Homemade Christmas M&M Cookie Bars -The Speckled Palate

Studded with classic milk chocolate M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles, these colorful and chocolatey Christmas M&M Cookie Bars are the perfect holiday dessert. Easy to make with simple ingredients and requiring no chilling time, these bar cookies are excellent for sharing with the people you love. Learn how to make ‘em here!

It’s the fourth day of The Sweetest Season Virtual Cookie Exchange… and today, we’ve taken a family favorite recipe (our classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, which were adapted from our Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies) and added some Christmas flair.

This was a last-minute shift in my original plans for the week, but I am not disappointed in it.

You shouldn’t be, either.

What are bar cookies?

Bar cookies are simply cookies that are baked in bar form, then cut into squares. Think of them as a relatively of brownies or blondies. 😉

Why we love this recipe:

I’ll be honest: my kids told me that these easy M&M Cookie Bars were too chocolatey.

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So if that’s something that bothers you, this is not the recipe for you.

However, if you’re into it and love a delightfully gooey-on-the-inside cookie with crisp edges on the outside? Well, you’re in the right place.

These Christmas Cookie Bars are the perfect kind of cookie to me and perfect for this time of year. They’re nicely balanced with the perfect pops of chocolatey goodness and crunch from both the sprinkles and the crust of the bars. The interior of them is gooey when warm and transforms into chewy centers once completely cooled.

Pro tip: if you like the gooeyness, heat these bar cookies up in the microwave after slicing for 10- to 15-seconds to melt the chocolate again.

Here are some more things I love about these delicious cookie bars:

• This is an easy recipe that requires minimal effort. 
• There is no chilling time required here, so once you throw the cookie dough together, you smash it into a pan and bake until beautiful.
• You might have the ingredients in your pantry and fridge (if you keep baking ingredients on hand like I do.) 
• The end result is impressive as all get out but requires a lot less effort than some might guess.

In fact, a friend told me that I needed to open a shop to sell these cookie bars. So run, don’t walk, to the recipe card to make these beauts for yourself!

Other bar cookie recipes you might enjoy trying: Cranberry Crumb Bars | Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars | Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars | Orange Cranberry Bars | Snickerdoodle Bars

Let’s talk about The Sweetest Season and Cookies for Kids Cancer!

The Sweetest Season is my annual holiday cookie week.

In 2011, I decided to share my favorite Christmas cookies… then invited other bloggers to join me. The celebration grew, we changed the name to make it more inclusive, my friend Susannah stepped up to help and the rest is history.

And now, every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes.

This year, we’re raising money in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.

Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers. More than 35 treatments available to kids battling cancer today were stemmed from these grants.

We’d love for you to help us raise money for this cause! You can donate through our fundraising page.

Currently, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO. This means OXO will match every dollar up to $100,000 raised through the end of 2024. So whatever money we raise will automatically double!

What you’ll need to make this recipe:

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Here is what you need to grab at the grocery store to make these M&M bars:

• Unsalted butter — this needs to be at room temperature so we can easily cream it with the sugars. There is no substitute. Please do not use melted butter, as it will change the texture of the bars. Remove your butter from the fridge about 30-45 minutes before you want to make the cookie dough.
• Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this gives our bars a lovely sweetness.
• Brown sugar — you may use light brown or dark brown sugar here. The dark brown sugar will give more molasses flavors than the lighter one, but both work.
• Eggs — these provide structure, as well as some leavening for our cookie bars.
• Pure vanilla extract — we use a lot of it, but trust me on this. It adds such loveliness to the batter and final cookie bars.
• All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached AP flour at our house, but you can use whatever you’ve got at your house. I have not tried to make this recipe with a gluten free substitute flour, so I do not recommend doing that.
• Kosher salt — I like to use a fine grain kosher salt for this recipe. Fine grain sea salt would also be OK.
• Baking soda — this is our leavening agent, and it helps these bars rise a little! Make sure yours is fresh. Please do not replace it with baking powder because it is not the same thing.
• M&M candies — I used the Christmas-colored milk chocolate M&Ms for these bars. If it’s not the holiday season, swap them out for regular M&Ms or other seasonally colored M&M candies for different holidays.
• Chocolate chips — I used bittersweet chocolate chips for this recipe because I like them for it. If you don’t like this, consider using semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips. Please note that if you use these, your bars will be a little sweeter.
• Sprinkles — I used a combination of various Christmas-colored sprinkles. Keep in mind that some will dye the cookie dough colors.

How to make Christmas Cookie Bars with M&Ms

Prepare. Spritz a 9″ x 13″ pan with nonstick baking spray. (You can also line with a little parchment to create a sling.) Preheat the oven, too.

Remove the butter and eggs from the fridge so they can come to room temperature. 

Cream the butter and sugars. Measure the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar into the base of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (This can also be done in a large bowl with a hand mixer.) 

Mix them together until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Don’t forget scrape down the sides again to ensure all the ingredients get mixed in.

Measure in the dry ingredients. Gently scoop the flour, salt and soda into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients.

If you’re baking with kids, let them do this part. It’s super fun… also a little messy. 😉 

Next, add the mix-ins. This includes the Christmas M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Mix for a few seconds until just combined! You may also use a rubber spatula to fold these into the cookie dough.

Form the cookie bars. Dollop the batter into the prepared baking pan, and spread using your hands or an offset spatula into an even layer.

You may spray your hands or a spatula with nonstick baking spray to ensure the batter doesn’t stick.

I like to add a few more colorful M&Ms on top of the bars before they bake, but you do you!

Once the dough is spread into the prepared pan, pop it in the oven and bake until golden brown and delicious. 

Once baked through, remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

How to store and freeze:

Store the cooled cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze these cookie bars. Once they are cooled, transfer to a parchment or wax paper-lined sheet pan and freeze for 3-4 hours or until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer baggie, and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before enjoying.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips 

These M&M Christmas Bar Cookies are the best kind of dessert for entertaining throughout the holiday season.

Not only are they fun and color, but they’re simple to make, wonderfully gooey and delicious and they feed a crowd.

Here’s how I suggest making it easy on yourself for entertaining during the holidays:

• Make them early. Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below, then allow them a few hours to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, or slice, transfer to a plate, then cover, and you’re good to go!
• Half or double the recipe. Depending on the size of your gathering, you can cut this recipe in half easily OR make a double batch for a big crowd!
• Involve the kids. If you’ve got kids who like to help in the kitchen, this recipe is excellent! They can help measure, mix and spread the batter before you bake them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips for making Christmas M&M Cookie Bars

• Swap out the mix-ins. If it’s not Christmas, use regular sprinkles and M&Ms or swap these Christmas-themed ones out for Valentine’s Day, July 4^th, etc.
• How to store: Store the cooled cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• How to freeze: Transfer the baked cookie bars to a wax or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer, and freeze for 4-5 hours, or until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and keep for 3 months in the freezer. Reheat in the toaster oven, or let come to room temperature on the countertop before enjoying.
• Switch out the chocolate. If you don’t like bittersweet chocolate, use milk chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips instead. Those will make these m&m bars sweeter, so keep that in mind.

Here’s how you can make them…