• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Media and Advertising
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

No. 2 Pencil

Cook, Bake & Create

  • Recipe Index
    • Single Serving
    • One-Pot Meals
    • Slow Cooker
    • Cookies
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Drink
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • Easy Dinner Recipes

M&M’S Christmas Cookie Bars

November 9, 2016 by Melissa 74 Comments

I’m super excited to share these delicious M&M’S Christmas Cookie Bars! The recipe is really, really good and perfect for holiday baking. These are easy to make and packed with chocolate, yum!

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

The texture of the M&M’S with the mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips is so good. Perfect for a party or holiday gift giving. These make a big 9×13 pan of rich and delicious M&M cookie bars. Depending on how you cut them, they can make 18 bars all the way up to 36 bars.

You can already grab a big bag of Christmas M&M’s for your holiday baking needs!

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

 

I initially planned on just baking these with mini chocolate chips and Christmas M&M’S, but after I transferred the cookie dough to the pan, I thought a pop of white chocolate chips would make it look even more festive.

 

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

So when I pressed the additional M&M’S and mini chocolate chips onto the top of the cookie dough bars, a trick I always use when making chocolate chip cookies or M&M’s cookies, I added some white chocolate chips too.

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

These baked up perfectly!

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

 

These cookie bars are getting me so excited for Christmas!

 

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

 

Check out my Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars!  

5 from 15 votes
Print
M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Servings: 18 -36 depending on size cut
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks of butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup of firmly packed golden brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of Christmas M&M's plus more for topping
  • 1 cup of mini chocolate chips plus more for topping
  • 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, leave some overhang to make removal easier.
  3. Spray foil generously with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until fluffy.
  5. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
  6. Lower speed of mixer and add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.
  7. Add M&M's and mini chocolate chips and give a final stir, reserving some M&M's, mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips for topping cookie bars.
  8. Transfer cookie dough to prepared baking dish.
  9. Press additional M&M'S, mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips into top of cookie dough.
  10. Bake 35 to 40 minutes on oven rack in lower third of oven to prevent over browning.
  11. Let cool completely and cut.

Follow me on Instagram to see my newest recipes!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe 

You may also like:

 

M&M’S Christmas Cookie Bars 

Grandma’s Peanut Brittle Recipe 

See’s Candy Fudge Recipe 

 Candy Cane Cookies M&M'S Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

 

5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights

My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!

  • Quick to make
  • Light on your budget
  • Easy to clean-up
  • and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS


Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Cookies, Dessert, Holidays, Recipes

Previous Post: « Slow Cooker Turkey Sloppy Joes
Next Post: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Brownies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erlene Amat

    November 29, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    This recipe looks so festive and delicious! I wanted to let you know that I include this in a holiday recipe round-up with a link back. If not acceptable, please let me know.

    Reply
    • Andi

      December 4, 2018 at 4:32 am

      Can u use parchment paper instead of foil ? Andi

      Reply
      • Melissa

        December 4, 2018 at 10:10 am

        That should be fine, the cookie dough is pretty thick though so I imagine it will be harder to spread on the parchment paper. The foil is stable in the pan, and parent paper would be loose. I’m sure it would work, just a bit trickier.

        Reply
  2. mia

    December 1, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    These cookie bars look so good! If i don’t have a mixer, can I still make it if I mix it by hand?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 8, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Sure, but that would be a lot of dough to mix by hand! Maybe a hand mixer would work better for you!

      Reply
  3. Mariam

    December 3, 2016 at 10:43 am

    Can these be frozenm

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 8, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s just cookie dough so I don’t see any reason not to!

      Reply
  4. Tash

    December 8, 2016 at 1:22 am

    Hi,
    I’m in Australia and keen to make this for my sons daycare teachers for Christmas. Can you please tell me how much a stick of butter is in weight.

    Thanks x

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 8, 2016 at 6:26 pm

      I found this on Nigella’s website. Hope it helps!
      https://www.nigella.com/ask/what-is-a-stick-of-butter

      Reply
    • Mel

      December 10, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      1 stick of butter is 113 grams 🙂

      Reply
  5. Megan

    December 8, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    Delicious! Making these for the second time right now. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 8, 2016 at 6:24 pm

      Awesome! Thanks, Megan!

      Reply
  6. Emily

    December 9, 2016 at 7:47 am

    Love these! Found them to have a bit too much chocolate for us but we will just put a bit less next time! the best cookies bars so far.

    Reply
  7. Lisa

    December 10, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    Can I use the dough to make cookies? Thank you

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 24, 2016 at 1:43 pm

      I haven’t tried, so I’m not sure. The dough is pretty soft so I suspect they would spread too much.

      Reply
  8. Meg

    December 11, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    I found that my cookies were getting too brown too fast. So after about 20 minutes of baking I covered the whole pan with foil and finished baking them. That seemed to work out! Very yummy and festive.

    Reply
  9. Sharon

    December 12, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    These are so cute. I had seen holiday M and Ms but couldn’t think of what to do with them. Great idea.

    Reply
  10. Bobbi

    December 13, 2016 at 7:23 pm

    Will these hold up just like cookies in an air tight container? Was going to slice & store just like my regular cookies.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 14, 2016 at 9:56 am

      Yes! Air tight container is perfect!

      Reply
  11. Mary

    December 15, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    These are delicious!!!!

    Reply
  12. Tayla

    December 16, 2016 at 4:00 am

    Would these hold their shape if i used a cookie cutter on after baking? I want to cut them into heart shapes or is it too crumbly?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 24, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      I haven’t tried using a cookie cutter. Please let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  13. Kelly

    December 19, 2016 at 6:07 am

    Made these and they are delicious, but are you sure you only used a 9×13 pan? Mine came out 2 & 1/2 inch thick! Had to re-bake the middle. Will definitely make again!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 24, 2016 at 1:37 pm

      Hi Kelly!

      I used a standard sized 9×13 glass Pyrex dish.Thank you!

      Reply
  14. Amanda

    December 20, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    These are so delicious! I couldn’t find the holiday M&Ms so I just used the holiday chocolate chips instead, and they still came out great. My students couldn’t get enough of them!

    Reply
  15. Christiane Mulholland

    December 23, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    I baked 6 batches of these and NONE of them came out right. I followed the recipe EXACTLY each time, aside from having to bake them for 65+ minutes instead of 35 minutes and the middles still came out raw. I have. O idea what I’m doing wrong.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 24, 2016 at 1:41 pm

      Hi Christiane!

      What kind of pan are you using? Another reader was using a disposable pan and was having issues with it baking unevenly. I recommend a glass 9×13 baking dish for best results. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Courtney

      February 5, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      I am having the same problem- with a brand new oven. Frustrating!

      Reply
    • Christine

      December 31, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      Maybe your oven isn’t calibrated correctly. Things we’re baking right for me cause my oven was 50° hotter than the setting I wanted. I bought a thermometer to hang in the oven now I have no issues.

      Reply
  16. Jessica

    December 24, 2016 at 8:16 am

    Do you use unsalted or salted butter?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 24, 2016 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Jessica,

      I generally use salted because that’s what I have on hand, but I’ve used both kinds of butter in this recipe and they both worked fine.

      Reply
  17. Thrai

    December 28, 2016 at 5:18 pm

    I can’t wait to make them!! I wanted to know if they would still taste as great if I made them ahead of time and seal them up?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 30, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      They can be stored just like freshly baked cookies!

      Reply
  18. Amy

    December 28, 2016 at 11:42 pm

    Some butter sticks are only a half a cup while others are a full cup. I was wondering for this recipe do I use 2-1 cup sticks or 2- 1/2 cup sticks? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 30, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      Two 1/2 cup sticks. A total of one cup of softened butter.

      Reply
  19. Courtney

    February 5, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    I tried baking these twice in a corningware dish and it came out like chocolate soup both times… I doubled the cooking time and still no luck. Disappointed

    Reply
    • Melissa

      February 8, 2017 at 10:39 am

      I’m sorry you are having trouble. Are you making any substitutions? If not, I would double check the ingredients. Is your cookie dough before baking thick like the one pictured?

      Reply
  20. Jenelle

    November 8, 2018 at 12:22 pm

    Do you have to use aluminum foil in the baking dish? Could you use nothing at all or parchment paper?

    Reply
    • Jean

      December 20, 2019 at 11:02 am

      When I make these I never line my pan and they come out just fine.

      Reply
  21. Brittany

    November 8, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    These look so yummy!! I am thinking of shipping these to my family for Christmas. Just curious if you thought these would ship well? I plan on making them on a Sunday and shipping them Monday.

    Reply
  22. nicole

    November 27, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    Has anyone tried these gluten free yet? If so, how did it turn out?

    Reply
  23. Sarah

    December 3, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Can you make the dough ahead of time and let sit to room temp before baking? I have to do things in steps to optimize my time.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 4, 2018 at 10:11 am

      For sure! That’s a great time saver!

      Reply
  24. SYD

    December 5, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    Yum!!!!

    Reply
  25. Shanna E

    December 5, 2018 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    I made these with a Thanksgiving twist using Reese’s Pieces and they turned out delicious! I always love the recipes this blog releases!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 5, 2018 at 7:16 pm

      Sounds so good! Thank you, Shanna!

      Reply
  26. Hernando Mondragon

    December 5, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    So good!

    Reply
  27. Ginger Wejmar

    December 5, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    These are so delish!!!

    Reply
  28. Mindy Stevens

    December 6, 2018 at 5:15 pm

    5 stars
    I made the 4th of July ones, and they were a hit. I plan on making these for Christmas too!!

    Reply
  29. Jill

    December 16, 2018 at 6:11 am

    Will these get stale if they are baked a week ahead of serving them? I’m not sure if they keep more like a cookie or more like a brownie. Thanks!

    Reply
  30. Susie

    December 17, 2018 at 4:03 am

    Can you just grease the pan instead of lining it with foil and cut them out like you would a brownie?

    Reply
    • Jean

      December 20, 2019 at 11:05 am

      Yes that’s what I did. Cut just fine

      Reply
  31. Amber Hatfield

    December 17, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    5 stars
    I’m not sure why so many people are having issues. This is just your basic cookie dough recipe with a bit more flour and eggs…maybe chec your oven temperature with a thermometer.lb I have found that’s usually the issue.

    Reply
  32. Kathy

    December 20, 2018 at 6:19 am

    I’m traveling over the holidays and want to freeze these after baking. Has anyone tried this?

    Reply
  33. Dianna

    December 22, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    Is the dough supposed to be sticky. It was hard to spread and stuck to the wooden spoon.

    Thanks
    Dianna

    Reply
  34. Anna

    November 12, 2019 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    I make these bars every year for the holidays! Everyone loves them!

    Reply
  35. Kristyn

    November 12, 2019 at 1:03 pm

    5 stars
    We make these often..my kids love them!! Love the combination of m&m’s & chocolate chips!

    Reply
  36. Katerina @ diethood .com

    November 12, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, these look SO GOOD!! I would love one!

    Reply
  37. Jennifer

    November 12, 2019 at 3:20 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, how yummy do these look! The most perfect dessert for Christmas!

    Reply
  38. Suzy

    November 12, 2019 at 9:21 pm

    5 stars
    My kids are going to go crazy for these! Love how festive they are!

    Reply
  39. Mary

    November 27, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    Made these twice and both times without the white chocolate chips( yuck)….. my family really likes these bars. This time i made them in a longer pan so they came out like bars instead of bready, cakey bars. Awesome… i add pecans with the M&M’s only and they are great!!! Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
  40. Bethany

    December 11, 2019 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    Hi! I just made these and they are so yummy! Question though… Instead of using a 9×13 pan, I would like to get a baking sheet out that measures 17 x 12.5. I was going to spread it out in the pan so I know they will turn out thinner. What would you suggest for the cooking time in the oven?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 23, 2019 at 8:49 am

      Awesome! Cooking time would be hard to say, I would start checking at 20 minutes.

      Reply
  41. Toni

    December 12, 2019 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    Such a really amazing treat for the holidays!

    Reply
  42. Betsy

    December 12, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I love these! My whole family loves these! Have you ever used the mint Christmas m&m’s for this? I bet that would also be fantastic!!

    Reply
  43. stephanie

    December 12, 2019 at 12:20 pm

    5 stars
    I tried making these and my son loved them. They turned out delicious!!!

    Reply
  44. Jennifer

    December 18, 2019 at 4:11 am

    Hello! Thank you for your recipe. I am making these for 40 people and I was trying to save some money by using mini marshmellow vs white chocolate chips but I have a question. Should I pit the marshmellow in a little before the cookies are done or in with the dough. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 23, 2019 at 8:45 am

      I think I would just skip the white chocolate chips and marshmallows all together.

      Reply
  45. Mina

    December 18, 2019 at 7:26 am

    Hi! The recipe says 2 sticks of butter which in a previous comment you clarified it was 2 1/2 sticks which is 1 while stuck. I’m a little confused as the video shows 3 1/2 sticks being used. Please advise.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      December 19, 2019 at 8:53 am

      I’m sorry, I’m not sure where the confusion came from. It is 2 sticks of butter, the video shows two sticks of butter as well.

      Reply
  46. Chandni

    December 27, 2019 at 10:09 am

    I made these recently for my work Xmas lunch, they went down a treat.
    I had to find conversions for US to UK though.
    I used normal M&M’s as couldn’t get Christmas ones in the UK.

    Reply
  47. Maisie

    March 10, 2020 at 3:07 am

    These look amazing! If I am to use a 8×8 pan in two batches, how long will I need to bake them for?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      March 10, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      I’m sorry, I haven’t tried baking them like that so I can’t say for sure. I would start checking at 20 minutes.

      Reply
      • Maisie

        March 10, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Thanks for the advice!

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Welcome to No. 2 Pencil where you will find original recipes, fresh craft ideas, and easy home decor ideas.

Read More

5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights

My MOST POPULAR dinner recipes for busy nights.

Get them free . . . just sign-up below!

Archives

© Copyright 2018 Number 2 Pencil · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Log in