Easy Christmas m&m Cookie Bars
These m&m cookie bars are soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips and festive M&Ms for a fun and simple holiday bake that's sure to please.
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 197kcal
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl -or- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- ⅓ Cup brown sugar* (light or dark)
- ⅓ Cup granulated sugar*
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 Cups all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ Cup red and green holiday m&m milk chocolate candies + additional for pressing onto the top if desired
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9 inch metal baking pan. For extra easy removal from the pan, you can also line it with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar (it will be a bit grainy, look kind of pale yellow, and be a bit fluffy).½ Cup salted butter, softened, ⅓ Cup brown sugar*, ⅓ Cup granulated sugar*
- Add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Slowly mix in the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and all-purpose flour until a dough is formed.½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1.5 Cups all-purpose flour
- Add the mix-ins. Gently mix in the chocolate chips and red and green m&m candies until well distributed throughout the dough.½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ Cup red and green holiday m&m milk chocolate candies + additional for pressing onto the top if desired
- Press into the pan. Transfer the dough to your prepared pan and press it into an even layer, making sure to press the dough into the corners using your hands or a spatula.
- Top with extra m&m's if desired. For extra pretty presentation, add some extra m&m candies on top of the dough and gently press them in.
- Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are set and beginning to brown, and the center is puffed up. Your cookie bars should not look really wet or jiggle when you gently shake the pan. You can also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it, you're good to go.
- Cool and slice. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. They'll be easier to cut cleanly once they've cooled a bit.
Video
Notes
*If you prefer sweeter cookies, you can increase the amount of both the brown sugar and the white sugar from ⅓ cup to ½ cup. The m&ms and chocolate chips already add a nice amount of sweetness to the base recipe. But if you like sweeter cookies you may want to increase the amount of sugars in the dough (I've made this recipe both ways multiple times, and they've each turned out great both ways).
Store cookie bars covered tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (or in the fridge for up to 1 week). You can layer them with parchment paper or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Variation Ideas:
- Use different m&m colors for different occasions. Pastels for Easter, red and pink for Valentine's Day, or classic colors to enjoy these year-round.
- Add festive sprinkles. Add about 2 Tablespoons of red, green, and white holiday jimmies (aka standard sprinkles) and gently press a few on top too.
- Use mini m&m's. If you're doing this, I'd also recommend switching to mini chocolate chips.
- Try different chocolate chips. Try using milk chocolate, dark chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet.
- Make them in a 9x13 pan. 2x the recipe and bake in a 9x13 inch pan for more cookie bars (baking time will be about the same).
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
