Full of rich chocolate, with layers of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, M&Ms and sprinkles, these Christmas Magic Layer Brownie Bars are the ultimate holiday dessert.
I came up with this idea of making the classic 7-layer magic bars with a layer of brownies instead of graham crackers last spring, and the result was this amazingly rich and chocolaty dessert. It was so popular in fact that I decided it deserved a holiday upgrade.
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The key to these delicious Christmas Magic Layer Brownie Bars is to make sure they get the right amount of cooking time. You’ll notice in the instructions that I use an 11×7″ baking dish, and only about 3/4 of a can of sweetened condensed milk. Using the whole can would result in too much of the topping on the brownies and they won’t bake right. However, you could make these in a 13×9″ baking dish and use a little more of each of the topping ingredients.
This would result in a thinner brownie layer, so you’d have to adjust the cooking time accordingly (maybe 5 minutes less time). Using this size pan, you can add more coconut, more M&Ms and more chocolate chips. Not a ton more, but maybe 1/4 cup more of each.
Now, all that said, I prefer to use the smaller size pan because it results in a nice, thick chewy brownie. The instructions above for the larger pan are really just if you can’t handle having 1/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk leftover. *wink*
Christmas Magic Layer Brownie Bars Recipe:
Christmas Magic Layer Brownie Bars
Ingredients
Brownie Layer:
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg + 1 yolk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Toppings Layer:
- ¾ cup nuts (optional), divided
- ¼ cup mini holiday M&Ms, divided
- ¾ cup regular Holiday M&Ms, divided
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- ¾ of a can of sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place butter and chocolate chips in a large, microwaveable mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and continue microwaving and stirring in 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted.
- Beat in sugar, then vanilla and eggs, until well combined.
- Stir in flour until just combined.
- Pour into a well greased or foil lined 11x7 inch or 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (if using the larger pan, adjust cooking time down by a few minutes).
- Remove from the oven (brownies will jiggle a little but be done on top) and sprinkle on nuts (optional), half of the chocolate chips and M&Ms, then shredded coconut. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top. Spread gently to make sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle on remaining chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts and finally the sprinkles. **NOTE - if you use an 13x9” pan like I did, you may need about 1/4 cup more of each of the chips, M&Ms and coconut. I also only used about ¾ of the can of sweetened condensed milk. For a 13x9” pan of brownie bars, use the full can.
- Bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the middle is set and just starting to brown.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.
- Store in a tightly sealed container for up to one week.
Here’s another chocolate Christmas dessert we love:
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Blossoms
And here are even more delicious Christmas desserts:
Hi! I’m Kristin, the creative mind behind Yellow Bliss Road where you will be inspired by tons of easy to follow recipes, lots of free printables, and a little sprinkling of life thrown in for good measure.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was a hit with my coworkers during our holiday brownie bake-off!