These 7 Layer Bar Cookies taste just like 7 Layer Bars! Homemade Graham Cracker Cookies are packed with all the favorite ingredients found in 7 layer magic bars, including butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and walnuts! 

I’m a big fan of the 7 layer bar treats, so it just made sense to transform that delicious recipe into cookie form and cake form! Be sure to try my 7 Layer Bar Cake if you love the flavor combination too! 

A 7 Layer Bar Cookie on a white parchment lined baking sheet with a wooden spatula under the cookie.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Graham cracker crumbs in the cookie. This graham cracker cookie is so good! The cookie is packed with graham cracker crumbs. You get that same graham cracker crust flavor in the cookie thanks to all the crumbs and the butter and sugar. My Crumbl New York Cheesecake Cookies and Crumbl Key Lime Pie Cookies also utilize a graham cracker cookie base. 
  • Tastes just like a 7 layer bar in cookie form. It really surprised me just how much these 7 layer bar cookies tastes like 7 layer bars! The flavors from the bars all come through in the cookie. 
  • Ultra soft cookies. These cookies are super soft thanks to the perfect flour to fat ratio, the tiny bit of light corn syrup in the dough and the cornstarch! The corn syrup helps to keep the dough soft, and the cornstarch absorbs any moisture, keeping the cookies moist!  

Ingredient Notes

7 Layer Bar Cookies ingredients portioned into glass bowls on a white textured background.
  • Unsalted Butter: Allow the butter to soften to room temperature to make creaming it with the sugars easier. You’ll also get a smoother texture. If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of salt 1/4 of a teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe. 
  • Light Brown Sugar: You can use dark brown sugar if you’d like. You’ll get a slightly deeper color and a richer flavor from the added molasses in the recipe. 
  • Light Corn Syrup: We use just a small amount. This helps keep the magic bar cookies softer for longer! 
  • Flour: The ratio of flour to fat will affect the bake and spread of the cookies. It will also determine how thick and chewy a cookie is. 
  • Graham Cracker Crumbs:This seven layer cookies recipe uses graham cracker crumbs in the cookie dough as a flour substitute. We still use flour, but the crumbs will also provide a flour texture. 
  • Cornstarch: The cornstarch will cling to any liquid in the cookie dough, which will retain moisture in the magic bar cookies and keep them moist! 
  • Shredded Sweetened Coconut: If you want to use toasted coconut, follow my How to Toast Coconut recipe. 
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips:I like using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but if you prefer milk chocolate, you can use that instead. 
  • Butterscotch Chips: Looking for another recipe that uses butterscotch chips? Then you’ll love my Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies!
  • Walnuts: Chop the walnuts to help disperse them through the dough better. You can use pecans as a substitute if you’d like. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Cream butter and sugars. Add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a stand mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium speed or until smooth.
  2. Add remaining wet ingredients. Add the eggs, vanilla, light corn syrup and mix until combined. 
  3. Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until almost combined. Add the shredded coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnuts and mix until just combined. 
A four photo collage of making 7 Layer Bar Cookies using a glass bowl to mix and make the dough.
  1. Add seven layer bar fillings. Add the shredded coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnuts and mix until just combined.
Two photos side by side, left photo has walnuts, coconut, and baking chips in a mixing bowl, and the left photo is 7 Layer Bar Cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
  1. Form into balls. Using a 1/4 cup, portion into balls. Place 6 on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly to resemble a thick disk. You can add extra chips and coconut to the top for a prettier look. 
7 Layer Bar Cookie dough balls with shredded coconut and butterscotch and chocolate chips on the tops of the dough.
  1. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops are no longer shiny. Do not over bake. The 7 layer magic bar cookies will continue to bake a little from the residual heat of the pan. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack. 
Two photos: left photo has six raw 7 Layer Bar Cookie dough balls on a white baking sheet, right photo has six baked 7 Layer Bar Cookies on a baking sheet.

Recipe Tips

This recipe doesn’t incorporate the sweetened condensed milk which is used in the 7 layer bars recipe. Sweetened condensed milk mainly acts as a sweetener and binder for the bars, which we get with the cookie base.

When adding the dry ingredients, don’t mix until combined. We’ll add the chips, nuts and coconut right after and need to mix those in. When adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients in cookie dough, you don’t want to over mix or else the dough will get tough. 

Do no over bake. It’s much better to pull the cookies out too soon rather than too late. The cookies will continue to bake/set up while cooling on the pan for 10 minutes. I find I get the best results when I remove the pan from the oven when the edges look, the tops are no longer shiny. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

To freeze the cookie dough, roll into balls and flatten slightly to resemble thick disks. Flash freeze on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Remove and bake from frozen. You may need to add an additional minute to the bake time. 

To freeze the 7 layer bar cookies, let cool completely then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag in the freezer. The cookies will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove and let thaw. Feel free to microwave them for about 5 seconds to enjoy warm. 

To make ahead of time, make the cookie dough and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature or until able to form into balls. Follow the instructions from that point. 

7 Layer Bar Cookies on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe FAQs

Why is it called a 7 layer bar? 

7 layer bars incorporate 7 different ingredients layered on top of one another. Ever wonder why they are also called 7 layer magic bars? It’s because they magically form into bars from simply layering ingredients on top of each other!  

What can I use instead of walnuts?

You are welcome to swap out the walnuts for something else if you have an allergy to walnuts or if you prefer a different nut. Pecans would be the best substitution for walnuts. 

7 layer bars use sweetened condensed milk. Why isn’t there any sweetened condensed milk in this recipe?

That’s a great question! The sweetened condensed milk acts as a sweetener and binder in the bars. Since these are cookies, the cookie dough base binds the ingredients together. I also didn’t think the cookies needed any additional sweetener from the sweetened condensed milk as they are already pretty sweet.

A spatula underneath a 7 Layer Bar Cookie that's on a white parchment lined baking sheet.

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A 7 Layer Bar Cookie on a metal spatula near a burnt orange colored napkin.
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5 from 4 votes

7 Layer Bar Cookies

We are taking the delicious 7 layer bars (or magic bars) and turning them into a cookie! This recipe highlights the delicious flavors and textures from the bars: graham crackers, shredded coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips, and walnuts. These cookies are absolutely delicious!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar - packed
  • 1/8 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the egg, vanilla extract, and light corn syrup and mix to combine. 
  • Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until almost combined. Add the shredded coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnuts and mix until combined. 
  • Using a ¼ cup, portion the dough into round balls. Place 6 balls of dough on a baking sheet. Press down on the balls *just slightly* with the palm of your hand. I like to add a few extra chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pieces of shredded coconut to the tops of the cookies prior to baking. This just makes them look prettier.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are and tops are just set. Do not overbake. 
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Notes

When adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients in cookie dough, you don’t want to over mix or else the dough will get tough. 
You can swap pecans for walnuts. 
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 44g (15%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 9g (45%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mg (12%)Sodium: 253mg (11%)Potassium: 148mg (4%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 27g (30%)Vitamin A: 271IU (5%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 38mg (4%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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