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Gluten free magic bars layer with a Sweet Thins crust, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans, bound with sweetened condensed milk (or coconut milk) into chewy cookie squares that bake in one pan with 10 minutes of hands‑on work.
Table of Contents
- Pantry Magic in Minutes
- Recipe Breakthrough: Coconut Condensed Milk Holds Tight
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Dairy‑Free Magic Bars in One Simple Swap
- How to Make Gluten Free Magic Bars
- Fixing Common Bar Fails
- How to Store Gluten Free Magic Bars
- Recipe FAQs
- More Gluten‑Free Dessert Bars
- Gluten Free Magic Bars Recipe
Pantry Magic in Minutes
If your crew devours my vegan millionaire shortbread bars or those bright gluten‑free lemon bars, wait until they taste this five‑layer stunner. Six pantry items, one pan, zero stress. Perfect for bake sales or late‑night cravings.
Recipe Breakthrough: Coconut Condensed Milk Holds Tight
I doubted coconut-sweetened condensed milk could set the layers, but one clean first slice proved otherwise. The dairy‑free version binds just as firmly while adding subtle caramel depth, so everyone enjoys the same chewy bite.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Simple Mills Sweet Thins crumbs: Grain‑free crackers that pulverize into fine crumbs, giving the crust a crisp, cookie‑like bite without gluten or gritty texture.
- Melted butter or vegan butter: Works as the glue for the crust and caramelizes in the oven for rich, buttery flavor. Vegan butter keeps the bars fully dairy‑free.
- Sweetened condensed milk or coconut condensed milk: The thick, sugary binder that fuses every layer into that signature chewy bite. Coconut condensed milk delivers the same set with a light caramel‑coconut note.
- Dark chocolate chips: Balances the sweetness of the condensed milk and melt into chocolatey pockets. Enjoy Life brand keeps things allergy‑friendly.
- Unsweetened flaked coconut: Toasts on top for a nutty crunch and prevents the bars from becoming cloyingly sweet compared with sweetened shreds.
- Chopped pecans: Provide buttery crunch and toasty depth. Swap in walnuts or sunflower seeds for a nut‑free version.
Dairy‑Free Magic Bars in One Simple Swap
Replace butter with vegan butter and use canned coconut sweetened condensed milk in the same amount. Bake time and texture remain identical, so you get gooey, dairy‑free bars without extra steps.
How to Make Gluten Free Magic Bars
Step 1: Heat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9×13‑inch pan and line with parchment for easy lifting. Stir crumbs with melted butter until they feel like wet sand.
Step 2: Press firmly into an even crust.
Step 3: Scatter chocolate chips over the crust.
Step 4: Next, scatter the coconut, then the pecans on top of the chocolate chips.
Step 5: Pour condensed milk evenly on top. Spread gently and press so every corner is coated.
Step 6: Bake 25-30 minutes until coconut is golden and center is set. Cool completely (2 hours on a rack, 30‑minute fridge chill) before cutting into 24 squares. Optional: Sprinkle extra chips over hot bars.
Fixing Common Bar Fails
- Crumbly base: Add 1 tbsp extra butter or press harder before baking.
- Burnt coconut, gooey center: Tent pan with foil for the final 10 minutes next time.
- Too sweet: Swap half the chocolate chips for chopped toasted nuts.
For another easy treat, try my no bake peanut butter balls.
How to Store Gluten Free Magic Bars
- Cool bars in the pan for 2 hours, then chill 30 minutes. Transfer slices to an airtight container. They stay fresh at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Make‑Ahead Tip: Freeze cooled bars in a single layer, then store stacked between parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Classic recipes use wheat graham crackers, so you need a GF crust like Sweet Thins.
Swap pecans for sunflower seeds and be sure your chocolate chips are allergen‑safe. Also, you will have to swap the Sweet Thins for another gluten free graham cracker that is nut free.
Yes, freeze individually, then bag for up to 3 months.
They were sliced warm. Always cool fully, then chill briefly for clean cuts.
Tell me how you make these bars your own and drop a star rating below! For more chewy goodness, bake my blueberry crumb bars or this s’mores cookie skillet dessert.
More Gluten‑Free Dessert Bars
Gluten Free Magic Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed Simple Mills Sweet Thins, 2 full boxes – I pulse them in a food processor until they resemble sand
- ½ cup butter, melted, use vegan butter for dairy free
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, use 1.5 (11.25 oz) cans sweetened condensed coconut milk for dairy free
- 9 oz dark chocolate chips, I used one bag Enjoy life brand
- 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking oil.
- Mix the crushed sweet thins and butter together in a bowl until it looks like wet sand.
- Transfer the mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press down using your hands or the bottom of a flat cup until it forms an even, flat layer.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts on top evenly. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top and spread out using a spatula. Push down slightly so the condensed milk is covering everything.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the coconut is browned and the bars are set. Cool COMPLETELY for a couple of hours, then cut into 24 squares. Feel free to add extra chocolate chips on top as it cools.
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
These are so delicious, I made a half batch in an 8×8 pan to test it out first. I think it’s going to be a crowd pleaser and so many more people can enjoy since it’s gluten-free and I chose dairy-free milk as well. I don’t know if sweetened condensed coconut milk is equally comparable to regular condensed milk as far as the sugar content but I found these to be a bit too sweet, so I actually cut it in half the second time around by mixing equal parts sweetened condensed coconut milk and evaporated coconut milk (I just made some of the evaporated coconut milk in a pan since it was hard to find). Results were great, and still plenty sweet. So excited to share these bars with allergy sensitive friends!
Also, I loooove your gluten-free lava cakes!! So easy and sooo yummy.