Get ready to win the holiday dessert table with these incredibly easy and delicious M&M Christmas cookie bars. Forget complicated cookie scooping and rolling; this recipe gives you soft, chewy, buttery bars loaded with festive red and green M&Ms and rich chocolate chips. They have all the flavor of a classic cookie but are made in one pan, making them the perfect low-effort, high-reward treat for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or a cozy night in. In under an hour, you can have a batch of these festive bars ready to devour.
Why You’ll Love These M&M Christmas Cookie Bars
These cookie bars are a holiday game-changer, and here’s why they’ll become your new go-to festive recipe.
Incredibly Easy to Make: This is a simple, one-bowl recipe. You press the dough into a pan and bake. It’s practically foolproof!
Perfectly Chewy Texture: We use melted butter and the right ratio of brown to white sugar to create an irresistibly soft and chewy texture that stays fresh for days.
Super Festive: The red and green M&Ms make these bars pop with holiday color. They look stunning on a dessert platter and require zero decorating skills. If you’re looking for more festive inspiration, try these Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies.
Crowd-Pleasing Flavor: The combination of a rich, buttery cookie base, melted chocolate chips, and the crunchy candy shell of M&Ms is a classic that everyone loves.
Key Ingredients for the Perfect Cookie Bars
This recipe uses simple pantry staples to create something truly special. Here are the key players:
These festive cookie bars are perfect for sharing.
Unsalted Butter: We use melted butter for a chewier, denser cookie bar.
Brown & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a slight caramel flavor, contributing to the chewy texture, while granulated sugar helps the bars spread and gives them a classic cookie taste.
Eggs & Vanilla Extract: These provide structure, richness, and flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookie bars. Be sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off.
Baking Soda: Gives the bars just the right amount of lift.
Salt: A crucial ingredient that balances the sweetness.
Chocolate Chips & M&Ms: The stars of the show! We use semi-sweet chocolate chips and festive red and green M&Ms for that perfect Christmas touch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these M&M Christmas cookie bars is as easy as mix, spread, and bake. Follow these simple steps for perfect results.
Prep Your Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to act as handles. This makes lifting the bars out later a breeze.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed or with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
Fold in the Goodies: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of the Christmas M&Ms. Reserve the remaining M&Ms for the top.
Press and Bake: Evenly press the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved M&Ms over the top and gently press them into the dough. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Cool Completely: This is the most important step! Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan before using the parchment paper handles to lift them out. This ensures they set properly and don’t fall apart. Slice into squares and serve.
For another easy, shareable dessert, check out these delicious Sugar Cookie Bars. They’re a classic for a reason!
Look at that perfectly soft and chewy center!
Tips for the Chewiest M&M Christmas Cookie Bars
Want to guarantee that perfectly soft and chewy texture? Follow these expert tips.
Don’t Overbake: The key to chewy bars is to slightly underbake them. Pull them from the oven when the center still looks a little soft. They will continue to bake in the hot pan as they cool.
Use Room Temperature Eggs: This helps the ingredients combine more evenly, resulting in a smoother, more uniform dough.
Press Extra M&Ms on Top: For that picture-perfect look, always reserve some M&Ms to press onto the top of the dough right before baking.
Let Them Cool Completely: We can’t stress this enough! Slicing into warm cookie bars will result in a crumbly mess. Patience is key for clean, beautiful squares.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is incredibly versatile. Feel free to customize it with your favorite mix-ins!
Different M&Ms: Use any color of M&Ms for other holidays, or try peanut butter, caramel, or pretzel M&Ms for a fun twist.
Add Nuts: For extra crunch, add a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. If you love pecans, don’t miss our collection of amazing pecan desserts.
Switch up the Chips: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.
Storing Your Cookie Bars
Store your M&M Christmas cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them extra soft, you can place a slice of bread in the container with them. The bars will absorb the moisture from the bread. You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
A cakey texture is usually caused by over-mixing the dough after adding the flour, which develops too much gluten. It can also be a result of overbaking. For a chewy bar, mix the flour in until just combined and pull them from the oven when the center is still slightly soft.
No, that’s one of the best parts about this easy recipe! Since we are baking the dough in a pan instead of making individual cookies, there is no need to chill the dough beforehand.
Yes, but you will need to adjust the baking time. An 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan will create much thicker bars and will require a longer baking time. Keep a close eye on them to prevent the edges from burning.
M&M Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe
FL Recipes
M&M Christmas Cookie Bars (The Easiest Festive Treat!)
Soft, chewy, and festive M&M Christmas Cookie Bars are the easiest holiday treat! Made in one pan with simple ingredients, these buttery bars are loaded with chocolate chips and colorful M&Ms.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and 1 cup of the M&Ms.
Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of M&Ms on top. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcalProtein: 2gFat: 11gFiber: 1g
Notes
Do not overbake the cookie bars; this is the key to keeping them soft and chewy. Allowing the bars to cool completely before slicing is essential for clean cuts.
These M&M Christmas cookie bars are sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering. They are simple, delicious, and so festive. If you make this recipe, we’d love to see it! Snap a photo and share it with us on Pinterest. Happy baking!
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
