These magic cookie bars offer a no-fuss holiday dessert with a sophisticated flavor profile. They're made with a spiced Biscoff crust that's deepened with a hint of coffee, creating a rich and complex base. The sweetened condensed milk adds richness and creates a gooey layer. This helps the chocolate chips, salty roasted pistachios, dried cherries, and candied orange stick together.
Baked until lightly golden and then chilled, they're transformed into the perfect make-ahead holiday treat.
Jump to:
🗝️ Recipe's key points
- This holiday magic bars recipe is a tasty twist on classic dessert bars. It has a spiced cookie crust with coffee and festive toppings like pistachios and candied orange.
- This is an incredibly easy, no-fuss holiday treat with no complicated steps - the hardest part is waiting for them to cool!
- These Christmas dessert bars are the perfect make-ahead dessert, as they need to be cooled and chilled, which actually makes them even better.
With their buttery, spiced crust, sweet and gooey texture, and tasty toppings, each bite has a bit of magic!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter is preferred, but if you use salted butter instead, I recommend you omit the salt added to the crust base.
- Biscoff cookies – Adds a delicious caramelized, buttery, and spiced flavor to the crust. You can also use gingersnap or cinnamon graham cracker crumbs.
- Ground espresso – Adds complexity of flavor to the crust, although it's not essential to use. You can also use espresso, but not instant coffee.
- Kosher salt – Enhances and balances flavors. Omit when using salted butter.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Provides irresistible creamy sweetness and a gooey layer that the toppings will easily stick to.
- Roasted, salted pistachios – A delicious and fun alternative to pecans. Use unsalted nuts to reduce the salt in these Christmas magic cookie bars.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips – For gooey pockets of chocolatey goodness. Semisweet chocolate chips are just as good!
- Dried tart cherries – Helps to balance the sweetness. Dried cranberries are also an option.
- Candied orange peel – Coarsely chopped. These can be omitted if you like.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Melt the butter in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the preheating oven.
- Transfer the melted butter to a medium bowl.
- Mix together 2 cups of Biscoff, gingersnap, or cinnamon graham cracker crumbs. Then, add ground coffee or espresso (just not instant) and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Transfer to the greased and lined baking pan. Top with a sheet of parchment paper to firmly and evenly press into the bottom. Remove the parchment and set aside.
- Pour the can of condensed milk over the crust and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle evenly with pistachios, chocolate chips, dried tart cherries or cranberries, and chopped candied orange peel.
- Cover with the reserved parchment paper and press down firmly so the toppings stick to the condensed milk. Remove the parchment paper.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly golden-brown. Cool completely on a wire rack for 2 hours, then refrigerate (if time allows) for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bars, then lift the slab out and cut into 24 pieces on a cutting board.
🥫 Storage
Keep these Biscoff magic bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
These easy holiday cookie bars are also perfect for freezing for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and serve chilled or allow them to sit at room temperature first.
📚 Variations
- Use another nut of your choice like hazelnuts, almonds, and pecans.
- Load these pistachio magic bars with dark chocolate, semisweet, white, or a mix of any of these with bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Use dried cranberries or even golden raisins instead of dried cherries.
- You can use different types of cookies to make the crust for these holiday magic bars. Try gingersnap cookies, cinnamon graham cracker crumbs, or even amaretti cookies. Each will add a unique flavor!
- Other sweet additions could include pieces of marzipan, hazelnut spread, and chocolate-covered espresso beans. Just be careful that you don't make these dessert bars overly sweet.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Chilling the cooled Christmas dessert bars for a minimum of 30 minutes helps create smoother cuts and a gooier texture. This step can be skipped if you are rushed for time, although I highly recommend you don't.
- To cut the slab into 24 equal pieces, make 6 cuts lengthwise and 4 cuts crosswise. You can also cut them into squares, diamonds, or rectangles if you like.
- I suggest using a sheet of parchment paper. This will help you press the toppings into the gooey condensed milk. It also keeps your spoon or spatula from getting sticky.
- Let the baked condensed milk cookie bars cool completely in the baking tray on a wire rack. After that, chill them in the fridge to set. It'll also give them a chance to set for slicing if you opt to skip the chilling time.
- Line the baking dish with an overhang of parchment paper on either side for easy transferring of the cooled slab to a cutting board.
- To balance the sweetness, try using salted pistachios instead of unsalted ones. Also, use dried cherries instead of dried cranberries.
- For the best crust, take your time to press the mixture into the bottom of the dish. Pressing evenly over a sheet of parchment paper helps, but you may need to use your fingertips to press into the corners.
🤔 FAQs
Absolutely. Salted pistachios bring great color and flavor to your dish. If you prefer, you can use salted hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, or pecans instead. Just use the same amount!
No, you may skip it. The espresso just deepens the flavor and makes the crust a bit more complex. If you omit it, you may want to add a pinch of cinnamon or extra cookie crumbs to replace the tablespoon of coffee.
Yes. Cinnamon graham cracker crumbs work well and still give you a warm, spiced flavor. If you're in a pinch, you can use regular graham crackers. Just add a bit of ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. This will give you that warm, holiday flavor!
Let the bars cool completely, then refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes (or longer) before cutting. Use a sharp knife, and wipe the blade clean between cuts. Lifting the entire slab out of the pan using the parchment "sling" onto a cutting board also makes slicing much easier.
Definitely, if you can't find candied orange peel or prefer not to use it, simply omit it—the bars will still be delicious. You can also swap dried cranberries, golden raisins, or a mix of your favorite dried fruits. Just keep the overall volume the same.
📗 Related Recipes
If you want something crunchy, nutty, or fruity, I have just the treats for you! These three layered holiday goodies will add joy to your festive gatherings
- Saltine Cracker Toffee (Christmas Crack) - This treat is a sweet, salty, and crunchy combination of buttery toffee and rich chocolate over saltine crackers.
- Turtle Caramel Pecan Bars - These bars feature a buttery shortbread base layered with homemade caramel, pecans, and melted milk chocolate.
- Italian Florentine Cookies - These thin, crunchy cookies are packed with nuts and dried fruit and drizzled with chocolate for a festive treat.
🍽 What to serve with Italian magic bars
Serve these Biscoff espresso holiday magic bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, cinnamon ice cream, or cappuccino gelato. An Irish Coffee is the perfect way to round-off this holiday dessert.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Cooking spray – Used to lightly grease the baking pan, ensuring the parchment paper and baked slab release easily. You can use butter instead.
- Parchment paper – Forms a sling inside the pan, allowing the cooled bars to be lifted out cleanly and easily for cutting.
- Baking pan 9x13-inch – The ideal size for making 24 bars.
- Glass mixing bowl – A microwave-safe bowl used to melt the butter and then combine the rest of the crust ingredients.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
If there were ever a bar cookie that belonged in Nonna's Christmas cookie tin, I'm pretty sure it would be these Holiday Magic Bars. They've got all the best things in life layered into one pan: buttery spiced crumbs, a hint of coffee, salted pistachios, bittersweet chocolate, and those little pops of fruity sweetness. It's the kind of recipe that seems like you spent all afternoon on it. But really, you just pressed everything into a pan and let the oven do the work.
What I love most is how forgiving and fun these bars are. You can swap the nuts, change up the dried fruit, play with different chocolates, or skip the candied orange if your store shelves are bare. As long as you keep that sweeteened condensed milk and a good, sturdy crust, you're golden. You can make these for cookie exchanges. Stack them on a pretty piatto (plate) for your dessert table. You can also tuck a few into a small box as a homemade gift. Tehyre rich enough that you can cut them small... but don'e be surprised when everyone cames back for "just one more."
So tie on your apron, pop open that can of sweetened condensed milk, and let's add a little magic to your holiday baking. When you take this pan of deliciousness out of the oven, get ready for a treat. That first chewy, gooey, coffee-flavored bite is something special. You'll understand why these bars should be in your "make every year" folder. Buon appetito, miei amici!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Holiday Magic Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or softened butter for the pan
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- 2 cups Biscoff gingersnap, or cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee or espresso not instant
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 1 ½ cups chopped salted roasted pistachios salted pistachios (about 7 ½ ounces)
- 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips about 7 ounces
- ½ cup dried tart cherries or cranberries about 3 ounces
- ½ cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel about 4 ounces
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper that covers the bottom and extends up past the 2 long sides to form a sling.
- Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the warming oven. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Mix together 2 cups of Biscoff, gingersnap, or cinnamon graham cracker crumbs. Then, add 1 tablespoon of ground coffee or espresso (make sure it’s not instant) and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to the baking pan. Top with a sheet of parchment paper and firmly and evenly press into the bottom. Remove the parchment and set aside.
- Pour 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk over the crust and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle evenly with 1 ½ cups roasted, salted pistachios, 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, ½ cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, and ½ cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel.
- Cover with the reserved parchment paper and press down firmly so the toppings stick to the condensed milk. Remove the parchment paper.
- Bake until the top is lightly golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help create smoother cuts and a gooier texture.
- Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bars. Grasping the excess parchment, lift the slab out of the pan and place on a cutting board.
- Cut into 24 pieces (5 cuts lengthwise, 3 cuts crosswise), or into any size squares, diamonds or rectangles you like.
- The bars will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days, but they are especially delicious right from the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Balance out all the sweetness. I suggest using salted pistachios instead of unsalted ones. Also, go for dried cherries instead of dried cranberries. They help balance the sweetness of the cookie.
- Add the flavors your family loves. Marzipan, amaretti cookies, hazelnut spread, and chocolate-covered espresso beans are all delicious treats. Any of these would be a lovely addition to these cookies.
- Take care with the sweets. These bars are rich no matter what, but can get very, very sweet.
- Salted nuts add a nice balance. If you use unsalted, sprinkle ½ teaspoon of kosher salt over the toppings.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Let the bars thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Promise
Marisa Franca
We love that these Magic Cookie Bars come together in minutes and bake up into a tray of chewy, gooey goodness. The underlying espresso flavor adds depth and warmth, perfect any time of year.