Holiday Cookies: Gluten Free Seven Layer Bars

One of my favorite baked goods growing up were the Seven Layer Bars my mom used to make. I don't remember if she necessarily made them just around the Holidays -- or at other times of year. But every so often I get a craving, despite being the only one in my house that's a big fan of them. This past weekend I decided to make a big batch, which I then cut into squares and froze for future Holiday events we'll either be hosting or attending. 

It is SO easy to adapt the traditional Seven Layer Bar recipe to be gluten free. One ingredient that can present a problem is, of course, the graham cracker crust. But not to worry, as there are now many brands of gluten free graham crackers to choose from. This time, I used Pamela's GF graham crackers, but you can also use Kinnikinnick's S'morables graham crackers or Schar's variety. (These are all great for making traditional cheesecake crusts, too.) 

The other ingredient that you should be careful about when selecting a brand is butterscotch chips. Nestle's are NOT gluten free. I was fortunate to find Guittard brand at our local Whole Foods store, and they are marked GLUTEN FREE right on the bag. Easy. 

Here are the SEVEN ingredients you'll need: 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup gluten free graham cracker crumbs (crush them with a rolling pin)

1 cup chocolate chips (I used Nestle Toll House, which are marked "Gluten Free" on the bag

1 cup Guittard (or other brand marked GF) butterscotch chips

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup broken pecans 

The process for making these delectable treats couldn't be easier. 

Directions: Melt butter on stovetop or microwave and pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Layer on all ingredients in order given. (You'll see a photo above of the "work in progress" with the butter, graham crumbs, and two types of chips layered on.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut while still warm but leave in the pan. Cover when completely cool. Can be frozen in freezer-tight container. 

Enjoy! I'll be posting other easy Holiday cookie recipes over the next few weeks.