl.

Slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk in the bowl while whisking.

You are tempering in the egg and slowly bringing the temperature of it up to match the milk mixture without scrambling it.

Once it is incorporated then whisk it into the main mixture.

Now set it aside and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. It may form a crust on top as it cools, so just whisk it back in.

It is time to start building our 7-layer bars!

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

You can alternately use a 9-inch baking pan, but I found that using the 8-inch baking pan gives them a heartier bite with a little more thickness!

You can easily double the recipe and make in a 9 x 13-inch pan if you wish.

If you do not have parchment paper handy, you can alternately grease it well with some cooking spray.

I do highly recommend using parchment paper though so you can lift them out of the pan to cut individual bars.

Wether a metal baking dish or a glass baking dish, it does not make a difference.

In a food processor or coffee grinder you will need to process the keto graham cereal until you have reached a fine crumb. If you do not have a grinder or processor, you can also put all of them in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Put them into a large bowl and add in the remaining ingredients of melted vegan ghee or melted butter plus the almond flour.

I mixed with a fork to prevent it from clumping too much. Press this base mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Now you will pour over the keto sweetened condensed milk we made earlier.

Using a spatula, spread it out to the edges of the pan trying to keep it as even as possible.

Now the fun part of layering starts!

The best way to get in all of the layers so that they stay together after baking is to end in coconut.

This is how I put together my version of the seven layer bar cookies!

Take 1 cup of chopped pecans and sprinkle all over the sweetened condensed milk layer.

Next will be the sugar free dark chocolate chips.

You can of course substitute milk chocolate chips or get wild and use half white chocolate chips.

The seventh layer will be the shredded coconut.

This ingredient being on the top will help us gauge if the bars need to bake longer or if they are done when they become golden brown.

Spread the coconut as evenly as possible by using your hand to spread it out gently not pressing down.

Now you will bake the seven layer magic bars for 25-30 minutes. I check a few times towards the end of baking to make sure the coconut is not burning.

If for some reason the coconut is burning at the tips instead of being golden brown, cover it loosely with a sheet of foil until the baking time is up.

Once the baking time is up you MUST wait for the seven layer cookie bars to cool completely. You cannot cut them until they have cooled ALL THE WAY! It may seem a little dramatic to say this in caps, but it is the secret ingredient to the bars not falling apart into pieces when you cut them.

I put my bars in the freezer after they sat at room temperature for an hour. This helped to harden them up so I could lift them out of the pan. Then I put them in a large ziplock bag and stored in the fridge overnight. The next day I pulled out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature again before cutting.

• Try different baking chips in place of the usual chocolate chips like peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips!
• Add in some extras when you are adding the nuts layer like some toffee chips, or caramel bits!
• Having trouble finding keto graham crackers? Try using keto cookie crumbs in place of the keto cereal crumbs.
• Throw in some extras like keto peanut butter cups or keto mini marshmallows too! Just make sure they are all tucked in under the coconut layer when you add them.
• If you want to keep this seven layer bars recipe like the traditional recipe, try some gluten-free graham crackers instead of the keto cereal and almond flour.
• These bars do very well at bake sales!

These chewy bars also ship well too! It is one of the delicious desserts anyone would be thrilled to receive as a gift this time of year!

Store any leftover seven layer magic cookie bars in an airtight container or if in a glass container just cover with plastic wrap.

You can freeze them up to 1 month without compromising the flavor. Beyond that they may start to fall apart.

Don’t forget to PIN this picture to save to your recipe board on Pinterest. You can also print the recipe card as well to have on hand when you need it without looking at your phone to read the recipe!

You may find affiliate links throughout my site and in this post. It is to provide a small commission to my site when you purchase through these links. It is at no cost to you and helps support the creation of more low carb gluten free recipes you love!