Christmas Bar Cookies

Name: Christmas Bar Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted butter (melted); ½ cup packed light brown sugar; ⅓ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg, (room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup all-purpose flour; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; ½ cup red and green M&M’s; ¼ cup Christmas jimmies; Christmas sprinkles, (for sprinkling over the baked cookie bars if desired)

October 24, 2023

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close up shot of Christmas Cookie Bars stacked on top of each other

These Christmas bar cookies will be guaranteed family favorites with their soft, chewy texture and bright festive colors.

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Table of Contents

Christmas Cookie Bars Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Christmas Bar Cookies Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
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Christmas bar cookies are the best way to celebrate the holidays! Warm, gooey, and delicious, they feature a soft, brownie-like texture and are bursting with chocolate chips, bright and festive holiday sprinkles, and chocolatey candy.

Christmas Cookie Bars raw ingredients that are labeled

These sweet treats are made from classic ingredients such as butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla. Of course, you can’t forget to add the chocolate chips and festive M&Ms for bursts of chocolatey goodness.

For these holiday bars, you’ll need:

½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup red and green M&M’s candy
¼ cup Christmas jimmies
additional Christmas sprinkles for sprinkling over the baked cookie bars, if desired

Substitutions And Additions

SPRINKLES: Jimmies are the best choice for adding to the batter as the dye will not bleed.

Other sprinkles should only be added to the top of the cookies; if stirred in, they will turn the batter a greenish-brown color.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Swap the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips in this great recipe.

NUTS: Add chopped walnuts or other chopped nuts to these sweet treats for a bit of extra crunch.

TOPPING: Add a drizzle of caramel sauce to make these classic cookie bars extra sweet.

How To Make This Christmas Bar Cookies Recipe

To make these bars, all you need to do is whip up the cookie base with basic pantry staples. Then you can customize the bars with your favorite sprinkles, M&M candy, and chocolate chips.

Baked in the oven until golden brown, Christmas bar cookies come out soft and chewy, with a slightly crisp exterior.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

These cookie bars freeze well. Make a double batch and keep them in the freezer for a homemade holiday gift during the festive season.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8×8-inch square baking pan with a bit of the melted butter and line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.

PRO TIP:

Adding the overhanging parchment paper will allow you to lift the bars out of the pan for easy transfer to a cutting board so you can slice the bars.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, whisk the remaining butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.

egg and vanilla combined with the butter mixture and wished in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients and mix just until moistened. Do not over-mix.

PRO TIP:

Stir the batter together gently to keep the cookies soft and chewy; overmixing can cause the bars to be crumbly and tough.

STEP FOUR: Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips, ⅓ cup of the M&M’s, and jimmies.

PRO TIP:

You can adjust the chocolate chips, M&M’s, and sprinkles amounts however you’d like. The quantities given here produce a chewy bar with lots of chocolate and sprinkle flavor.

chocolate chips, M&ms and jimmies folded in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining M&M’s.

smooth chocolate chip mixture into a pan and m&ms sprinkled on top

STEP SIX: Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is a golden brown color and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cookie bars as the suggested baking time approaches.

Christmas Cookie Bars baked until top is golden

STEP SEVEN: Set the pan on a wire rack and sprinkle the top of the bars with additional sprinkles, as desired. Cool completely.

Using the parchment overhang, lift the bars from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

How To Serve

Christmas bar cookies are a holiday classic that can easily be dressed up to take your Christmas feast to the next level.

To provide an additional layer of flavor, try serving with freshly whipped cream subtly sweetened with vanilla extract; tea or coffee brewed with mulling spices; sweetened condensed milk drizzled over each bar; or a scoop of gingerbread or vanilla ice cream for those feeling extra festive.

These delicious treats will also be a big hit at a cookie exchange or on a cookie plate at your Christmas celebrations.

Our Snickerdoodle cheesecake bars and coconut cream bars are two more easy recipes for irresistible dessert bars.

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Storage

ON THE COUNTER: Store the holiday cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to five days.

IN THE FRIDGE: If you want to keep them for longer, this easy cookie bars recipe can be stored in the fridge for a week.

Wrap the bars tightly with plastic wrap to keep the air from getting in and drying them out.

IN THE FREEZER: Store these chewy bars in the freezer for up to three months in a labeled container with the date, so that you can enjoy them while they are the freshest.

Thaw holiday bars on the counter when you are ready to serve them. You can eat them cold; however, pop them in the microwave in 15-second increments to make them soft and delicious once again.

overhead shot of Christmas cookie bars on a parchment sheet

This festive Christmas bar cookies recipe is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Loaded with sugar, spice, and everything nice, they are sure to make your taste buds happy. Warning: these may be too addicting to resist!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these chocolate chip cookie bars in a larger pan?

If you would like to make these in a larger pan, such as a 9-inch baking pan, you certainly can, but keep in mind you’d have to adjust the baking time since the bars would be thinner and bake quicker.

Can I freeze Christmas bar cookies?

Wrap your Christmas magic cookie bars well and pop them in the freezer for up to three months.

Do I have to refrigerate the M&M Christmas cookie bars?

These Christmas M&M cookie bars are perfectly fine kept on the counter in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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