M&M Cookie Bars
These M&M Cookie Bars are colorful and chewy with the delicious crunch of M&Ms. Perfect for bake sales or a quick and easy dessert!
Cookie bars are the perfect no-fuss dessert. There’s no scooping or waiting for multiple batches to come out of the oven. Just pile it all in one dish, bake, slice and serve.
If you love easy recipes that can feed a crowd like Chocolate Chip Bars, Strawberry Bars and even Hello Dolly Bars you’ll love this recipe too!
Sweet, simple cookie dough with the perfect crunch and chocolate flavor of M&Ms, baked up in one pan in just minutes and ready to slice and serve. Perfect!
We had a visitor in town on the weekend that I tested these M&M Cookie Bars. Between my husband and his best friend, these bars were almost completely gone between the time they came out of the oven on Friday to when he left on Sunday morning! They were THAT good!
Why Make This Recipe
- Classic Favorite: Who can pass on the simplicity of a good M&M cookie? Not me! And this recipe is made with my Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe as a base, which means that that classic flavor shines through.
- No Scooping: All the flavor of an M&M cookie, half the effort. This is a great one-pan dessert.
- Thick and Chewy: Using this recipe means no worrying about your cookies being too thin or your dough spreading too far. Cookie bars are the perfect texture every time, with a soft and chewy center and slightly crispy edges!
Key Ingredients to Make this Recipe
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter for baking so that you can control the amount of salt in your own recipe.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: The mixture of brown sugar and white sugar provides the perfect flavor and moisture, with the brown sugar contributing to a chewier texture than just using granulated sugar. You could use dark brown sugar if you want, but it will lead to a deeper molasses flavor!
- All-purpose flour: You can make these M&M Cookie Bars gluten free by using 1:1 Substitute Gluten Free Flour.
- M&Ms: You can use any M&Ms you love. I keep it simple with the classic M&Ms but you could use peanut butter, caramel, minis or choose holiday variations for a festive flair. I love caramel M&Ms because they melt for gooey pockets in the bars!
Tools
- Electric Mixer or Hand Mixer: You could definitely mix this dough by hand, but it will take a little more effort!
- 9×13 baking dish: The baking time on this recipe was tested with a glass baking dish. If using a nonstick 9×13, you may need to bake for less time. You don’t need to grease your pan at all, the bars should release from the pan just fine.
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Step Two: Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
Step Three: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step Four: Mix in the M&Ms by hand.
Step Five: Press the dough into a 9×13 baking dish.
Step Six: Bake until the edges begin to brown and the top is no longer glossy. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting.
Expert Tips
- For picture-perfect bars, press a few extra M&Ms onto the top before baking or right after pulling the bars from the oven. This is what I did!
- For an extra variety and elevated flavor, you can sprinkle the bars with flaky sea salt.
- Use red and green M&Ms for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or school colors for a fun graduation party treat!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! These bars keep well at room temperature for several days. They stay so soft!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. I also love to freeze them for up to 2 months in individual slices for quick grab-and-go treats.
Nope! The beauty of this simple recipe is you just mix, press and bake! You do have to let them cool when they come out of the oven but that’s the only waiting required.
Absolutely. You can add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even pretzel pieces for extra texture and flavor.
You can make this recipe in a smaller pan but it will take longer to cook and your bars will turn out much thicker, and they are already pretty thick as is. It may be easier to split the recipe in half.
To ensure that these bars are soft and chewy, avoid over-baking them. Remove from the oven when the center is still soft but the top is just beginning to get toasted. Don’t wait for them to look completely cooked, the cookies will continue baking as they cool.
Butter gives the best flavor and texture, but in a pinch, margarine (in bar form) can work. I would not use oil as it will change the flavor and texture significantly.
Did you enjoy this recipe for M&M Cookie Bars? If so, check out these other recipes I chose just for you:
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M&M Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Electric Mixer or Hand Mixer
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a standing kitchen mixer to combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the all purpose flour and baking soda and mix to combine again.
- Then add the M&Ms into the mixture and mix by hand until evenly distributed.
- Press the dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 glass pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top has just begun to brown and is no longer glossy. The bars will continue to bake in the pan.
- Allow the bars to rest in the pan at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cut into bars, and continue to cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter for baking so that you can control the amount of salt in your own recipe.
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: You could use dark brown sugar if you want, but it will lead to a deeper molasses flavor!
- All-purpose flour: You can make these M&M Cookie Bars gluten free by using 1:1 Substitute Gluten Free Flour.
- M&Ms: You can use any M&Ms you love. I keep it simple with the classic M&Ms but you could use peanut butter, caramel, minis or choose holiday variations for a festive flair.
- For picture-perfect bars, press a few extra M&Ms onto the top before baking or right after pulling the bars from the oven. This is what I did!
- For an extra variety and elevated flavor, you can sprinkle the bars with flaky sea salt.
- Use red and green M&Ms for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or school colors for a fun graduation party treat!
