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–+ servings

Christmas cookie bars recipe

Chi & Kel
Christmas cookie bars are the perfect treat for the holiday season! These easy-to-make bars combine the best flavors of festive cookies in one delicious dessert.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter (softened at room temperature)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups Bread flour (For chewier cookies substitute with all purpose flour if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup red and green M&M's (plus more for topping if desired)
  • ¾ cup white chocolate chips (plus more for topping if desired)
  • ⅓ cup holiday sprinkles (plus more for topping if desired)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal later.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then set it aside.
  • In a larger mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using an electric hand mixer at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, blending on medium speed until everything is just combined.
  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a thick cookie dough forms. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate all ingredients.
  • Gently fold in the M&M’s, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  • Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. For an extra festive touch, sprinkle more M&M’s, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles on top if you like.
  • Bake in the oven for 22-28 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the top is lightly golden. For softer bars, avoid over baking as they will continue to set as they cool in the pan. Over baking can lead to a dry texture.
  • Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about an hour.
  • Once cooled, cut into bars and enjoy your delicious Christmas cookie bars!

Notes

  1. This recipe uses bread flour, which gives the cookies a chewier texture without altering the flavor. If preferred, you can substitute with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
  2. I chose milk chocolate M&Ms, but feel free to use any variety you like. You can also switch up the M&M colors and sprinkles for different holidays to make these bars festive year-round.
  3. For the white chocolate chips, you can swap them with milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or other add-ins like nuts or toffee bits if you prefer.
  4. The bars will be soft when they come out of the oven. Let them cool at room temperature for an hour before removing from the pan and slicing. This helps them firm up so they don’t crumble.
  5. To keep the bars fresh, store them in an airtight container after they’ve cooled completely.
  6. If you’d like a smaller batch, you can halve the recipe and bake in an 8x8-inch pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 6gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 288mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 561IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg
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