An easy and unique cookie bar recipe made with graham cracker crumbs, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, cut and rolled in powdered sugar.
If you’re anything like me, every time you hop on your favorite social media sites, you see lots of yummy food pics and recipes.
I think I probably see more than the average bear because so many of my buds are food bloggers and foodies in general so I might be somewhat immune to all the food porn.
So when something jumps up and grabs my attention, that’s really saying something.
And that’s exactly what happened the other day when these babies popped up in my news feed! My buddy, Kris, from Big Rigs ‘n Lil Cookies posted a photo and I was immediately intrigued.
And then when I saw the recipe I was even more interested because I’d never seen anything like it.
At first I thought they were called ‘Man Bars’ because men must like them but now that I’ve made them I think they’re called that because they’re so easy, even a man can make them.
HAHA!! Stop. Don’t send me hate mail. I’m kidding. Mostly.
When you make these, try to find good quality, traditional graham crackers (not cinnamon or chocolate flavored) because one of the things I liked most about these was the flavor from the graham crackers.
Reasons why these are my favorite right now:
- They’re crazy easy (so easy, a man can make them… taheeeeee)
- They travel well
- They’re not overly sweet (no, seriously, they’re not)
- Everyone I served these to LOVED them
- They’re just so different!
Hey, I just thought of another reason they might be called man bars! Maybe they're so good, if you have them you won't need a man!
Oye. I seriously need to stop. My inbox will runneth over.
If you love easy treats made with Sweetened Condensed Milk, check out a few of these recipes too!
- Coconut Macaroon Kisses - A tender and light, yet rich and dreamy recipe for chewy coconut cookies topped with Hershey’s Kiss chocolate drops.
- One-Bowl Brownie Cookies - A super easy recipe for chewy, fudgy chocolate cookies made with Sweetened Condensed Milk and just a few other ingredients!
- Lemon Crumb Bars - A crumb bar recipe with tart fresh lemons, a sweet creamy filling and a beautiful crumb topping.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - This easy recipe features a peanut butter fudge layer between an oatmeal cookie base studded with chocolate chips on top.
- Fudge Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - An easy bar recipe with chocolate chip cookie dough swirled with a fudgy chocolate layer.
Man Bars
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz box graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
- 1 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, nuts, condensed milk, vanilla and salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined to make a batter. TIP: Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment if possible because batter will be THICK.
- Line a 13x9 baking pan (or 2 8x8 square pans) with parchment paper (or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray) then spread batter into pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set.
- Cool completely in pan, remove then cut into squares. Add powdered sugar to a medium bowl then add squares to sugar then toss to coat. Store in an air-tight container.
Notes
- This recipe can be halved and cooked in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
- You don't have to line the pan but it makes it easier to remove from the pan.
- The batter is THICK and STICKY. I blop big spoonfuls evenly in the pan then use a rubber spatula to smoosh it down flat.
- I prefer traditional honey graham crackers over cinnamon or chocolate.
I never considered it, but I bet you are right.... Even a man could make these! And yeah... kidding... mostly ;)
ReplyDeleteBe careful on what you say a lot of men can cook or bake better then some we men. Me I’ve been coming for years. My mother showed me how to cook and bake. My grandmother was a great teacher as well! MEN can cook!!
DeleteThese sound so simple! A man could make them but he would ask where the pan was; how do I crush the graham crackers?; LOL!!! Love these.
ReplyDeleteWishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
I put mine in a plastic zip bag and roll with a rolling pen or u can use coffee cup and smash them up.
Deletei think that was sarcasm re:what a man would say lol
DeleteI think they're called Man Bars because 'Man, I gotta make these!'
ReplyDeleteThey are Man Bars because I can't wait to make them! YUM
ReplyDeleteMy stepmother makes these, but instead of powdered sugar, they have cream cheese icing on them! They are my favorite!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really good!
DeleteMmmm..it looks soo good!
ReplyDeleteI just found your site today, and haven't laughed so much in a day. I love your articles and your recipes, I'm definitely book marking your site and hope to try several of your recipes, this is saying a lot, since I absolutely HATE to cook.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carmen! ;)
DeleteOne of my pet peeves is a dessert covered in powdered sugar... it just makes such a mess! Have you tried them without coating them in sugar? Or maybe just dusting the tops? Oooh... and what about a salty addition? Crushed pretzels maybe?
ReplyDeleteMmmmm pretzels sound good for this.
DeleteCover them with the graham wafer crumbs
DeleteFollow the recipe first. Then you'll understand that the mess is totally worth it. :P
DeleteActually, they kinda need that powdered sugar. Finishing touch and all that - it seems to smooth it out. MUCH better with it on there. These are AMAZING.
DeleteThese sound really good---I think even my "cooking challenged" husband could make these....or could he? Thanks so much for the fun read and the recipe....found you on the Weekend Potluck.
ReplyDeleteCan you make these without the nuts? I have nut allergies in the family
ReplyDeleteI substituted mini-marshmallows for nuts!
DeleteI always make them without nuts and they are fabulous.
DeleteI substituted peanut butter chips instead of chocolate
DeleteHow did this work for you? I want to make these, but I'm a little over chocolate at the moment. Were the peanut butter chips melty?
DeleteThen they wouldn't be Man Bars.
Deletecan you use cinnamon graham crackers?
ReplyDeleteShe addresses that in the post. Did you read the post?
DeleteShe said it wasn’t recommended.
Deletehow bout makers mark instead of vanilla, since they are man bars and all
ReplyDeleteIt looks very delicious!
ReplyDeleteThese look similar to one of my favorite recipes (7 Layer Bars or Magic Cookie Bars), except easier to make! I might try this and add some coconut to make them a little more similar! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteHow about instead of powdered sugar, use fluffernutter for icing to make smores squares with pecans.
ReplyDeleteJust prepared and threw a batch of this in the oven! Thinking this is going to have to be a staple around the holidays. So easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeletethese sound so good and so easy to make, I have one question "Do you think I could get away with making them as cookies if I watched them very carefully and cooked them on parchment?
Has anyone tried mailing them in a care package? Do they survive the mail system well?
ReplyDeleteI noticed on your website that the man bars have baking chocolate in them. Is there a reason the chocolate isn't in this recipe. Made them this morning....the look delish.
ReplyDeleteHmm... I'm not sure what you mean?
DeleteOUTSTANDING!
ReplyDeleteI make these in a 10x15 pan and cut them into 1" squares. They are a perfect size and it makes a LOT!
DeleteWhat amount of graham cracker crumbs would it be by cup measurement?
ReplyDeletethe recipe says about 4 cups :)
DeleteThis is a beloved recipe that my grandmother and I have been making for many years 45/49. We used to crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin. This recipe is a hit with everyone in my family and is considered a holiday treat. I know she had been making it since the 1950's.
ReplyDeleteThe recipe calls for finely chopped walnuts or pecans, but the photos show
ReplyDeletenut halves, not chopped at all.
Where do you see that? I didn't use nut halves and don't see anything that looks like it?
DeletePhotos 1,3,& 4 appear to have nut halves or something not mentioned in the ingredients on the left hand side of the piece being eaten.
DeleteSorry, but I don't see what you mean. But, no, there's nothing in these not listed in the ingredients.
DeleteI think what you are seeing as a pecan half is actually a melted chocolate chip.
DeleteI agree it looks to me like a chocolate chip that is ooey gooey delicious looking.
DeleteThere are definitely pecan halves in there. She said she used walnuts, but your eyes are not playing tricks, those are pecan halves.
DeleteHand to Jesus, there are no pecan halves in these.
Delete😆 love your reply!
DeleteThese never set up for me. Even after 40 min, the outside edges got hard but the center was still mushy. I had to throw them out, sorry.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't have thrown them out, once you let them cool, they set up. You missed out and wasted great food.
DeleteWow, these actually have a name! We have been making these cookies in my family since before I was born. A friend of my mothers gave her the recipe and her name was Kathy so they have been called Kathy's Cookies all my life. I have always been curious as to the original name, and where they came from. Christmas is not here until someone has made these in our family. Another thing about these cookies I love is after cooking and cutting them they can be frozen and defrosted later, just freeze before rolling in powdered sugar, makes it easy to bake a lot at once and defrost later as need for those holiday parties. So glad to see my favorite cookie out there and being shared.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother made these, but used mint chocolate chips at Christmas time. They stopped making the mint chips, but last year I found Nestle came out with dark chocolate and mint chip so I'm totally making these!!
DeleteAdd a drop of peppermint oil to the recipe. Or a little peppermint extract. A little goes a long ways.
DeleteDo these freeze well?
DeleteI'll bet that even a professional chef from NYC could make these... even if he is a man. ;-)
ReplyDeletejust the perfect healthy treat for my husband! But, above, you say they are too sweet; we must have different versions of sweet! To me they are VERY sweet!
ReplyDeleteHealthy? Check graham crackers, they are full of trans fats.
DeleteMost store brand Graham crackers don't have trans fats.
DeleteAbout how many cups of graham cracker crumbs ? I bought two boxes of graham cracker crumbs, & would like to use them up ?
DeleteI just made these and I have to call you out--they are very sweet. I should have known since all but two of the ingredients contain sugar, but I tried them anyway. I have a huge sweet tooth and these were too much for me. I used half a bag of chocolate chips and only dusted the tops with powdered sugar and I have a sugar headache after one small bar.
ReplyDeleteWe've been making these for over 40 years though we never had a name for them. They aren't overly sweet if you just change up the finish of these cookies. We make them in an 11 x 15 pan and barely let them cool before we start working with them.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little messy but if you get another person to help you it goes fairly fast and the results are worth it. We start by putting some powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Then cut a strip about an inch and a quarter wide along every edge of the pan. Then cut them into squares another inch and a quarter.
Put several of the squares of cookie into your bowl of powdered sugar. Begin smooshing the cookie together using the powdered sugar to form them until you get a nice firm square cookie shape. My aunt who gave us this recipe made hers into a log shape.
I swear to you that we have gotten rave reviews on these cookies every time we serve them. People can't get enough of them and they aren't in any way overly sweet.
I am going to try a variation for my little Sunday School Class to make for Father's Day. I need to leave out the nuts and I'm going to change the vanilla to orange essence. (Their dad loves Chocolate & Orange!) Also, since we are currently in Wales, UK and my private stash of Graham Crackers will NOT be donated, I plan to use something that they call Digestive Biscuits (??). It will reduce the sweetness a bit, but hopefully retain the consistency. I'll let you know how they turn out. Thanks!
ReplyDeletecarb count? They sound like they might be too sweet. I don't know
ReplyDeleteQuestion... you said line the pan, just the bottom right, not the sides?
ReplyDeleteWould love to try these using either Reece's Peanut Butter chips or Butterscotch chips for something different & maybe use pretzel bits for the salty & crunchy version instead of nuts
ReplyDeleteMade this yesterday and substituted a can of le lechera (caramel sauce) for one of the sweetened condensed milks and it was delicious. It has just entered into my dessert rotation. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
ReplyDeleteI just tried these, and they are really good. Kind of familiar, like a brownie or cookie, but with a unique flavor. I found them sweet enough without the powdered sugar, so I left it off, and they were still great.
ReplyDeleteI would substitute the graham crackers with chopped dates.
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Mandy. I have just recently started checking out recipes that show up on Pinterest, and what a great and wonderful world it is turning out to be. Thank you for adding this recipe; it sounds delicious, and I plan to make it as soon as I have a chance to shop for the ingredients that I used up over Christmas. One question, though. Your recipe calls for Graham wafers, that are then crushed into crumbs. Is there any reason not to buy and use Graham Crumbs? I also love all the potential variations, as suggested by your other loyal followers.
ReplyDeleteMy mind is thinking...
ReplyDeleteThey now make Chocolate Sweetened Condensed Milk! I wonder what that would do for this already fabulous recipe???
We omitted the nuts but I added about a cup or so of small marshmallows. During the cooking process the marshmallows kind of went crazy and bubbled up over the top and the whole thing looked like a hot mess. Literally. But after they cooled, I was able to cut them and the powdered sugar helped to ensure that they were not too sticky for people to pick up and eat. They were indeed a HUGE hit. I presume you could substitute shredded coconut (or even just add some) to make them taste more like the 7 layer bars we all know and love but I gotta tell you, these things were so popular, my non-sweet-eating husband had three! Dropped some off at a friend's house and they want the recipe. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteInteresting!!! I think I might have to try that! Maybe I'll just make as usual but add marshmallows to the mix. Thanks for sharing your idea!!
DeleteCan I cut the recipe in half?
ReplyDeleteThis question never ceases to amaze me. Do you think there is a recipe police out there preventing you from doing so?
DeleteThis looks so delicious... I've never had these before, I can't wait to try!
ReplyDeleteI am so very intrigued! Can't wait to try them!
ReplyDeleteOne of the easiest desserts ever! Love it!
ReplyDeleteI made these last Christmas time to put on cookie platters. They were easy to make, delicious - like you said, not overly sweet - and looked beautiful on the platters. Thank you for the recipe. I can hardly wait to make them again for this year's platters!!
ReplyDeleteIm pretty sure they are called man bars because they have NUTS. Not kidding. 😂
ReplyDeleteThese are fabulous! Thank you, Mandy, for sharing such a fun, delicious, and easy recipe. I love that it's possible to make bar cookies without getting out the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, etc. I love those ingredients in other cookies, but I also love that this recipe is so easy because it omits them. I halved the recipe, forgot to add the salt, baked the dough for 45 minutes in an 8x8-inch pan, and was too lazy to do the powdered sugar coating. They turned out scrumptious and I literally had to step away from the pan to make myself stop cutting little squares and snarfing them while they were still warm. Thanks for the tip about lining the pan with parchment; I can't imagine getting these yummy things out of the pan without it.
ReplyDeleteCan you use another but besides pecan or walnut? Almonds, cashews, pistachios?
ReplyDeleteSure :)
Delete