This Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars Recipe is a healthy twist to a timeless classic. These magic bar cookies are made with coconut flour, dark chocolate chips, almonds, shredded coconut, coconut milk and pure maple syrup.  

A stack of four square pieces of Magic Cookie Bars. A small glass of milk sits next to the stack.

These magic bar cookies are one of those healthy desserts you’ll want to make time and time again! Your whole family will love them! They are also great to make for parties, potlucks and gift-giving during the holiday season.

Six pieces of Magic Cookie Bars set on a marble background.

When I was growing up, there were four standard Christmas desserts that my mom would always make.  Snowballs, blueberry cheesecake, fudge (two batches – one with nuts and one without), and magic cookie bars. A classic Magic Cookie Bar recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, but for these magic bar cookies we we use coconut milk and pure maple syrup.

Magic Cookie Bar Recipe

These magic bar cookies are made with just 7 ingredients and come together in about 1 hour (25-30 minutes in the oven).

  •  Canned coconut milk (full fat)
  •  Pure maple syrup
  •  Coconut oil
  •  Coconut flour
  •  Raw almonds
  •  Dark chocolate chips
  •  Unsweetened shredded coconut
  • Flaky salt
  • Pure vanilla extract

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Seven square pieces of dessert resting on a wire cooling rack.

Variations

  • Use walnuts or pecans instead of almonds if you like.
  • Use semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate if you prefer. 

7 square pieces of chocolate dessert on a marble background.

How to Make Magic Cookie Bars

You love how amazing these Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars smell while they bake in the oven.  When the coconut milk and pure maple syrup simmers for a bit, the mixture slightly thickens and turns deliciously sweet and caramel-like.  You’ll  likely find yourself habitually dirtying a few spoons while taste-testing. 

  1. Prepare pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degree and line an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with either aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with oil (we use coconut oil).
  2. Chop almonds. Finely chop the almonds in a food processor, set aside.
  3. Crust.  In a medium size bowl, mix the coconut oil and 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Sprinkle in the coconut flour and mix well. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan so it covers the bottom evenly.
  4. Bake crust. Bake for about 6-7 minutes or until just lightly golden, then remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the chopped almonds, pressing into the crust slightly. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips and then the coconut flakes. Set aside.
  5. Cook coconut milk. In a large pot over medium-high heat, mix the coconut milk and pure maple syrup with a wire whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced by almost half.
  6. Add coconut sauce. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the ingredients. If you want your bars to be more moist, add another 3-4 tablespoons of coconut sauce.
  7. Bake.  Place in the oven and bake in the oven for about 28-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. 
  8. Serve.  Remove cookie bars from the oven and cool at room temperature. Cover with foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to cut into squares and serve.

How To Store Them

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they should last up to 1 week.

A stack of three Magic Cookie Bars.

More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

A stack of four Magic Cookie Bars next to a small glass of milk.
Yield: 12 servings

Gluten-Free Magic Cookie Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

This Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars Recipe is a healthy twist to a timeless classic.  These magic bar cookies are one of those healthy desserts you'll want to make time and time again! 

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can Coconut Milk (full fat)
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (divided)
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 2/3 cups raw almonds, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt (or sea salt)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree
  2. Finely chop the almonds in a food processor, set aside.
  3. Line an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan with either aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with coconut oil.
  4. In a medium size bowl, mix the coconut oil and 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup.
  5. Sprinkle in the coconut flour and mix well.
  6. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan so it covers the bottom evenly.
  7. Bake for about 6-7 minutes or until just lightly golden.
  8. Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with the chopped almonds, pressing into the crust slightly. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, coconut flakes and flaky salt. Set aside.
  9. In a large pot over medium-high heat, mix the coconut milk and pure maple syrup with a wire whisk.
  10. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is reduced by almost half.
  11. Remove from heat and stir in the pure vanilla extract.
  12. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the ingredients. If you want your bars to be more moist, add another 2-4 tablespoons of coconut sauce.
  13. Bake in the oven for about 28-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
  14. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature. Cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
  15. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should last up to 1 week.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.