Christmas Cookie Bars
Christmas Cookie Bars are the ultimate holiday treat, combining all the festive fun of Christmas cookies with the ease of a one-pan dessert. These bars are soft, chewy, and bursting with colorful red and green M&M candies.
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These cookie bars are made with a buttery, golden cookie base and plenty of chocolatey M&M’s, these bars are perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or a cozy night at home with a cup of hot cocoa.
Whether you’re baking with kids or whipping up a quick treat for a crowd, these cookie bars are a festive, fuss-free way to spread holiday cheer!
The best part?! You can make these cookie bars for any holiday, just change up the M&M’s for the occasion!
More Easy Dessert Recipes Here!
What you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Brown sugar, packed
- Eggs- large, room temp
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Christmas M&Ms
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prep: Spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray.
Make the batter: Mix butter and brown sugar using a stand or a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
Next: Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add in salt, baking powder and mix.
Then add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing in between. Stir in M&Ms. The batter will be thick! This is normal.
Spread the cookie dough evenly into the baking dish.
Tip! If you find this hard with the batter being so thick, I either wet my hands and use my hand top press down the batter. Or use a spatula sprayed with nonstick spray to make it easier.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Wait to slice: Let the cookie bars cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before cutting.
Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep the bars fresh and soft 3-4 days.
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Tips
- How to store: Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep the bars fresh and soft 3-4 days. The bread will release it’s moisture so the cookies stay soft!
- Can I use regular M&Ms instead of Christmas-colored ones? Absolutely! Regular M&Ms will work just as well. If you want a holiday feel but can’t find the Christmas-colored ones, mix red and green candies from a regular bag.
- Try this recipe with blue, yellow and white M&Ms for Hannukah, pastel M&Ms at Easter, Red White and Blue M&Ms for Fourth of July, Halloween M&Ms or the Pumpkin Pie M&Ms in fall. These cookie bars are perfect year round!
- Can I freeze the cookie bars? Yes! Let the bars cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
- Can I substitute the M&Ms with other candy or mix-ins? Definitely! You can swap the M&Ms for chocolate chips, Reese’s Pieces, chopped candy bars, or festive sprinkles for a different twist.
- Can I make these gluten-free? Yes! Substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free baking flour. Check that your other ingredients, like M&Ms, are certified gluten-free as well.
- Why did my bars turn out dry? Dry bars may be the result of overbaking. Check them a few minutes before the recommended baking time and remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are golden, and the center looks set.
- Can I double the recipe? Yes! Double the ingredients and bake in two 9×13-inch pans or a single larger pan. Adjust the baking time as needed for the larger batch.
More holiday recipes
- Christmas Sangria
- Pumpkin Roll Bars
- Cherries in the Snow Trifle
- Slow Cooker Warm Mulled Wine
- Peppermint Patty Poke Cake
- Oreo Truffles
- Lemonies
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie
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M&M Christmas Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup red and green M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prep: Spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray.
- Make the batter: Mix butter and brown sugar using a stand or a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
- Next: Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add in salt, baking powder and mix.
- Then add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing in between. Stir in M&Ms. The batter will be thick! This is normal.
- Spread the cookie dough evenly into the baking dish.
- Tip! If you find this hard with the batter being so thick, I either wet my hands and use my hand top press down the batter. Or use a spatula sprayed with nonstick spray to make it easier.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Wait to slice: Let the cookie bars cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before cutting.
- Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep the bars fresh and soft 3-4 days.
