The best and easiest Christmas M&M Cookie Bars that are perfect for your Christmas cookie exchange! These gooey and chocolaty Christmas M&M Cookie Bars are loaded with red and green M&M's, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips for a festive holiday cookie treat!
Christmas baking is so much fun for me, and I especially love baking easy Christmas cookies that don't require precise decorating and many steps. These Christmas M&M Cookie Bars are one of the easiest Christmas cookies you can make because you only need to mix the ingredients in a bowl and then spread the batter in a pan.
Cookies in a Pan
Cookie bars made in a pan are one of my favorites. We have made various versions of cookie bars including Magic Bars, Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars, S'mores Cookie Bars, and Peanut Butter Bars. You can typically take any cookie recipe and bake it in a 9x13 or a sheet pan to make cookie bars. This recipe base is from our favorite chocolate chip cookie bars and I use my favorite 10x15 jelly roll pan to spread out the serving size.
I added white chocolate chips for extra festive flair and then pressed red and green M&M's to the top instead of mixing them into the batter. This is my favorite way to add M&M's to any cookie recipe so that the fun little colors do not get lost in the batter and instead stand out studded on top.
Christmas M&M Cookie Bars Ingredients
These Christmas M&M Cookie Bars require standard pantry ingredients, with maybe one or two extras you might need to pick up like white chocolate chips (optional) and the red and green M&M's. The other ingredients include:
- Butter
- Sugars
- Flour
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Tips for Making Christmas M&M Cookie Bars
- Line your pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray for easy removal from pan.
- If using a 9x13-inch pan, bake a little longer until the middle is set. This may take up to 30 minutes total.
- Serve these Christmas M&M Cookie Bars at a cookie exchange, classroom party, work party, or dessert for Christmas dinner!
- Make these M&M Bars any time throughout the year by using other colors of M&M's to match the season.
Other Christmas Cookie Exchange Ideas
Every year I make these Christmas M&M Cookies Bars along with our other annual favorite Gingerbread Boys, Sugar Cookies, Gingerdoodles, and Peanut Butter Blossoms among others! I always stock up on red and green holiday M&M's so I have enough to cover my Christmas baking for the season. I also use these Christmas M&M's for a seasonal twist to my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
What are your favorite Christmas cookies to make each year? I'm always up for trying something new!
Christmas M&M Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-oz. bag)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup red and green M&M's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and half of the white chocolate chips.
- Using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, spread the dough onto the prepared pan in an even layer. The dough may be thin if using a very large sheet pan, but will puff and close holes during baking.
- Sprinkle M&M's and the rest of the white chocolate chips evenly over top and lightly press into the dough.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and edges are lightly browned. You may need to bake longer, up to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. Do not over bake. Let cool and cut into squares with a plastic knife.
Carrie Romine says
What size sheet pan do you use for the MM cookie bars?
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Carrie! I believe it's around 10x15.
Suzanne says
These look delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Nikki Gladd says
Thank you, Suzanne!
Jeannie says
Only make these in a half sheet pan. They don't turn out well in a 9x13 pan.
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Jeannie,
I typically make these in my large rimmed baking sheet (sometimes I use my 10x15 and other times my 12x17). But, if using a 9x13, they need to bake about 30 minutes, a little longer than a sheet pan.
BreeAnn Hanson says
The pic looks like they are made in a cookie sheet?
Nikki Gladd says
Hi BreeAnn, they are photographed in my rimmed baking pan (aka sheet pan). 🙂 Hope this helps!
Kay says
I happen to have caramel M&Ms and used those instead of regular M&Ms and my guests all loved them. Very hard to eat just one.
Nikki Gladd says
Oh! I would love to try these with the caramel M& M's! Thanks for your review!