Christmas Cookie Bars

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4.49 from 200 votes
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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.

Whip up this easy homemade Christmas cookie bars recipe for bake sales, holiday entertaining, to put out for Santa on Christmas eve, or as a fun dessert for the family during the holiday season.

Christmas Cookie Bars

Also, make sure to look at these other items up for the making. Sweet and salty Christmas crack, festive Christmas morning monkey bread, sugar cookie fudge, or try out this grinch punch to sip on.

Christmas Cookie Bars

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.

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 serve a handful of people without making actual cookies.

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

How to Make

Mix Batter | In a bowl or stand mixer, mix to combine your wet ingredients. Then whisk your dry ingredients together and slowly mix into the dry.

Candies | 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

You can store these holiday cookie bars 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.

Holiday Cookie Bars

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:

Recipe
Christmas Cookie Bars
Recipe
4.49 from 200 votes

Christmas Cookie Bars

Author: Jaclyn
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Packed with red and green M&M's, chocolate chips, and sprinkles, these buttery cookie bars make for a fun and festive Christmas dessert.

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&M’s
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • cup Christmas sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 9x13 baking dish 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 dough into the prepared baking dish. 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

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cooled bars for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 267kcal
Christmas Cookie Bars

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Christmas Cookie Bars with M&Ms

4.49 from 200 votes (197 ratings without comment)

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26 Comments

  1. 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

    1. 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!

  2. 1 star
    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.

    1. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 4 stars
    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!

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