When I don’t know what to make, I make magic bars. I have all sorts of recipes for them on this site—vanilla malt, peanut butter-Oreo, and s’mores are some of my favorites. As long as I have sweetened condensed milk in my pantry, nothing is safe from being turned into a magic bar.

These layered bars are so easy to make and so good. I mean, how could a buttery crumb crust topped with chewy, caramelly filling possibly be bad?! There is barely any mixing involved; the majority of the ingredients are layered or scattered into the pan. Their titular “magic” comes from the way their sweetened condensed milk-based filling seems to assemble itself in the oven.

Today’s variation involves sweet, chewy coconut, smooth white chocolate, and buttery spice from Biscoff cookies. These are a little unusual, but definitely still magical. Coconut Biscoff Magic Bars are super simple to make, containing just seven ingredients and taking under an hour to prepare. Simply mix together the Biscoff cookie crumb crust, bake it for a few minutes, then layer the filling ingredients on top and bake again. Make sure to let these bars cool completely so that the caramelized sweetened condensed milk will set up properly—we love clean slices!

Now you might be wondering “why these flavors?” Well, as I alluded to above, magic bars are a great way to bake with the odds and ends in your pantry. I opened mine one day and saw the dregs of some coconut, the last of a bag of white chocolate chips, and a sleeve of Biscoff cookies—simple as that. The light spice of the Biscoff and the oven-toasted coconut compliment each other incredibly well, and the white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk add richness and texture.

If you’re not already sold, you’ll have to trust me that these bars are much more than the sum of their seven parts. Or, you know, you can dig into your own cabinets and make a weird and wonderful magic bar recipe of your own.

Coconut Biscoff Magic Bars
makes 1 8- or 9-inch pan, about 12-16 bars
 
26 Biscoff cookies, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut 
1/2 cup white chocolate chips + more for topping
6 Biscoff cookies, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 350F. Heavily grease a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Grease again. Set aside.

Place 20 Biscoff cookies the bowl of a food processor and process until pulverized. Add brown sugar and melted butter. Pulse until combined. Alternatively, cookies may be crushed in a bag and crust ingredients may be mixed in a bowl.

Transfer crust mixture to the prepared pan. Press into an even layer. Bake for five minutes, until set. Set crust aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over crust. Use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to carefully spread into an even layer. Scatter coconut over the top, followed by white chocolate chips.

Break remaining 6 Biscoff cookies into pieces and scatter over the top. Use the palms of your hands to lightly press the toppings into the sweetened condensed milk. Bake for 30-32 minutes, tenting pan with foil if anything becomes too dark. Bars are done when the center jiggles just slightly when the pan is jostled. The bars will set as they cool. Top with more white chocolate chips if desired.

Let bars cool completely in the pan on a rack. Use overhang to remove bars from the pan to a cutting board. Peel off foil. Slice with a lightly-greased knife and serve.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.