The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe

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I feel like I start every dessert post with the same sentence: I am obsessed with Hello Dolly bars. I promise you, I’m not making this up. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and these bars just DO it for me.

PS: If Hello Dolly bars aren’t your jam, then you should go for the best lemon bars.

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young

In high school, I had a super sweet baking friend – I called her Ducky (like from My Fair Lady). She is the sweetest friend, but she would spoil me with homemade goods at random. I’d be doing homework, hear a knock at the door, and it would be my own little baking buddy dropping off much needed sustenance. I sound so dramatic don’t I? So high school.

I had no self control – I’d devour her entire plate of Hello Dolly bars that night by myself.

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young
Needless to say, these Hello Dolly bars recipe was her specialty, or at least the most requested dessert item from yours truly. She made them SO often for me (what a good friend, right?) that we started calling them “Hello Duckies” instead.

Hello Dolly Bars Texture:

I cannot get enough of the deliciously unique texture. Crust (I’m a sucker for all the crusts), coconut, and chips – all combined together to make one heavenly and dangerous treat.

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young
I had tried replicating these Hello Dolly bars – and every time I did I would fail. They’re NOT hard guys, I just used to be a baking moron. I finally figured out my problem: The crust. Hear me out now. If your crust is TOO THIN, you will go to press your sweetened condensed milk, coconut, and chips down….what’s going to happen? Your crust, that is FULL OF BUTTER will not stay put. It’s exasperating.

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young
So, on a whim, I doubled the crust for my Hello Dolly bars. It’s kind of my thing – I’ll always suggest a doubled (or tripled) graham cracker crust. It helps even things out! Guys – the result was beyond my imagination. SO GOOD! Normally I’ll make a treat and give it away to friends and family. Not this one. I hoarded these delicious Hello Dolly bars. I’m not ashamed to admit it.

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young

Best part of these Hello Dolly bars?

They are so easy. SO SO SO easy. And these Hello Dolly bars (if done right) are a crowd pleaser. Trust me on the double crust. You won’t be disappointed!

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young
*UPDATE*
HUGELY important, and this is the hardest part:

WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. Just wait. Bake these Hello Dolly bars the day before and let them set until the next day. I know it’s hard, but WAIT. I’ve had several people message me saying that these didn’t turn out and didn’t set, that’s why waiting until the next day is CRUCIAL! 
The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe featured by top US food blog, Among the Young
Print Recipe
3.75 from 4 votes

The Best Hello Dolly Bars Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Kaylynn

Ingredients

  • 1 c. butter melted
  • 3 c. graham crackers crushed
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 c. butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/3 c. coconut
  • 1 c. chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c. walnuts

Instructions

  • Melt butter
  • Stir in crushed graham crackers
  • Press into a 9x13
  • Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs
  • Top with remaining ingredients in the order listed above.
  • Press down firmly.
  • Bake at 325 for 25 min
  • Cool
  • Cut into bars
  • (It's BEST to wait until the next day to cut and serve!) 
  • Serve your Hello Dolly bars at room temperature.

13 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    These were always a Christmas tradition of my mom’s. I’ve never seen anyone else call them Hello Dollies! This recipe is similar to hers, except for the condensed milk was poured on last, on top of all the layered goodness. I like your addition of white chips (never had that before) and will try that next time!

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  3. I just made these and realized the ingredient list doesn’t match…calls for 4 oz in actual pin and 14 oz on front…I think I just wasted all of my ingredients and 45 minutes of my time…🙄

    1. Oh my goodness you are SO right! Thank you for noticing my mistake. I’m so sorry – I blame my mushy mom brain and butterfingers, but either way – that’s SUPER frustrating. Thank you for letting me know. My error has been fixed.

      1. 2 stars
        You actually haven’t fixed your error in the post. I just tried to make these and was waiting for them to harden and now I’ve wasted all my ingredients as well.

        1. Liz, I’ve checked the recipe post as well as the pin on Pinterest and both say 14 oz. I’d love to fix i! I’m SO SO SO sorry your Hello Dolly bars didn’t turn out. I usually have to wait until the next day for them to be edible. Usually they’re pretty messy the day of baking!

  4. 5 stars
    In the south we’ve always called these Hello Dollies! I’ve been making these for…..25 years and YES to a good thick graham cracker crust, it’ll either make ya or break ya. I prefer to pour the condensed milk over last, it gives the bars a caramelized chew.

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