Description

Delight in these colorful and chewy M&M Cookie Bars, loaded with vibrant candy-coated chocolates and mini chocolate chips. Perfect for sharing, these cookie bars combine the classic flavors of chocolate chip cookies with the fun crunch of M&M’s, baked into a soft, buttery bar that’s easy to slice and serve.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Add-ins

1 1/2 cups M&M’s plus more for topping
1 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Set your oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cookie bars.
Prepare Baking Dish: Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil, allowing extra foil to hang over the edges for easy removal. Spray the foil generously with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes a few minutes.
Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, continuing to beat until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Mix Dry Ingredients: Lower the mixer speed and gradually add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
Fold in M&M’s and Chocolate Chips: Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of M&M’s and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips by hand, reserving some to sprinkle on top later.
Transfer and Top Dough: Spread the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Press the reserved M&M’s and mini chocolate chips evenly over the top of the dough.
Bake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bars are lightly golden brown around the edges and just set in the center.
Cool and Serve: Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the baking dish before lifting out with the foil overhang and slicing into bars.

Notes

Make sure the butter is at room temperature for easier creaming.
If you prefer a softer center, bake closer to 30 minutes; for a firmer bar, bake up to 35 minutes.
Use a sharp knife to cut bars cleanly once cooled to avoid crumbling.
Store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Feel free to substitute peanut M&M’s for a nutty twist, but note this will affect the diet suitability.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: M&M Cookie Bars, Cookie Bars, M&M Dessert, Chocolate Chip Bars, Easy Cookie Bars, Baked Cookie Bars