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Christmas M & M Cookie Bars

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These Christmas M&M Cookie Bars are easy to make; no chilling of the dough or mixer is required! Just grab a bowl and a whisk, and you’ll be on your way to enjoying these tasty treats in no time!

Slices of Christmas cookie cake being scooped up with a wooden spatula.

My Husband, who is a self-proclaimed cookie cake connoisseur, says these cookie bars are the best dessert he has ever had!

Me? I’m all in! Considering how easy they are to make, I love having desserts that don’t require all-day work. They are kind of like my deep-dish chocolate chip cookies, with M&Ms

We are definitely going to be making these again as we get closer to the holidays!

Why you will love this recipe

  • Holiday Made Easy: I love that these M&M Christmas Cookie Bars are so easy to make. There is no need to chill the dough or dig out your standup mixer.
  • Fun for the Family: I love making this with my kids! They can help with just about every part of it, and they love stirring in the M&Ms. However, they enjoyed eating handfuls more than adding them to the dough.
  • Perfect for Crowds: You can easily double or triple this recipe and bring it to your next holiday gathering.
M and M cookie bars with green and red m and ms stacked on a white plate with more cookie bars cooling on a wire rack.

Ingredients needed

M&M cookie bar ingredients measured out  on a countertop.
  • Flour: I like King Arthur’s all-purpose flour for this recipe.
  • Baking powder: Baking powder gives the bars a gentle lift for a perfect, slightly fluffy texture.
  • Salt: Salt enhances the sweetness of the sugars and the chocolatey goodness of the M&Ms.
  • Sugars: I am using a combination of brown and white granulated sugar for these cookie bars.
  • Eggs: Eggs bind everything together and add moisture for a perfectly chewy texture.
  • Butter: Browned butter just makes everything taste better!
  • Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds a warm, inviting aroma and depth of flavor.
  • M&Ms: M&Ms add pops of festive fun and melty chocolatey goodness with every bite.

Christmas M&M Cookie Bar Recipe

Butter is melted and browning on a small saucepan.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and nutty. Let cool.

Wooden spoon whisking flour, salt and baking powder together in a clear mixing bowl.

Step 2: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Cookie bar dough mixed in a large clear mixing bowl.

Step 3: Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and cooled brown butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

M&Ms sprinkled throughout the dough.

Step 4: Fold in M&Ms.

M and M cookie bar cake dough spread evenly in a baking dish.

Step 5: Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Pour the dough into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.*

Baked M and m cookie bars in a white staub baking dish.

Step 6: Allow the bars to cool for at least half an hour before cutting into squares.

Expert Tips

  • Don’t overbake! You want a toothpick inserted into the center to come out ‘mostly’ clean. A few crumbs on it is ok!
  • Check your bars at 25 minutes. If you notice them browning too much, loosely tent with foil.
  • You can line your baking dish with parchment for easier removal!
  • Leave the bars in the dish for at least half an hour before cutting them or trying to remove them.

Recipe FAQs

Why are my cookie bars dry?

Overbaking is generally the biggest culprit of dry cookie bars.

How do you tell when these are done?

The edges should be browned and set, while the center will not be completely set; a toothpick will come out mostly clean when inserted. (a crumb or two stuck on the toothpick is completely fine)

How long will these last?

I keep them in an airtight container on the counter for about three days.

The lack of leftovers and a licked-clean baking dish has me pretty confident; I’ll be making more of these in the future! Between these cookie bars, my iced ginger cookies, and Christmas fudge, I think we are in good shape this holiday season!

Related Recipes

If you tried this Christmas M&M Cookie Bar Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

M&M Christmas cookie bars cooling on a wire rack.

Christmas M&M Cookie Bars

Laura Ascher
These easy-to-make Christmas cookie bars are soft, chewy, and incredibly satisfying.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 4217 kcal

Equipment

  • 8×10 baking dish or 10" cast iron skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour leveled
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 stick butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup M&Ms

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and nutty. Let cool.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Beat together brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and cooled brown butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  • Fold in M&Ms
  • Grease an 8×10-inch baking pan. Pour the dough into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.*
  • Allow the bars to cool for at least half an hour before cutting into squares.

Notes

  • Don’t overbake! You want a toothpick inserted into the center to come out ‘mostly’ clean. A few crumbs on it is ok!
  • Check your bars at 25 minutes. If you notice them browning to much, loosely tent with foil.
  • You can line your baking dish with parchment for easier removal!
  • Leave the bars in the dish for at least half an hour before cutting them or trying to remove them.

Nutrition

Calories: 4217kcalCarbohydrates: 598gProtein: 38gFat: 189gSaturated Fat: 118gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 36gTrans Fat: 6gCholesterol: 396mgSodium: 2291mgPotassium: 542mgFiber: 12gSugar: 393gVitamin A: 4707IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 698mgIron: 16mg
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This website provides approximate nutrition information based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands, measuring methods and portion sizes per household. We recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer.

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3 Comments

5 from 3 votes

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