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Crinkly, wrinkly, and so delicious…these Magic Chocolate Chip Cookies are some of the best. A 7 layer bar, but in cookie form. They’re rich, decadent, heavy on the chocolate, and extra gooey! Made with browned butter, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, chocolate chips, and peanuts for a cookie that’s addictingly delicious. Every bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft and chewy in the center. Absolutely nothing not to love about these crinkly magic cookies. Bonus? These cookies are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and take only minutes to prep. They’re so deliciously easy…they’re magical!
If there was ever a cookie to make, I think it might just be these. I know that’s a bit of a bold statement, but there’s something very special about these cookies. I wasn’t sure how they would turn out when I started testing them. But it’s safe to say I am more than excited to be telling you guys all about these easy cookies.
First off, it’s no secret that I have really been embracing more “retro” style dessert recipes. I really don’t know why, but the recipes that were made back in the day, the ones our grandmas, and even their moms, were baking up, those are the ones inspiring me most right now. Vintage cakes, old-fashioned pies, upside-down cakes, and the ever so classic 7 Layer Bars sometimes know as Magic Bars.
All are exciting me, but it was the Magic Bar that inspired these cookies.
(cookies before baking)
The Idea
Brainstorming recipes is a never-ending thing for me. When I take thirty minutes to write out all my ideas is really when I come up with my favorites. I was jotting a recipe down (ok typing recipes) when I had the idea to make a 7 Layer Bar. For as much as I love a good cookie bar, I think I love cookies just a smidge better.
So I thought about taking everything in those 7 Layer Bars and turning them into circular cookies that could ideally be those flat, crinkly cookies I love so much. I wasn’t sure the concept would work. Stirring sweetened condensed milk into a cookie sounded like it could either be, one amazing, or two totally disastrous. They really had a fifty/fifty chance of being great or a complete flop, so I took my chances…
Five plus batches of cookie dough later, I finally got to the perfect cookie. The extra effort was more than worth it.
Here are the details
The thing about magic bars? They’re EASY. Which is one part of the “magic”. Well, the same is true for a magic cookie.
Just make my favorite brown butter cookie dough, then stir in chocolate chips, the coconut, so many chocolate chunks, and salty peanuts. Then swirl in the sweetened condensed milk, now bake.
Less than an hour later you’ll have the sweetest, crinkled cookies. Simple as that.
So simple, they’re magic. But what else makes them magic…they’re chocolatey, salty, sweet, gooey, and have just the tiniest bit of CRUNCH. Basically, they’re everything you could want out of a cookie, and with pockets of chocolate too.
They’re pretty hard not to love.
Soo with that, how about some Tuesday night baking? These are easy enough to have mixed up and baked in less than an hour. And my guess is that you already have all the ingredients on hand too!
Looking for more magical cookie recipes, try these…
Soft and Crinkly Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies
Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Magic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 22 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 289 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate chunks or chips
- 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (or any other toasted nut)
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 stick of butter in a large mixing bowl and set aside.2. Add 1 stick of butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the butter over the stick of butter in the mixing bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer. The butter should be chilled, but mostly melted. 3. To the mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and vanilla, beat until combined. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips, coconut, and peanuts. Drizzle over the sweetened condensed milk and mix until lightly combined, you should see streaks of condensed milk. 4. Let the dough sit 5 minutes, then roll the dough into 2 tablespoon size balls and place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball down into a disk using the palm of your hand.5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. Return to the oven and bake another 3-4 minutes or until the cookies begin to set on the edges, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Eat warm (highly recommend) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I don’t usually read comments unless I am in the NY Times Cooking Community I belong to. I had some downtime waiting for the condensed milk to sit on the dough. The negative comments blew me away. I want to interject to all of those out there so willing to pass judgment on someone’s creative process that:
Number One: Purchase the best ingredients you can afford.
Number Two: Always read through the recipe before pursuing it.
Number three: Measure your ingredients out before starting.
Number Four: Read the recipe again!
There were several techniques that were different and important to the outcome. Some of us cook for pure love and enjoyment, and those twists and turns are what keep us cooking. This recipe came out fabulous. I shared the cookies on a Friday afternoon with family and friends, and everyone loved them.
They were better than Mrs. Fields from back in the day!
Thanks so much for making these cookies, Kym:) I am so glad to hear that they turned out well for you and appreciate your comment! xx
Nope. Should have read the reviews. But I ALWAYS love your recipes so I went in faithfully. Cake-like cookies. The full peanuts were awful. Sorry, T. A total miss. What a bummer.
Hey Lauren!! I’m so sorry these cookies didn’t turn out for you! Is there anything I can do to help? xT
First time I made, perfection, delicious, chewy, just right. 2nd time too much condensed milk. I froze the rest of the can and did not measure what was left, too runny. Third time, we’ll see. YUM
Hmm interesting! Thanks for letting me know! xT
These were amazing cookie dough but not moist as cookies, very cake like. I’ll have to try again!
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything you did differently? xT
Agreed with other comments. Far too cakey! And not what I expected. The full peanuts were also odd. I’ll try a different recipe next time!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they were not enjoyed! xx