Growing up, I remember my mom and her mother working together to make these delicious cookies while the warm glow of Christmas lights would illuminate my childhood home. The smell would drift from the kitchen into the living room where my siblings and I would be snuggled up in cozy winter pajamas watching Christmas movies. Nothing could tear me away from the TV quite like the aroma of a sweet, crunchy Seven Layer Bar. 

With the holiday season upon us, it is important to have the best baked goods for your celebration, and with so many recipes out there, it can be overwhelming when choosing the best cookies. To make that part of the holiday season easier, here is a simple, yummy, and timeless recipe to impress your relatives or whoever you spend the holidays with.

Seven Layer Bars are one of the best baked goods to grace this planet and to be served in the month of December. With graham cracker crust on the bottom, followed by butterscotch and chocolate chips, flaked coconut, and chopped nuts sprinkled on top, these little squares of heaven have a flavor party on your taste buds. The sweet butterscotch with the subtle chocolate balances out the taste perfectly, and sandwiched between graham cracker and coconut adds something you didn’t know you needed. These cookies are the perfect way to make the holiday season complete. 

The first step is to preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl for mixing, combine 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs with ½ cup of melted butter. Then, in a 9 x 13 pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray, press the combination down as the base of the bar. Once the graham cracker base is made, pour 1 can (14 oz) of condensed milk across the top, but not all the way to the edges of the pan. Once the whole base is complete, it’s time to start adding all the yummy stuff. First, 1 cup of butterscotch chips should be added, followed by 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spread both evenly across the top of the base.

These two last ingredients are optional, but I think they make the dessert even better. Add 1 ⅓ cup of flaked coconut and ½ cup chopped nuts of your choice on top. Then, after all that is done to your liking, pop the pan filled with tasty ingredients in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Once the coconut flakes look golden brown and white after 25-30 minutes in the oven, take the pan out and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut it into squares of any size, and the final step is to share them with people you love and enjoy a yummy holiday treat.