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Healthier Chocolate Caramel Seven Layer Bars

in Baking· Brownies & Bars· Chocolate· Desserts· Low Fat· Vegetarian

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Learn how to make these fun seven layer bars — also called “magic bars!” They start with a graham cracker crust that’s topped with chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut, and a sweet drizzle holding everything together. Quite a delicious mouthful! This version tastes just as decadent as traditional recipes — yet with 3 simple swaps, these seven layer bars are lightened up and still easy to make!

 

overhead view of Skinny Seven Layer Bars on a dark wood table – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 
Growing up, the only seven layer food I knew about was bean dip. And that was only because of my last year of Camporee.  

Around when I started middle school, my mom began a Girl Scout troop for four of my friends and me. We were a little tired of the tea parties and overzealous cookie sales of our original troop, and we wanted to focus on adventurous, outdoorsy activities like rock climbing and kayaking instead.
 

Skinny Seven Layer Bars on a dark wood table along with a small bowl of chocolate chips – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 
When spring arrived, we excitedly planned out the highlight of our year: Camporee. We outlined packing lists, campfire songs, and the minivan seating chart. Growing up in a camping-obsessed family (we went at least twice each summer!), I figured we’d grill burgers and dogs for dinner that first night, but…

My best friend’s mom didn’t trust the cleanliness of the campground fire pits. (She considered staying at a motel “camping” and actually sent us up with packets of travel-sized toilet seat covers.) To make sure we didn’t starve, she bought ginormous bags of tortilla chips and two humongous platters of seven layer bean dip, along with chocolate chip cookies and tootsie rolls for dessert.
 

a stack of five Skinny Seven Layer Bars – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 
So for most of my life, I thought that bean dip was the only seven layer dish out there… Until I met Trish and Dorothy — and then sat mesmerized at my computer screen every time they posted a seven layer bar (aka magic bar!) recipe.

All of their chocolate and coconut treats looked oh so gooey and irresistible, so I finally caved and made my own version: these Healthier Chocolate Caramel Seven Layer Bars!
 

overhead view of a process shot of making Skinny Seven Layer Bars in a 9-inch metal baking pan, before the drizzle has been added – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 

WHAT ARE SEVEN LAYER BARS?

If you’re like I was and am still stuck on layer of refried beans and cheese, let’s go over the anatomy of traditional seven layer bars. (They’re also called “magic bars!”) You’ve got…

♡   graham crackers
♡   butter
♡   shredded coconut
♡   chocolate chips
♡   butterscotch
♡   nuts
♡   sweetened condensed milk

…all layered in a pan and baked until they reach melty, gooey, finger-licking perfection. Truly decadent and basically irresistible!
 

overhead view of a process shot of making Skinny Seven Layer Bars in a 9-inch metal baking pan, after the drizzle has been added – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHIER SEVEN LAYER BARS

With that out of the way… Let’s go over how to make these healthier seven layer bars! To lighten up the traditional version, I used a few simple swaps.

Egg whites for butter. Melted butter holds together the graham cracker crust in the original version, but since I’ve already used egg whites in cheesecake crusts (which are essentially the same thing!), I did that here as well. It cut out a whole lot of calories… And added in some protein too!

Caramel for butterscotch. This was mainly because of my personal flavor preferences. Something about sweet, buttery caramel is so irresistible! But it also shaves off a few more calories while adding that oh-so-addictive gooeyness. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to butterscotch!

Greek yogurt and Truvia. Instead of using pure sweetened condensed milk, I swapped in Greek yogurt and Truvia for half of it. The final drizzle was still creamy and sweet — and nobody noticed the difference!

Tip: If you’re not a fan of Truvia (or don’t have it on hand!), many other no-calorie sweeteners will also work. See the Notes section for some of my other recommendations!

These three swaps resulted in bars with substantially fewer calories, less sugar, and less fat compared to the originals. (See the Nutrition Information for these healthier seven layer bars for more details!)
 

Skinny Seven Layer Bars on a white plate – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 
The last benefit of my version? It only makes half a pan — not a full-sized 9×13″ one! With how dangerously addictive these bars proved to be (one of those “wake up in the middle of the night and sneak into the kitchen when no one is looking” treats!) that made it much easier on my lack of willpower…

And so did giving some of them away to neighbors and friends. Sharing is caring, right??
 

close-up image of Skinny Seven Layer Bars on a white plate – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 
PS The best part? There’s another version of these seven layer bars in my cookbook! 😉

Then when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amys.healthy.baking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthier seven layer bars!

Caramel Seven Layer Bars Recipe – magic bars made with chocolate, caramel, nuts & coconut held together with a sweet & creamy drizzle. BUT with 3 simple swaps, these chocolaty dessert bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They're SO good. They don't taste healthy or lightened up at all! Seven layer bars recipe. Magic bars recipe easy. Coconut chocolate chip bars healthy. Chocolate chip caramel bars easy. Chocolate caramel coconut bars.

Healthier Chocolate Caramel Seven Layer Bars

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 16 bars
These seven layer bars (aka magic bars!) are a lightened-up version of the traditional recipe and include a chocolate crust with caramel candies as a fun twist. They’re just as sweet, gooey and irresistible as the originals — and simple to make too! Leftovers will keep for at least five days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4.17 from 6 votes
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Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Break the graham crackers into pieces, and add to a food processor or blender. Pulse until they resemble fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, and add the egg whites. Mix together until fully incorporated. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle the coconut, chocolate chips, pecans, and diced caramel squares over the graham cracker crust in that order. In a small bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, Greek yogurt, and Truvia. Drizzled over the top.
  • Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature, and allow the bars to set once they reach room temperature for at least 3 hours before slicing into squares.

Notes

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: When they're done, the top drizzle will look firm and set, and the drizzle touching the edges of the pan sometimes turns a golden color. The toothpick test can be a bit hard because it will often touch some of the toppings (like chocolate chips or caramel!), which can stick to the toothpick, but the drizzle part should be firm and not really stick to the toothpick. (If they’re not yet done, the drizzle will still be wet and gooey when you insert the toothpick into it.)
 
CHOCOLATE GRAHAM CRACKER ALTERNATIVES: Regular honey graham crackers (I like these) may be substituted for the chocolate graham crackers. I haven't tried using anything else (ie Teddy Grahams, Annie's bunny grahams, etc), so I can't vouch for the results of using other graham-based products or cookies. I also haven't personally tried using gluten-free graham crackers.
 
COCONUT ALTERNATIVES: Regular shredded unsweetened coconut (instead of reduced fat) or shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted for the reduced fat shredded unsweetened coconut.
 
PECAN ALTERNATIVES: Other nuts (ie walnuts, cashews, peanuts, etc) may be substituted in place of the pecans. Alternatively, if you're a big chocolate fan (like I am!), substitute additional miniature chocolate chips.
 
TRUVIA ALTERNATIVES: If you don't have Truvia, substitute ¼ teaspoon of this liquid stevia; ¾ teaspoon of this powdered stevia; or 1 tablespoon of powdered erythritol, granulated monk fruit, or granulated sucralose.
 
Alternatively, substitute 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar or powdered sugar.
 
TOPPING ALTERNATIVES: Feel free to use your favorite toppings instead! To ensure your bars bake evenly, cut any larger toppings to be about the same size as the chocolate chips. Also, keep in mind that the baking time and Nutrition Information below may change if you use other toppings.
 
HOW TO STORE: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they should keep for up to three days. If stored in the refrigerator, they should keep for at least five days.
 
{low fat, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Fudgy Caramel Brownies
♡  Caramel Apple Cookies
♡  Caramel Pretzel Bites
♡  Peanut Butter Banana Seven Layer Bars
♡  Clean Eating Seven Layer Bars
♡  Extra Fudgy Oreo Brownies
♡  Almond Joy Oatmeal Cookies
♡  Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy dessert bar recipes!

healthy seven layer bars – easy magic bars made with chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut, a graham cracker crust & held together with a sweet drizzle – low calorie, lightened up & made with no butterscotch or butter
step-by-step collage of Skinny Seven Layer Bars – with 3 simple swaps, these magic bars have all of the decadence but NONE of the guilt! They don’t taste healthy at all! aka healthy seven layer magic bars made with a graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, caramel, nuts, coconut & a sweet drizzle – lightened up, low calorie, made with pecans & no butterscotch

 

 

Comments

  1. I am loving all the healthy substitutions to these awesome gooey bars. The only thing I can’t get past though…you said you would never go back to butterscotch!!!! I’m not sure I can be friends now. LOL! Just kidding about that…but seriously? Don’t forget the butterscotch goodness please!!!

    Reply

  4. These sound good, however, I personally would not consider them to be “Skinny” because even with the fat-free sweetened condensed milk they are fairly high in Sodium and Carbs!1 star

    Reply

  5. Did I miss the nutritional info listing? I would like to see fats and sugars in particular. They look yummy.

    Reply

  6. I made these today and they were scrumptious! I have a question though…is it supposed to be sweetened condensed milk? I tasted it before drizzling and didn’t think it needed any additional sweetener…

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you enjoyed the bars Lisa! Yes, it’s supposed to be sweetened condensed milk. Some people detect a subtle tartness when they mix in the Greek yogurt, so I added the Truvia to help balance that out. You’re welcome to omit it in the future if you’d prefer! 🙂

      Reply

  7. Hi Amy! I made this tonight. I tasted it and it seems like the cookie crust has an egg taste to it? I used ten sheets of cookies with 3 egg whites like you said. One sleeve is the long rectangular right? Two of those equal one serving on the box? Was I supposed to do 10 servings instead of sleeves? Maybe when it cools, it will taste better…any thoughts would be appreciated! The topping turned out delicious! It’s just the bottom crust I’m concerned about. Thanks!
    Shannon

    Reply

    • Yes, one sheet is the long rectangle (each long rectangle looks like its perforated into 4 smaller rectangles). When the crust is warm, it hasn’t had a chance to fully set, so I could definitely see how it might have a “egg” flavor to it. Did it taste any better once it had cooled? And how fresh were your graham crackers? That may play into it as well. We’ll figure this out together! 🙂

      Reply

      • Amy,
        It did taste less egg like after sitting in the fridge over night. I think the graham crackers I bought weren’t stale…but just weren’t that good tasting. I was snacking on them by themselves and even thought they were bland in flavor. They were the keebler brand so I found that kind of odd. Maybe I got a bad box! Perhaps next time I’ll add a little sweetener to the egg and graham cracker crust mixture! I also thought about using coconut oil melted. Although it still has fat in it, it’s better than butter! Thanks for replying! Other than that, it turned out delicious! It did stick to the pan so I recommend to anyone that they spray and flour the their pan so they come out easier when serving. 🙂

        Reply

        • I’ve never heard of Keebler brand graham crackers! If they’re bland on their own, then those graham crackers would definitely be the culprit. I always prefer Honey Maid for graham crackers, if possible, although I’ve found that both Safeway’s and Target’s own brand taste very good as well. I think if you bake the seven layer bars again with better graham crackers, you won’t notice that “egg” flavor in the crust. 🙂 And thanks for sharing your flouring the pan tip too, Shannon!

          Reply

  8. Thank you for the recipe! I made these tonight but unfortunately the crust came out not tasting good. It seemed almost soggy. I used the recommended amount of crackers (Annie’s Organics brand), the three egg whites, and also added a tablespoon of butter. I know the butter wasn’t what affected these as the traditional recipe uses butter which acts as a binder. Many of the recipes say that too much egg white causes sogginess so I’m thinking taking it down to one might solve it.

    What do you think? The topping was awesome and I even found a coconut milk sweetened condensed milk at whole foods to further make these nutritious. Used unsweetened 100% chocolate chips and unsweetwned coconut.4 stars

    Reply

    • I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Kristin! Let’s figure out what happened. 🙂 Your addition of butter actually did affect the texture. It added extra moisture to the crust, which is what made the crust soggy. If you follow the recipe as written, without adding anything else to the crust, the crust should turn out just fine! 🙂

      Reply
4.17 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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