There are hundreds (thousands?) of recipes for Layer Bars, all of them sweet and delicious. This particular version is adapted from an old church cookbook of my Grandmother’s, and sold out daily in a little coffeehouse I worked in. I only have six layers of ingredients here (most have seven), and I shrunk the pan size while keeping the ingredients the same. The result: a rich, decadent layer bar that is perfectly gooey and crunchy at the same time.

What You Need

This can be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 pan. The parchment paper can be omitted, but I find it helps get the bars out a bit easier.

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ¾ cup chocolate chips
• ¾ cup shredded coconut
• ¾ cup pecans
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch square pan, and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Pour the melted butter over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly on top of the butter.

Add the chocolate chips, then the coconut, and then the pecans, in even, separate layers.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top until everything is covered. Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate bars until set and firm, and then using the parchment sling, remove bars from the pan. Cut into squares.