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    Home » Recipes

    Keto Magic Bars

    Nov 2, 2022 · 104 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    These EASY Keto Magic Bars are the perfect sugar-free and low-carb dessert! A shortbread crust, pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, and homemade caramel sauce make these so delicious!

    keto magic bars on parchment paper

    These Keto Magic Bars really live up to their name and no...it’s not an illusion. Yes, they are "keto", yes they are delicious, and yes they will disappear without a trace! Now if we could only figure out a way to pull them out of a hat we could have an interactive magic show/restaurant in Vegas.

    We’ve wanted to make these dessert bars for a long time, but until recently every attempt we made to make them, the end product just didn’t meet our expectations. Then the keto gods smiled upon us and we were blessed with an erythritol brown sugar substitute. We knew immediately when we saw the bag we had to buy it, and as soon as we opened and smelled it we knew we had to make keto magic bars.

    To make the sweetened condensed milk substitute for these bad boys we basically made a caramel sauce with the Swerve Brown Sugar. Talk about delicious.

    Honestly, these little bites of joy remind us of a tiny pecan pie with just a teensy bit of coconut cake mixed in. They are great with your favorite keto-friendly ice cream for a dessert, and in our humble opinion, the best dessert currently on Cast Iron Keto.

    Jump to:
    • How to make keto magic bars
    • Caramel not mixing into the fillings?
    • Optional add-ins
    • 📖 Recipe

    How to make keto magic bars

    1. start by making your shortbread style crust - this is super easy, all you need is blanched and finely ground almond flour, salt, an egg, and butter. You'll pre-bake the crust.
    2. next, make the caramel - this uses heavy cream, butter, brown erythritol, vanilla extract and salt. Watch it carefully!
    3. mix up the fillings - chocolate chips (we use Lily's), unsweetened shredded coconut, and pecan pieces and add them to the pre-baked crust.
    4. top the fillings with the caramel and bake one last time.

    That's it! Don't let the caramel scare you, it's super easy!

    Caramel not mixing into the fillings?

    Some folks have mentioned that their sauce just sits on top like a crust. If this happens your “condensed milk” probably cooked just a little too long.

    No worries though, just mix the sauce into the toppings a bit before placing back in the oven so that everything mixes together.

    Optional add-ins

    Any type of nut or seed is delicious in these Keto Magic Bars! We love using pepitas, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, or even hemp seeds!

    hand holding magic bar

    📖 Recipe

    hand holding magic bar

    Keto Magic Bars

    These EASY Keto Magic Bars are the perfect sugar-free and low-carb dessert! A shortbread crust, pecans, coconut, chocolate chips, and a homemade caramel sauce makes these so delicious!
    4.69 from 74 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: baking, keto, low carb, sweets
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 257kcal

    Ingredients

    Crust:

    • 1 cup almond flour we use Bob’s Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

    Condensed Milk Caramel:

    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • ½ cup Swerve Brown Erythritol you can also use any granulated erythritol
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt

    Fillings:

    • 9 oz bag Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips
    • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
    • 1 cup pecan pieces

    Instructions

    Crust:

    • Preheat oven to 300° F.
    • In a medium bowl mix together the crust ingredients until a ball of dough forms. Press the dough into an 8 inch cast iron skillet.
    • Poke a few small holes in the crust with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes until slightly golden.

    Condensed Milk Caramel:

    • Place all ingredients in a tall sided pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
    • Once boiling continue to boil for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
    • After 5 minutes it should have reached the consistency of condensed milk or a thick caramel sauce. Set aside to cool.

    Assemble:

    • Place the pecan pieces, coconut, and chocolate chips on top of the curst. Pour over the condensed milk (see note below recipe) and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes.
    • Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before cutting into bars.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Magic Bars
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 257 Calories from Fat 212
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 23.6g36%
    Carbohydrates 12.7g4%
    Fiber 7.7g32%
    Protein 4.7g9%
    *

    Nutritional values are estimates only and do not include carbs from sugar alcohols.

    # Hashtag with us!Don't forget to mention @castiron_keto or tag #castironketo on Instagram with your creations! We love seeing what you're making.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. london says

      September 01, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      Can you substitute the heavy cream for coconut milk?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        September 07, 2018 at 3:02 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    2. Catherine Loughman says

      September 07, 2018 at 2:21 am

      After listening to 2 Keto Dudes podcast where they talked about how Allulose makes great caramel without burning the way sugar does, I decided to make the sauce/condensed milk with Allulose instead of the
      Monk Fruit/Erythritol Blend. It really was amazing. It developed a true caramel flavor and color and not even a hint of burning.

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        February 28, 2022 at 12:00 am

        Do you substitute 1/2 cup of allulose?

        Reply
    3. Mary Manello says

      September 21, 2018 at 11:19 pm

      Can I use a regular (fairly heavy) 9” square baking pan? These look like a MUST MAKE cookie, but I don’t have a cast iron skillet! Thank You!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        September 26, 2018 at 12:01 pm

        Yes, definitely!

        Reply
    4. Cheryl Ponceti says

      October 02, 2018 at 3:07 am

      Does your condensed milk turn brown from the Allulose? It looks like caramel. Do you use a keto caramel as well?

      Thanks ,
      Cheryl

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        October 02, 2018 at 10:32 am

        Hi Cheryl, I'm not sure what you mean? You are making the condensed milk, the recipe is in the recipe card for it - heavy cream, butter, Swerve, vanilla, and salt.

        Reply
      • Shannon Morris says

        February 27, 2019 at 5:11 pm

        The answer is yes. Basic keto caramel recipe is sweetener, cream and butter cooked until the milk solids and sweetener turn brown. For condensed milk you simply cook it less. There are other condensed milk variations that add an egg yolk during cooking to prevent too much browing, but all of them work (and have the potential to fail under the wrong conditions)

        Reply
      • Jessica says

        August 15, 2020 at 9:09 pm

        5 stars
        I don’t know if I’m missing it but what are the net carbs per serving? I saw there were 12 servings.

        Reply
        • Cast Iron Keto says

          August 18, 2020 at 11:46 am

          Hi Jessica, at the bottom of the recipe there is a nutritional card that shows the total carbs and the fiber. To get the net carbs you subtract the fiber from the total carbs. Hope this helps!

          Reply
    5. Tammy says

      October 10, 2018 at 12:54 am

      Looks amazing. Can't wait to try it. Can I use Xylotol instead the listed sweeteners?

      Thanks
      Tammy

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        October 11, 2018 at 10:58 am

        Thanks! I'm not sure as I've never worked with Xylitol, if you give it a try please report back and let us know how it turned out.

        Reply
    6. Sarah Barnbrook says

      October 11, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      I can't wait to try this. I think a hazelnut variation would be amazing.

      Reply
    7. Ellen Mast says

      October 11, 2018 at 2:17 pm

      This recipe is so amazing and superb!!!!

      Reply
    8. Sarah says

      October 17, 2018 at 11:04 pm

      I made this just now and the caramel just set on top of it. It didn’t soak down to hold the coconut, chips, and pecans together at all. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        October 18, 2018 at 2:07 pm

        Hi Sarah, if your caramel was super cooled this could be the reason. Also, if it was cooked too long and it was too thick that could do it too. If you try it again make sure that those two things aren't the cause, otherwise you can just stir the caramel into the toppings a bit.

        Reply
        • Teresa says

          August 12, 2021 at 11:29 pm

          This should be pointed out in the recipe. I would’ve reheated it. I have this same problem plus now it looks just like it did when I put it in the oven for 7 minutes, nothing is bubbling or even melted. 🙁
          Very expensive mistake because I had to run to the store after making caramel and crust (figured out someone used up my unsweetened coconut) so I had to run to store for more). 🙄

          Reply
    9. Melinda says

      October 22, 2018 at 5:17 pm

      Awesome Desert, thanks for sharing the recipe.
      i entered all the ingredients on my app, and the total calories of 1 bar turned out different than your count.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        October 22, 2018 at 8:56 pm

        We use the KetoDiet App to calculate our nutritional info, depending on what app or software you use there could be differences depending on where they pull their info from.

        Reply
    10. Tammy says

      November 03, 2018 at 1:52 am

      I must be doing something way wrong, when making caramel, set the timer for 5 minutes. everything looking good.....then boom...... it turned a dark brown and separated and now smells burnt 🙁
      Should I be turning down temp from high when it starts to boil or just cut back on the 5 minute boil time?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 05, 2018 at 11:38 am

        Hi Tammy, did you stir it occasionally during those 5 minutes? You can try to reduce it to a simmer after it reaches the boil, be sure to stir it though and keep an eye on it. It can also depend on how hot your stove is so be sure to watch it and cook just until golden and thickened.

        Reply
    11. Rhonda says

      November 16, 2018 at 1:16 am

      These look delicious. How do you come up with the net carbs?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 16, 2018 at 11:36 am

        We use the KetoDiet App to calculate nutrition. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohols. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    12. Kimberly Holloway says

      November 17, 2018 at 12:06 am

      Omgosh! This was amazing!!! I used erythritol since I didn't have the brown sugar & it turned out great. I was a little concerned it wouldn't cover the bottom of my pan but it did, thinly. This might be my Christmas keto dessert!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 18, 2018 at 9:49 am

        Great to hear that you enjoyed the bars Kimberly!

        Reply
    13. S. says

      November 22, 2018 at 3:08 am

      Ugh. What a disappointment, Bad instructions. The bars seem to require the "condensed milk" to glue everything together. Following the instructions results in a thick sauce, (as described), and this just sits on the top and forms a hard crust. When cutting, the whole mess falls apart. It might be better to just stir the sauce into the pieces in a bowl first and then add the mix onto the crust all together.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 22, 2018 at 12:39 pm

        Sorry to hear that! It sounds like your condensed milk cooked a little too long, we've added a note to the recipe for anyone who may have the same issue. Hope you'll give them another try. I bet your batch would be great crumbled over some keto ice cream since they won't stick together like bars.

        Reply
    14. Terese SantaroGustke says

      November 23, 2018 at 4:56 pm

      I made these for my dessert for Thanksgiving and they were amazing! The caramel pooled just a little bit in one area but got throughout the recipe. I didn’t have a cast iron skillet so I used an 8 inch square pan. Worked out fine! Thanks so much for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        November 23, 2018 at 6:16 pm

        Thanks for sharing Terese, glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    15. Lisa Balser says

      November 30, 2018 at 12:44 am

      My "condensed milk" became all separated and ended up melted butter with what looks like curdled cream. Any idea on what I did wrong?

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        February 02, 2019 at 10:48 am

        Mine was similar too, though the cream didn't curdle. I kept stirring continuously and had a beautiful caramel color, but I let it sit while I chopped up my pecans into smaller pieces. I looked back and the caramel and butter had separated =/. I ended up pouring out the butter from the top but then the caramel volume wasn't super high and ended up becoming super dry when I added it to the pan (I didn't have a skillet). It's still delicious, but not as great of a texture as I think it could have had!

        Reply
      • Lisa says

        October 24, 2019 at 2:35 am

        I added a little xantham gum and whisked it up! Worked for me

        Reply
    16. Christy says

      December 05, 2018 at 11:57 pm

      Are you supposed to melt the butter for the crust? Want to try this recipe tonight.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        December 06, 2018 at 11:24 am

        Yes, melt the butter.

        Reply
        • Pam Beiderhake says

          August 24, 2020 at 2:16 am

          My caramel separated also. Butter on top with clumps of caramel mixed in. Maybe because I used Stevia or cooked too long. It looked great at 4 minutes and ten boom.. a mess. Crust did well. Also, a crucial leave out...melting the butter for the crust. Crust still looks good though.

          Reply
          • Cast Iron Keto says

            August 24, 2020 at 5:06 pm

            Hi Pam, stevia will not work in this caramel recipe as it doesn't melt and caramelize as erythritol does. We have tested the caramel with Allulose and Monk Fruit and those both work but stevia does not.

            Reply
    17. Dani says

      December 15, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      Is it ok to use coconut cream in place of heavy cream?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        December 20, 2018 at 12:53 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    18. Dani says

      December 22, 2018 at 5:01 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! My husband love it and he doesn’t eat keto and likes his See’s candy. I used canned coconut cream in place of heavy cream and a mix of monkfruit sweetener with Xylitol...Our favorite keto dessert now!

      Reply
    19. Sarra says

      December 26, 2018 at 5:13 am

      I was wondering how this can qualify as Keto with 11 gms of sugar. I am fairly new to this program and understood no sugar.

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        January 03, 2019 at 2:27 pm

        Hi Sarra, that is 1.1 (one point one) grams of sugar not 11.

        Reply
    20. Amanda says

      January 19, 2019 at 1:24 am

      This was so, so good!!!

      Reply
    21. Julie says

      January 21, 2019 at 12:15 am

      Delicious! I just made these using sugar free chocolate chips. They turned out great. Hard to believe they're sugar free! I will say that 5 minutes on high heat was a little much. I was constantly stirring and pulled it from the heat as soon as I noticed dark brown flakes starting to form in the mixture (around 4 1/2 minutes). Luckily it didn't tasted burnt. I also had to leave them in the refrigerator longer than 1 hour to cool them completely until they were set. I'll definitely be making these again,

      Reply
    22. Charissa says

      January 23, 2019 at 12:10 am

      How big is a serving size?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        January 28, 2019 at 6:43 pm

        All the serving sizes are listed at the top of the recipe.

        Reply
    23. Diana says

      February 20, 2019 at 2:25 am

      After setting the caramel aside to cool it formed a crunchy crust on top and then proceeded to separate....so frustrating!!
      I’m giving it another shot and maybe won’t boil for the full 5 min.

      Reply
    24. Beth says

      February 27, 2019 at 10:59 pm

      I made these for my dad's birthday tonight and they are the bomb! Unfortunately I overcooked the "sweetened condensed milk" mixture, didn't have time to make more so I just rolled with it, and they still turned out amazing. I also do not own any cast iron (I know gasp) but a baking dish worked well! I'm pretty sure as badly as I screwed up that these are pretty fail proof. Definitely making these again (hopefully when I'm able to focus more) and hope to get the right consistency on the sweetened condensed milk! Awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        March 02, 2019 at 1:42 pm

        Hi Beth, I'm thrilled that the bars still turned out great!

        Reply
      • Teresa Lindgren says

        June 11, 2019 at 8:26 am

        Hi, I'm glad you mentioned about the baking dish because I don't have a cast iron skillet either was wondering how it would turn out in a pan! I'll be making theses soon!!!

        Reply
    25. Angie says

      March 03, 2019 at 4:46 pm

      I’m usually disappointed when I see yummy healthy desserts and try them out but not with these. They were amazingly delicious!!!! I couldn’t find the brown sugar but instead used Swerve granulated sugar and it was perfect!!

      Reply
    26. Holly says

      March 08, 2019 at 1:59 am

      Wow!!! Thank you for this amazing recipe! I used Truvia brown sugar and my sauce turned out pretty thin but the flavor was incredible! No one would know this is keto treat!

      Reply
    27. Lydia says

      March 31, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      First, I just wanted to say that these are delicious! Secondly, I think that me and "Keto Sweetened Condensed Milk" or "Keto Caramel Sauce" just were not meant to be. Never fails that my ingredients always separate, regardless of cooking time and constant stirring. Unfortunately, my sauce for this recipe separated some as it cooled and turned out quite gritty in the end, but luckily being paired with pecans and coconut redeemed its texture some. 😉 I am just curious if you had any further pointers or if you would happen to know why it always turns out gritty for me. I use erythritol as my sweetener.
      Thank you in advance! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jackie says

        August 08, 2019 at 11:21 pm

        I just made these yesterday and had the same exact issue! Did you ever figure out why?

        Reply
    28. Meg Smith says

      April 15, 2019 at 1:57 am

      Made these tonight. By far the best keto dessert I have tried. My boyfriend and his daughter--who are not fans of most of my other keto desserts--loved these. I already have this saved for Thanksgiving, when I'll need a good alternative to my mom's delicious (and unfortunately, NOT keto friendly) chocolate bourbon pecan pie.

      Reply
    29. Tammy M says

      April 22, 2019 at 1:39 am

      My mom made these for us for a birthday party and Easter dinner so we didn't miss real sweets. These are AMAZING!! Best Keto dessert I've had so far!!! She added 1 T of peanut butter powder to crust and used Hershey's kitchen sugar free chocolate chips instead of Lily's. I'm addicted!

      Reply
    30. Melanie says

      May 05, 2019 at 6:33 am

      If I use Swerve granulated instead of brown sugar will it still have that caramel flavor ? Seems like it couldn’t so will it really be as good?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        May 06, 2019 at 5:37 pm

        It'll work!

        Reply
    31. Laura Manderson says

      June 06, 2019 at 3:17 am

      They are delicious ! The only thing wrong with the instructions is that it does not say to mix the coconut, pecans and chocolate chips together first and then spread on top of the crust ! I put them on separately and the coconut does not hold together so the whole bar falls apart when you cut it!

      Reply
    32. Teresa Lindgren says

      June 11, 2019 at 8:33 am

      They look so delicious and can't wait to make them! I do have a question, in the video, when it shows the ingredients going into the pot for the "condensed milk" the heavy cream looks solid, almost like cream cheese. Isn't heavy cream a liquid?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        June 13, 2019 at 4:39 pm

        Hi Teresa, this is triple cream that's being used by our videographer. It will work with liquid heavy cream (as written), with thick cream as in the video, or even almond milk or coconut milk.

        Reply
    33. Teri says

      June 14, 2019 at 1:11 am

      The instructions say to boil/stir the caramel sauce for 5 minutes. When I did that, after less than 3 minutes, the mixture was completely black and burnt. The video doesn't show this 5 minute boil/stir process, though, so I wonder if it was a mistake in the instructions? I ended up tossing the first batch of VERY expensive burnt sauce and did another and removed from the heat as soon as it started to boil. It was ok, but not the same thick consistency as the video. One question..do you pack the Swerve brown sugar or just scoop and level it off?

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        June 19, 2019 at 12:25 pm

        Hi Teri, there's no mistake in the instructions. This recipe has been tested numerous times by both us and our video producer as well as hundreds or readers. I'm surprised that it would burn in just 5 minutes. Let's try to trouble shoot! Yes, the brown "sugar" is slightly packed. What size pot did you use for the caramel sauce?

        Reply
    34. Stacey Lind says

      July 07, 2019 at 4:20 pm

      Hi - if I substitute Coconut flour for the Almond flour (I have a tree but allergy), do you know how much I should use? I know that Coconut flour absorbs much more liquid so I want to be sure I account for that!

      Thank you,
      Stacey

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        July 21, 2019 at 1:18 pm

        Hi Stacey, no I don't. Since we haven't tested this recipe with coconut flour I'm not sure how it would turn out.

        Reply
    35. Nina says

      July 26, 2019 at 5:44 pm

      These are incredibly delicious. If you didn't watch the video you might miss the detail of mixing the chocolate, nuts, and coconut into one layer instead of three layers - it holds together better if you pre mix these. I stubbornly waded through 1/4 of the pan before I finally admitted I am sensitive to swerve and threw the rest out. Too bad, because they are really tasty!

      Reply
    36. Robyn says

      September 12, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      These are AMAZING!! I followed the instructions to the tee - OMG... sooooo good!!!
      Thank you, thank you!! I have tried several of your recipes and so far ALL have been more than I hoped for - amd my new go-to's. You're awesome - keep up the great work! Much appreciated <3

      Reply
    37. Burnsie Kotz says

      September 18, 2019 at 1:11 am

      mmmm! These look amazing! Haven't tried them yet but I am waiting patiently for them to cool. Because I didn't have the brown sugar, I browned the butter first and then added in the rest. I was very much worried that the sauce would separate as I've had problems with this before but it didn't. I made sure that I was stirring almost continuously and would take it off the heat from time to time during the 5 minutes. A very smooth caramel sauce was made! Thanks, Alex, for this recipe 🙂

      Reply
    38. Sharon says

      December 21, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      I love the taste! Awesome! One issue... I used a Pyrex dish 8 X 8 to bake. The crust separated from the rest of the mixture. Hum? Is this because of the dish I used? Or any other suggestions?
      Thanks for a delicious chocolate mixture!

      Reply
      • Alex Lester says

        December 31, 2019 at 7:10 pm

        That's strange! Did you prebake the crust?

        Reply
    39. Jacki says

      January 16, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      These are sooo good! The second time I made them, I substituted walnuts for the pecans since that is what we had in the pantry. Just as good with walnuts.

      Reply
    40. Alta says

      January 22, 2020 at 10:00 pm

      5 stars
      These are delicious. Thanks for making these amazing recipes available for us.

      Reply
    41. Lynn says

      March 10, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      So today I’m breaking down and making the entire recipe. Your caramel sauce is my go-to, and I’ve made it a million times. So easy peasy, so caramel-y. I imagine the cookie part will be just as incredible.

      Reply
    42. LeAnn Szymanski says

      March 20, 2020 at 12:18 am

      I tried making the sauce twice and it didn’t work either time. The first time I’d didn’t seem done after the 10 minutes so I kept cooking and it burned. The 2nd time I stopped after the 10 minutes and it is very runny. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
    43. LeAnn Szymanski says

      March 20, 2020 at 12:23 am

      Regarding my first comment, I didn’t cook for 10 minutes, I cooked for 5 minutes after it came to a boil and it took about 5 minutes to come to a boil.

      Reply
      • LeAnn Szymanski says

        March 20, 2020 at 1:18 am

        I watched the video and noticed that your heavy cream was not liquid. Mine is liquid. Is that the difference?

        Reply
        • Cast Iron Keto says

          March 23, 2020 at 3:22 pm

          Hi LeAnn! Our video producer in South Africa used Double Cream, it's just a thicker version of the heavy cream we have here in the US. It doesn't affect the recipe at all, in fact you can even use almond milk, coconut milk, or regular milk in place of the heavy cream and it will turn out just fine. That being said, did you stir frequently? What size pot did you use? Did you make any ingredient substitutions?

          Reply
          • Debbie Shepherd says

            March 26, 2020 at 8:29 pm

            I had the same experience with the carmel sauce. It was runny and the butter separated. I did stirred if frequently and did everything exactly like the recipe said.

            Reply
    44. Denise says

      April 14, 2020 at 1:44 pm

      5 stars
      I've made this recipe twice and absolutely love it! My husband and I have been on Keto for over a year and this is easily the best dessert we've had. I used an 8x8'" pan lined with parchment paper and set the oven to 350 both times. The first time I made the bars I followed the recipe and poured the caramel over the top after layering the pecan pieces, coconut and chips and found that the bars broke apart at the coconut layer. No worries, I ate them over a plate and they were still excellent! The next time I made the recipe I put the chips directly on the shortbread after the shortbread was cooked. After the caramel was cooked, I added the pecan pieces and coconut into the pan then stirred it all together. I then poured the caramel/pecan/coconut mixture over the shortbread/chip layers and baked in the oven for 8 minutes. The chocolate melts and holds the shortbread and caramel/pecan/coconut layer together so it's easy to eat the bar cookie without a plate.

      Reply
    45. Denise says

      April 22, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      Good grief. I didn't watch the video before preparing. I guess I'll just have to make them again. 🙂

      Reply
    46. Brenna Ring says

      May 06, 2020 at 4:04 am

      5 stars
      I have been meaning to make these for a while and finally tried them today. This is an amazing recipe! I boiled the condensed milk mixture for a little over six minutes but I live at an extremely high altitude and this affects cooking times and boiling temps. The end result was difficult to stop eating.Thanks for sharing, love your blog.

      Reply
    47. Cheryl says

      June 07, 2020 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      I made these this morning, and I just had a small piece. Absolutely delicious, thank you! Can these be frozen?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        June 10, 2020 at 1:22 pm

        Yes, they can be frozen! Just reheat in the oven until warmed.

        Reply
    48. ElenaS says

      June 20, 2020 at 3:37 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for this delicious recipe!I read through most of the comments to be prepared for every possible disaster but I have to say it all came together well - the sauce is amazing. However I do have a couple of comments. I think there is too much filling for that small amount of caramel sauce to contain. Once it cooled and I sliced it, the crust was slipping off the bottom and the skillet was full of wasted filling. I made a mental note to prepare 1 1/2 the sauce next time and reduce the amount of filling by 1/2. Of course the next time I made it I completely forgot my plans, so at the last moment I poured my caramel sauce directly onto the crust and then added the fillings (about half of the amount on top. It worked perfectly! The caramel cements the crust and fillings so there is no waste. I froze the leftover filling for next time...now it reminds me of the "Christmas Crack" I used to make pre-Keto which was basically a cookie tray of saltine cracker with a caramel sauce (more brittle though) poured on top and then sprinkled with toppings...

      Reply
    49. Lily says

      June 21, 2020 at 2:51 am

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe! The flavors are spot on for the magic bars I used to buy at a local coffee shop (gluten free but packed with sugar!) though the brown swerve in the sauce has a cooling kick which I don’t often find from swerve.
      Next time, I’ll try bochasweet which I’ve made a lovely caramel sauce with before, to see if I can avoid the minor cooling sensation and recrystallization I got with swerve. I also layered coconut, nuts, chocolate and in some places the sauce didn’t quite make it down far enough to “glue” the coconut to the crust but that’s okay!

      For all the people having trouble with the caramel sauce, just keep an eye on it and stir A LOT while it boils. I’ve done a fair amount of traditional candy making, for friends and family who eat sugar, and keto “candy” does not behave the same way! Sugar alternatives won’t get as hot, wont hit soft or hard crack, etc. I was suspicious of a caramel recipe that just dumps everything in from the word go but it does work. You have to be patient, and let it come to a real boil not just a simmer! I needed closer to seven minutes to get mine to be nice and glossy and thick enough to set up nicely after it cooled.

      Reply
    50. Troy says

      June 23, 2020 at 1:21 am

      5 stars
      My wife just started this Keto kick. She is going to love this recipe. Thank you and cant wait to make these.

      Reply
    51. Michelle says

      July 15, 2020 at 5:22 am

      5 stars
      These are so good. Like, serious tears of joy-level good. 🙏🏼 Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        July 15, 2020 at 1:47 pm

        So glad to hear that Michelle, thanks for your review!

        Reply
    52. avio desa says

      August 27, 2020 at 9:47 am

      4 stars
      I just have one question I am a diabetic what is the alternative of sugar I can use

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        September 02, 2020 at 12:20 pm

        The recipe doesn't contain sugar, it contains erythritol that is a sugar replacement that is diabetic friendly.

        Reply
    53. Jeff says

      September 27, 2020 at 3:20 am

      Love the recipe. All came out fine for me. I did notice that the chips really don’t melt at all if just baking for 5-7 minutes. Are they supposed to at least melt some? I am thinking about popping it back in the oven tomorrow to melt them more.

      Reply
    54. Gabi says

      October 23, 2020 at 12:14 pm

      Totally decadent! Best Keto dessert I've tried so far (and I forgot to add the coconut, I can only imagine how scrumptious it's going to be next time I make it)! I cut it in small squares and froze it. Yummy! Thank you!

      Reply
    55. Sheila says

      November 23, 2020 at 5:56 am

      5 stars
      Super easy! The caramel sauce was really easy to make. I didn't have a cast iron skillet so I just used an 8x8 glass dish.

      Reply
    56. Rebecca Krell says

      December 15, 2020 at 5:27 am

      Once baked, should these be stored in the refrigerator, or can they be stored in the counter?

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        December 18, 2020 at 2:17 pm

        Either is fine!

        Reply
    57. Loretta rote says

      January 10, 2021 at 9:51 pm

      I thought they tasted great, but too sweet, is the brown sugar packed or not packed!

      Reply
    58. Jacki Wilson says

      January 29, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      5 stars
      The biggest problem with these Magic Bars is that they are too good and disappear in a hurry in my house. Honestly, it is the best keto dessert around. There are several different flavors of Lily's chocolate chips and all are good in the recipe. My caramel seems different every time I make this, but it is always yummy. Thank you for all of the great recipes.

      Reply
    59. Gwen says

      February 19, 2021 at 3:27 am

      Hi,
      I noticed that in your recipe for the condensed milk part, it lists half a cup of heavy cream as one of the ingredients. But in the video of this recipe, when they show the heavy cream listed and going in, it looks like a solid mass as if it is solid coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream (dairy) liquid.

      I was just wondering whether they were using the coconut cream as their “heavy whipping cream” as it appears in the video? If so, can you substitute coconut cream for heavy whipping cream? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Cast Iron Keto says

        February 19, 2021 at 11:58 am

        Hi Gwen, our video editor lives in South Africa and their heavy cream is sort of solid. Any cream or milk or non-dairy milks will work perfectly. We've used almond milk, coconut milk, coconut cream, heavy whipping cream, and solid cream and each works.

        Reply
    60. Michelle says

      May 26, 2021 at 10:13 pm

      5 stars
      The BEST keto treat I've ever made!

      Reply
    61. Donna says

      November 22, 2022 at 10:33 pm

      5 stars
      These are definitely the best keto magic bars I’ve made! But I did make one substitution. I used allulose instead of erythritol. Erythritol burns easily and then you’ve ruined it all. I also used an 8 x 8 square pan. I probably poked too many holes in the crust before baking but that just means my crust is a little soft which doesn’t bother me because these are so gooey and good. I recommend mixing up the coconut, chocolate chips and pecans. I layered mine and I’ll do it different next time. These are super rich and in my book a special occasion treat. I made them for Thanksgiving at my sisters. I will surely make them for Christmas as well. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    62. Margaret Durst says

      December 05, 2022 at 11:11 pm

      This was excellent!!! I made it per the instructions except I put it in a 9x9 pan. The caramel sauce is so good - next time, I think I will make 1 1/2 recipes of the sauce, but keep all else the same. I want to see if a thicker layer caramel is better. Still - a great recipe. My hubby really loves it. It is hard to quit eating it.

      Reply
    63. Cassie says

      January 17, 2023 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      I have made these bars with a slightly different recipe before, but decided to try this one because I couldn't remember where I found the other one. I saw there were a lot of reviews that were negative, but I'm pretty good in the kitchen. I think they're great. I didn't follow the instructions for cooking, I just set it on medium high and cooked until it got a little thicker. I used erythritol. I've used the brown sugar blend before too and it makes it more caramely. Anyone who has issues with it being too thick or burning it- I would just reduce the heat, stir regularly and watch it, and when it gets to less than the thickness of condensed milk, it's done. If you wait until it's thick like caramel or dulce de Leche, it's going to be too thick to pour over the bars. It will thicken some in the oven on the bars with the additional cooking. It has more butter than other recipes I've used and I prefer it this way. Seems to thicken easier. It's a great recipe. Thanks.

      Reply
    64. krissy says

      March 13, 2023 at 5:31 am

      3 stars
      They were okay, a bit sweet and a bit disappointing.

      Reply

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