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These keto magic bars are crispy, buttery shortbread bars topped with shredded coconut, sugar-free chocolate chips, walnuts, pecan, and homemade keto condensed milk!
Keto magic cookie bars are an easy, popular American dessert. These bars are called ‘magic’ because they magically turn into a layered bar without having to mix the layer ingredients.
Usually, the traditional recipe is very high in sugar and carbs. In fact, the regular recipe is made of sweetened condensed milk, store-bought graham crackers, and chocolate chips.
The keto magic bar version is a sugar-free and gluten-free version of this popular dessert.
How to make this keto magic bar recipe?
A magic bar is a 5-layer dessert bar that magically forms by simply layering each ingredient into a square pan. It’s made of:
Shortbread crust
Coconut layer
Chocolate layer
Nut layer
Condensed milk
Keto condensed milk
Before starting this recipe make a batch of my keto condensed milk recipe. It’s a delicious keto sweetened condensed milk, with no sugar.
You will use the entire batch of this low-carb condensed milk recipe to make these magic bars. You can make ahead this condensed milk recipe, 1 or 2 days before making this magic bar keto recipe.
To make this sugar-free condensed milk you will need
Butter
Heavy cream
Vanilla
Powdered erythritol – not crystal! To make your own powdered sugar-free sweetener, bring 2 cups of crystal erythritol into a high-speed blender. Blend until it becomes fine and powder forms. It is the cheapest way to make it at home! Store in a sealed container in the pantry for up to 3 months.
Xanthan gum
Ingredients for the Keto shortbread crust
First, prepare the keto shortbread crust by combining the ingredients below into a large mixing bowl. To make this grain free sugar free crut, you need :
Almond flour – use ultra-fine not almond meal.
Erythritol – don’t use xylitol or the crust will be too soft!
Coconut oil or melted butter if preferred.
Water
Vanilla extract
Salt
Prebaking the crust
Preheat oven to 320F (160C). Line an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
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Then, press evenly the shortbread dough into the baking dish to fully cover the surface with the same thickness all over the pan. Press the dough with a spatula or the back of a spoon to smoothen the surface.
Prick the crust with a fork and prebake the crust for 12 minutes, until golden. Cool down before assembling the low carb magic bar layers.
Assembling the layer
As mentioned before, a magic bar magically creates layers in the oven. To make this happen, you must sprinkle the ingredients evenly all over the baking dish in this order:
Sugar-free chocolate chips – it’s important to start with a first layer of chocolate chips, not the coconut, or the coconut won’t stick well to the shortbread base.
Half the amount of unsweetened shredded coconut.
Remaining shredded coconut.
Sugar-free chocolate chips.
Finely chopped pecans and walnuts.
1 batch of homemade sugar-free condensed milk.
The chocolate chips and sugar-free condensed milk melt in the oven, sticking each layer together and forming the magic cookie bars recipe!
Baking
Gently bake the bar at 160C (320F). Do not bake at a higher temperature to avoid burning the chocolate chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until all the ingredients are melted and bubbles form on the side of the bars.
Cool down in the fridge!
Cool down the bars at room temperature first. I recommend 10 minutes in the baking dish, then pull out the magic bars from the pan lifting the pieces of parchment paper hanging out the dish. Transfer onto a cooling rack for 1 hour.
Finally, pop the rack with the bars in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.
This is crucial to set the layers. It makes the cutting easy and prevents the bars from crumbling or the layers from sticking to each other.
Storage
You can store the bars in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze each bar in an individual container and thaw the day before at room temperature.
How does it taste?
Keto magic bars are buttery shortbread cookie bars with crunchy chocolate, coconut nut layers topped with condensed milk – that actually tastes like caramel sauce!
It is a very sweet bar, perfect for a keto low-carb dessert during the holiday season, with only 4.6 grams of net carbs per serving.
More keto bar recipes
If you enjoy easy keto bars, you’ll also love the following recipes:
Cookie Dough Bars are delicious no-bake peanut butter chocolate chips bars made with only 5 wholesome ingredients. A healthy 100% keto, low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan bar ready in only 30 minutes to fix a sweet craving with no guilt.
Preheat oven to 300°F (160°F). Line an 8-inch x 8-inch non-stick brownie pan, grease with oil spray (avoid glass pan or the bar will stay soft!). Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour, erythritol, salt, melted coconut oil, water, and vanilla
Stir until it forms a shortbread dough that sticks together into a ball. If too dry and crumbly, add 1 teaspoon extra water at a time, knead until it sticks together, it shouldn't be runny or too wet.
Transfer the dough onto the prepared pan and press with your hands to evenly cover the surface of the pan. Smooth with the back of a spoon and prick the crust with a fork
Pre-bake crust for 12 minutes. After that time, remove the pan from the oven and set aside at room temperature to cool down for at least 10 minutes.
Assemble the magic bar layers
Sprinkle the ingredients all over the pre-baked shortbread crust in this order to form layers 1/2 cup sugar-free milk chocolate chips, 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips, and remaining 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut. To finish, sprinkle the finely chopped walnuts and pecan
Now drizzle the keto condensed milk all over the bar and press with the back of a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are packed onto the crust.
Bake on the center rack of the oven at 300°F (160°C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbly on the sides.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, pull out the hanging pieces of parchment paper to release the bar and place it on a cooling rack.
Cool down at least 1 hour on the rack and then place the rack with the bars for 3 hours in the fridge (or overnight) before slicing into bars. Don't slice before refrigerating or the bars can be fragile and crumble apart.
Storage and freezing
Store in the fridge, in a cookie jar or sealed container for up to 5 days or freeze in zip bags and defrost at room temperature 3 hours before eating.
Hello I can’t wait to make this it looks so good. I clicked the link to see how to make home made condensed milk but it takes me to bacon wrapped asparagus. Is there a different link please. Thank you in advance.
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Thank you for all your amazing recipes.
Can I ask, is there anything else I can use instead of the cream
I’m lactose intolerant
Thank you.
Pure canned coconut cream is a great alternative to heavy cream. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
Hello I can’t wait to make this it looks so good. I clicked the link to see how to make home made condensed milk but it takes me to bacon wrapped asparagus. Is there a different link please. Thank you in advance.
Sorry for this, it’s fixed now ! Enjoy the bars. XOXO Carine