Amazing 22 christmas cookie bars joy

Oh, I am so glad you stopped by my little corner of the internet today! If you’re anything like me, the holidays bring so much joy, but sometimes they bring that crushing pressure to bake everything perfectly. I’m talking about the endless to-do lists and the desire for amazing desserts without spending hours standing over a hot oven.

That’s why I perfected these ultimate chewy Christmas cookie bars. Seriously, these are my secret weapon! They give you that gorgeous, festive look and that incredible, satisfyingly chewy texture without any fuss. When I was juggling my marketing career and family life, I learned quickly that we need simple recipes that still taste deeply loved. These bars are the perfect result of taking classic cookie flavor and adapting it for my hectic Tuesday nights!

Why These Are the Best Christmas Cookie Bars for Your Holiday Table

I’ve baked a lot of holiday treats over the years, and honestly, these bars are the ones I always come back to. They consistently deliver that ‘wow’ factor without making me feel like I missed the whole party because I was stuck in the kitchen. If you need Simple Holiday Dessert Bars that everyone actually devours, keep reading. These are designed to be real crowd pleasers!

• Incredible Texture: Forget dry, stiff bricks. These are thick, soft, and wonderfully chewy—just like the best cookies, but easier!
• Instant Festivity: Packed with bright red and green M&Ms and tons of colorful sprinkles, they look amazing right out of the pan.
• One-Pan Wonder: This is true One Pan Christmas Baking Idea territory. No messy scooping required, which saves buckets of time.
• Total Crowd Pleasing Holiday Desserts: They are the perfect size for potlucks, school parties, or just having ready for unexpected visitors with a cup of hot cocoa.

When you’re making treats for a big gathering, ease matters just as much as taste. That’s why I think these will become your new holiday staple. You can see more of my tried-and-true recipes over in my Desserts Category!

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Gathering Ingredients for Your Christmas Cookie Bars

The best part about these christmas cookie bars? You probably have most of this stuff in your pantry right now! I designed this recipe to use simple, common staples, which means you can whip these up without an emergency trip to the store. We’re skipping fancy extracts and expensive specialty flours here. We want honest, buttery, cookie goodness!

Here is exactly what you’ll need for the perfect bake. Make sure your butter is softened—that’s important for the texture later on!

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup M&M’s (red and green preferred)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles

That bright mix of M&Ms and chocolate chips is what makes these a true Quick Christmas Cookie Recipe. Just have these ready, and we can start mixing!

How To Make Ultimate Chewy Christmas Cookie Bars

Okay, here is where the magic happens! Since these are bar cookies, we get to skip the absolute worst part of holiday baking: scooping mounds of dough onto baking sheets. You get all the flavor of a great cookie, but with the ease of true No Scoop Holiday Baking. I promise, this process is so fast you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with traditional cut-outs. We’re aiming for that perfect soft center, so pay close attention to the baking time—it’s the secret to getting those chewy results!

Preparing the Pan and Oven for Your Christmas Cookie Bars

First things first, let’s get set up. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This is incredibly important because we want the dough to hit an already hot oven for the best texture spread. Next, grab your 9×13 inch baking pan. Don’t just grease it! Line it completely with parchment paper, making sure you leave a good overhang on the two long sides. That overhang is your handle later on so you can lift the whole thing out easily. Trust me, that parchment sling is a lifesaver!

Mixing the Wet and Dry Ingredients for Chewy Christmas Cookie Bars

Grab your biggest mixing bowl. You need to beat that softened butter, the brown sugar, and the white sugar together until they look light and creamy—like fluffy caramel. This takes a minute or two, but it incorporates air, which helps them bake up right. Then, add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by that lovely vanilla extract. While that’s happening, take a separate bowl and quickly whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Keep them separate for now!

Now, slowly add the dry stuff to the wet stuff. Mix this low and slow until you *just* don’t see any more flour streaks. Stop right there! Overmixing is the enemy of chewy blondie style Christmas bars like these, because it develops gluten and makes them tough.

Folding in the Festive Mix-Ins for Perfect Christmas Cookie Bars

This is the fun part! We’re stirring in the M&M’s, the chocolate chips, and most of those gorgeous Christmas sprinkles. Use a spatula here—no electric mixers needed! Fold everything gently until it’s evenly distributed throughout the batter. Once folded, scrape that thick dough right into your prepared 9×13 pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to press it down firmly and evenly against the bottom. Then, take the rest of your sprinkles and lightly scatter them across the top for maximum visual impact.

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Baking and Cooling Your Crowd Pleasing Holiday Bar Recipes

Into the 350°F oven they go! They will bake for about 22 to 25 minutes. Here’s the pro tip for ultimate chewiness: pull them out when the edges look lightly golden brown, but the absolute center still looks just a little bit soft or glossy. They continue to cook outside the oven, and pulling them early guarantees they won’t dry out. Once they are out, you must let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. I know it’s hard when they smell this good, but if you try to slice them warm, you’ll end up with a mess instead of perfect squares for your Crowd Pleasing Holiday Bar Recipes!

Tips for Making Perfect Christmas M&M Cookie Bars How To Make

Now that you’ve seen the steps, I want to share a few of the crucial things I learned from my testing days—the details that separate a good bar from a truly great batch of Christmas M&M Cookie Bars How To Make. Remember, we are aiming for that melt-in-your-mouth chewiness, not a hard snap!

First, that texture thing: don’t ever be tempted to overbake these! If you pull them out and the very center looks set but still a tiny bit glossy, you’re golden. They firm up beautifully as they sit on the cooling rack. This is the number one rule for keeping them soft. I actually covered a bit more about achieving that perfect soft texture when I wrote about my Chewy Blondies, which use a very similar base dough.

Also, let’s talk about why these are so fantastic for holiday baking stress reduction. Since there is zero scooping, these are perfect for what I call Kid Friendly Holiday Cookie Bars projects. My grandkids love pouring the mix-ins in, and spreading dough in a pan is way easier for small hands than rolling individual balls. If you want a deep dive into other easy M&M treats, check out this great recipe I found for Chewy Christmas M&M Cookie Bars for some other fun ideas!

Bottom line: respect the cooling time, and don’t stir that batter too much, and you’ve mastered the quickest, chewiest holiday dessert around!

Storage and Make Ahead Christmas Treats

One of the absolute best things about these christmas cookie bars is that they are designed to be fantastic Make Ahead Christmas Treats! Seriously, if you are hosting a big holiday brunch or going to a potluck, you can make these days ahead of time and they are just as good, if not better, on day three than they were on day one.

Once they are completely cool—and I mean *completely* cool, don’t rush this part!—you just want to store them in an airtight container. I usually layer them with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers just to make sure none of the M&Ms or sprinkles stick to the layer above. Kept at room temperature, they stay deliciously chewy for a good four to five days. That means you can bake them right after Thanksgiving and still have something amazing ready for Christmas Eve!

If you’re planning way, way ahead or if you’ve made an enormous batch and need to hide some from the hungry little hands running around the house, you can freeze them too! Wrap the sliced bars tightly in plastic wrap first, and then pop them into a freezer-safe bag or container. They hold up beautifully in the freezer for up to about two months. When you’re ready to serve them, just thaw them on the counter for an hour or two. It’s such a relief knowing you have a guaranteed dessert ready to go!

For anything that needs to last a little longer, maybe you need a special gift, check out my recipe for No-Fail Chocolate Fudge; that one keeps even longer and is also great for gifting during the season!

Variations for Your Festive Holiday Bar Recipes

Now, while I think these rainbow M&M versions are the absolute best, part of cooking is making things work for *your* crowd! Don’t feel boxed in by the red and green. If you have friends who prefer chocolate or nuts, feel free to swap out those M&M’s for pecans or walnuts. You know your family best!

This base dough is so versatile; it truly leans into that rich, buttery flavor profile we associate with great Blondie Style Christmas Bars. Instead of chocolate chips, try using butterscotch chips mixed with white chocolate chips—it creates this wonderfully rich caramel flavor that is just divine with the vanilla background. Honestly, you can fold in crushed peppermint candies right before baking for a totally different seasonal flavor!

If you love the idea of decadent bars, make sure you also check out my recipe for Turtle Brownies sometime. While those are a bit more involved, they show you how amazing this bar structure is when you start adding things like caramel swirls!

Equipment Needed for Simple Holiday Dessert Bars

Since these are Easy Christmas Cookie Bars, we aren’t going to need a huge collection of specialty gadgets taking up space in your cupboards. That’s another reason I love this recipe—it’s truly accessible for anyone. Having the right tools just makes the process smoother, so let’s do a quick inventory before you start mixing!

Here’s what made my life easier when I was developing this recipe and what I pull out every time I bake a batch for a party:

• 9×13 Inch Baking Pan: This is the non-negotiable item for true bar cookies. You need that surface area so they bake evenly and thinly enough to be chewy rather than cakey.
• Parchment Paper: I can’t stress this enough—get the roll! This is the foundation of the easy cleanup and the parchment-sling removal we talked about. You won’t get those perfect squares without it.
• Mixing Bowls: You need at least two—one large bowl for creaming the butter and sugar and one medium bowl for whisking your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt).
• Rubber Spatula: Essential for gently folding in those colorful M&M’s and sprinkles without deflating all the air you just beat into the butter mixture.
• Electric Hand Mixer (Optional): While you absolutely *can* beat the butter and sugars by hand with a sturdy spoon or whisk, a hand mixer makes reaching that creamy texture much faster. If you’re making these often, it’s a worthwhile investment.

That’s it! Nothing too crazy, right? Just standard baking gear for what ends up being one of the prettiest and tastiest Simple Holiday Dessert Bars you’ll ever make. Being prepared is half the battle, especially when the holidays get hectic!

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Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Cookie Bars

I totally get it—when you’re busy baking for the holidays, you need answers fast! I’ve gathered up the questions I hear most often about these christmas cookie bars so you can feel totally confident before you even turn on the oven. Let’s tackle those last few uncertainties so you can get to the mixing!

Can I use cookie cutters on these christmas cookie bars?

Oh, I wish you could! That would be so fun, especially with all those sprinkles on top. But the short answer is no, sweetie. These bars are intentionally made to be soft and chewy, which means they are pressed into the pan rather than rolled out like traditional sugar cookies. If you tried to use a cutter, they would crumble or turn out way too dense or cakey when you tried to cut them. The best way to get those perfect, shareable pieces is to let them cool completely and then slice them into squares, just like how we enjoy my other no-fuss baked snacks.

How do I make these Easy Christmas Cookie Bars extra chewy?

This is the most important question, because chewy is what we are aiming for! If you want that melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes these Easy Christmas Cookie Bars addictive, you have to remember two things. First, make sure you are using packed brown sugar; the molasses in it adds chewiness beyond what white sugar can do. Second, and this is crucial, don’t overbake them! Pull them out right when the edges look done but the very center still looks soft and slightly gooey. They firm up a ton as they cool, so trust the process and take them out earlier than you think you should!

Are these One Pan Christmas Baking Ideas suitable for gifting?

Absolutely! That’s one of the primary reasons I love this recipe so much—it simplifies holiday travel and gifting! Since these are sturdy bars and not delicate cookies, they travel beautifully. Once they are totally cool, I slice them up and layer them carefully in decorative tins or even cute cellophane bags, separating the layers with a small piece of wax paper just in case. These truly are excellent One Pan Christmas Baking Ideas because they look festive but require none of the fussy decorating that individual cookies need. They hold up perfectly for mailing or setting out on a shared dessert table!

Nutritional Estimates for Your Christmas Sprinkle Dessert Squares

I always feel a little sheepish putting this section up because, let’s be honest, when we are making incredible Christmas cookie bars loaded with butter and M&M’s, we aren’t exactly reaching for a nutrition label! But I know some of you like to keep track, and for me, knowing what’s in a treat helps me enjoy it guilt-free!

These figures are based on my specific ingredient brands and measurements, so they are genuinely just an estimate for one square serving. If you decide to use extra chocolate chips or swap out the butter for something different, these numbers will shift a bit, so take them as a helpful guideline rather than gospel. These are Colorful Christmas Sweets, not health food, right?

Here are the general estimates for one serving of these bars:

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 220
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 110mg
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 35mg

So, there you have it! Enjoy one (or two!) of these beautiful Christmas Sprinkle Dessert Squares, and remember what I always say: if you’re adding joy to the table, you’re doing the most important part of the recipe right!

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Share Your Festive Baking Success

Well, you made it! If you’ve followed along, you now have a beautiful, bright tray of the most delicious, wonderfully chewy christmas cookie bars cooling on your counter. You did it! You’ve conquered holiday baking without breaking a sweat, and you’ve got a guaranteed crowd-pleaser ready for whatever party or cozy night in you have planned.

Now, I truly want to hear from you! Getting messages from readers who have made something out of my kitchen and into theirs is what keeps me going. Did you get those beautiful chewy edges we talked about? Did your kids have fun sprinkling the M&M’s on top?

I would absolutely love it if you took a moment to leave a star rating right below the recipe card—it helps other busy home cooks know that this recipe is reliable! And please, drop a comment below telling me: What is your absolute favorite, can’t-live-without holiday treat, besides these bars, of course? I am always looking for new traditions to try.

If you snap a photo of your colorful squares, please tag me on social media! Seeing my recipes out in the real world, making someone’s holiday a little sweeter, is such a joy. You can find me over on Instagram—I can’t wait to see what you create and celebrate the season with you!

Thank you again for trusting me with your holiday baking. Knowing I can help simplify things for you is why I started Carla’s Cooking in the first place. Happy Holidays, and happy baking!

Ultimate Chewy Christmas Cookie Bars with M&Ms and Sprinkles

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Welcome to My Kitchen! These ultimate chewy Christmas cookie bars are simple to make and packed with festive M&Ms and sprinkles. They are the perfect one-pan Christmas baking idea for your holiday gatherings.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 40 min
• Yield: 24 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup M&M’s (red and green preferred)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Christmas sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture is creamy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Gently fold in the M&M’s, chocolate chips, and most of the Christmas sprinkles, reserving some sprinkles for the top.
7. Press the dough evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle the remaining reserved sprinkles over the top.
8. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is set. For chewy bars, slightly underbake.
9. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang.
10. Once cool, slice into squares. These are great make ahead Christmas treats.

Notes

• For the chewiest texture, use brown sugar and avoid overbaking. The center should look slightly soft when you remove them from the oven.
• You can substitute M&M’s with any holiday candy or nut mixture you prefer for a different flavor profile.
• These bars are excellent for kid friendly holiday baking projects as there is no scooping required.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 220
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 110mg
• Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 35mg