Christmas Cookie Bars
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These Christmas cookie bars are packed with red and green M&M’s, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, making the buttery cookie bars a fun and festive Christmas dessert you will want to make all throughout the holiday season.
Whip up this easy homemade Christmas cookie bars recipe for bake sales, your holiday dessert table, or to leave out for Santa on Christmas eve.
What Reader’s Are Saying
This is probably best recipe I’ve found on google. I made these for coworkers on our last day before Christmas and everyone said they were amazing. One coworker told me not to make them again because she couldn’t stop eating them … This will be my new go to for the holidays! – Danielle
Christmas M&M cookie bars are a great way to serve up a crowd, without manning the oven making batches of cookies. Just whip up these Christmas cookies and get them baking.
Then once done, slice and serve up a delicious cookie bar that takes no time to make.
Also, make sure to check out more of our reader favorite holiday treat recipes. Sweet and salty Christmas crack, festive Christmas morning monkey bread, sugar cookie fudge, or try out this grinch punch to sip on.
What is a bar cookie?
Cookie bars are just like a cookie but baked in an 8×8 or 9×13 pan. Most cookie bars are great for serving up a crowd, potluck desserts, and more. Simple prep, easy bake, and you are able to slice and serve fast.
It is a great way to make two dozen cookies without all the work that goes in to making actual cookies. Kids love them!
If you prefer a similar tasty cookie recipe but in drop cookie form, these Christmas M&M Cookies are what you are after.
How to Make
Mix Batter | Using an electric mixer, mix to combine your wet ingredients. Then whisk your dry ingredients together and slowly mix into the dry.
Add Mix-ins | Fold in your M&Ms, sprinkles, and chocolate chips. Transfer dough to prepared baking dish.
More Candy | Top with remaining candies and gently press them down in the pan.
Bake | Bake your bars for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are light brown and fully cooked.
Cool and Slice | Once done, remove and allow to cool a bit. Then slice and serve up these moist, delicious cookie bars.
How do you know when cookie bars are done?
You know cookie bars are done when you take a toothpick and stick in the center and it comes out free of cookie batter. You will also see the edges pull away a bit from the sides of the pan. And the bars will create a golden brown color on top.
Best Way To Store Cookie Bars
Store your Christmas cookie bars with M&Ms in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay moist for a few days, and then begin to dry out a bit.
If you don’t plan to eat them right away, then place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter for a quick thaw when you get a craving for something sweet.
Best Sprinkles To Use
What I love about these cookie holiday bars are the colorful sprinkles. Feel free to use any sprinkles you have on hand. I find that Jimmies are a great sprinkle that holds shape and bakes up nicely. Sugar sprinkles that are colored sugar are not a good option as they will melt and break down as the cookies bake up.
Will cookies harden as they cool?
Like a classic cookie, these chocolate chip cookie bars will harden a bit once it is removed from the oven. The pan is hot so it will essentially still cook the bars a bit. Overall if you prefer softer bars, remove them from the oven a little early so they stay soft.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Carmelitas
- Peppermint Patty Stuffed Cookies – just 4 ingredients!
- Christmas Snowball Cookies
- soft & chewy gingerbread cookies
- Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Christmas Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Fold in about 3/4 of the M&Ms, chocolate chips, and sprinkles.
- Press the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining M&M’s, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, pressing them down slightly into the top of the dough.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are light brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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My daughter and I absolutely love these. We will eat an entire pan in 3-4 days lol. Bad I know but it’s literally 3-4 pans in the course of November to December and we don’t do it again till the next year.
The only thing I have noticed is I have to back about 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe but that might be because of environmental factors.
All I know is they are fabulous. Thank you
Ha! I can totally relate. We go through a whole pan of the yummy bars quickly as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review/comment. I truly appreciate it! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
how long do I cook for an 8×8 pan?
For an 8-inch pan you can halve the recipe and bake at 350 F for 18-24 minutes. Enjoy!
I baked for 25 minutes at 350 with parchment paper and they are still gooey and raw. So disappointed as I was making for a party and now don’t have time to make anything else.
It sounds like the bars just needed to be baked a few more minutes. You may want to check the temperature of your oven to make sure that it is accurate.
Mine were underdone at 25 minutes. Bottoms were greasy.
Definitely baking time for this recipe is far from accurate!!!!! Baked for the full 25 minutes and pan was nearly only half baked!
I should’ve known better – there is no way at the thickness of the batter in the pan that it bakes fully in 25 minutes.
What I ended up doing is mixing it up into a crumble and re-baked for additional time. Now I have a brand new recipe called Christmas Cookie Crumble.
This recipe tastes good, but I would recommend not following the baking particulars.
Do you cut them before you storage it?
I cut them into bars before storing.
Very rarely a recipe works out exactly as instructed or pictured, but these came out amazing! made me feel like I could bake! very tasty and tender! Hubs is taking them to a work potluck today! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I never leave comments on recipes but this is probably best recipe I’ve found on google. I made these for coworkers on our last day before Christmas and everyone said they were amazing. One coworker told me not to make them again because she couldn’t stop eating them lol I baked mine on the middle rack for 21 minutes and they came out perfectly with a golden crust but still soft and chewy in the middle. For those who have complained they weren’t completely done with the recommended time, all you have to do is bake them a few minutes longer and check them until they’re done..it’s not that difficult lol
This will be my new go to for the holidays!