An easy, no-chill recipe for festive Holiday M&M Cookie Bars. These chewy chocolate candy-studded cookie bars are full of nostalgic flavor and perfect for Santa and holiday baking. Shiny tops, chewy centers, and packed with gooey chocolate candy. Dairy-free and gluten-free friendly.

Sliced M&M cookie bars on white parchment paper on a marble counter top.

At this point in the holiday season, you’re probably ready for some cookies that don’t require a lot of fuss.

I love these M&M cookie bars because not only are they festive and incredibly delicious, but they’re also made with simple ingredients, great for sharing, and easy. They come together quickly without any complicated baking techniques, require zero chill time, and they’re always a hit.

A close up of red and green holiday M&Ms
The ingredients to make holiday M&M cookie bars prepped on a baking sheet on a marble counter.

Who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie? The buttery dough, the hints of caramel from brown sugar, and of course, lots of chocolate. Adding M&Ms is a classic twist, and baking them in bar form just makes them that much easier. No chill time, no dough scooping, and just as much deliciously crave-able results.

These holiday cookie bars are no exception. Super flavorful and chewy with lots of gooey pockets of melted chocolate and crispy bits of M&Ms, they’re also simple to make and easily adaptable. I’ve included some allergy-friendly ingredient swaps in the recipe notes below.

We celebrate Christmas, so I used traditional red and green M&M’s, but you could of course choose any combination of candy colors to represent other winter holidays (or really any time of year) and make them your own.

Sliced M&M cookie bars on white parchment paper on a marble counter top.

Christmas M&M Blondie Ingredients

You’ll need just a handful of baking staples – plus some festive holiday M&M’s – to make these chewy cookie bars. Here’s what to grab from your pantry:

  • m&m’s: of course! Pick your favorite combination of holiday colors. The little chocolate candies add a bit of crunch and nostalgic flavor. You can use regular sized or miniature M&M’s.
  • butter: one stick of melted butter adds richness and gives these bars their delectable chewy texture. See the recipe notes for dairy-free options!
  • white and brown sugar: a combination of granulated sugar and light or dark brown sugar add sweetness, notes of caramel, and that signature shiny top.
  • vanilla: a splash of pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
  • egg: one egg to bind everything together.
  • flour: regular all-purpose flour forms the base of these cookie bars. You can also use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (see recipe notes, below).
  • baking powder: for the perfect amount of lift.
  • salt: for balance and to enhance all the other flavors. You can also top with a sprinkle of flaky finishing salt such as Maldon.
  • and, optional but recommended: some semisweet chocolate chips thrown in for good measure, too. You could also use white chocolate chips!

Find all the exact ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Sliced M&M cookie bars on white parchment paper on a marble counter top.

These holiday cookie bars are super simple to whip up, for novice bakers and little ones alike. Here’s how you make them:

  1. Start by preheating your oven and prepping your ingredients and baking pan. Then whisk together the dry ingredients.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugars until light and creamy, followed by the egg and vanilla.
  3. Mix in the flour mixture and stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
  4. Spread into your baking pan and bake until golden and shiny. Let cool for as long as you can stand, then slice and enjoy!!

And that’s all there is to it! Happy baking!!

Sliced M&M cookie bars on white parchment paper on a marble counter top.
How do I make gluten-free M&M cookie bars?

Simply substitute an equal amount of an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour. Be sure to check your gram conversions if measuring by weight (highly recommended!).

Can I make these dairy free?

You can easily replace the butter with a plant-based alternative, such as Miyokos Cultured Vegan Butter (my top choice), or Earth Balance Buttery Baking Sticks (excellent texture, but a more noticeable flavor). You’ll also need to use dairy free chocolate candies (such as Unreal) and chocolate chips.

Can I use a hand mixer?

Sure! I like to use a stand mixer just because it’s easier, but a hand mixer will also work well!

Want more holiday dessert recipes? Make these next:

If you make these Christmas M&M cookie bars, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura

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Sliced M&M cookie bars on white parchment paper on a marble counter top.

Chewy Holiday M&M Cookie Bars

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Laura Bolton – Fork Knife Swoon
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Bars 1x
  • Category: Baking, Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

An easy, no-chill recipe for festive Holiday M&M Cookie Bars. These chewy chocolate candy-studded cookie bars are full of nostalgic flavor and perfect for Santa and holiday baking. Shiny tops, chewy centers, and packed with gooey chocolate candy. Dairy-free and gluten-free friendly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1–1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate holiday M&Ms
  • 1/4 cup (40g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease lightly with butter. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power. Set aside.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, until combined. Set aside.
  4. In a stand-up mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 min. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and mix in the vanilla.
  5. Add the egg and mix until completely combined and the mixture has slightly lightened in color, about 30 seconds.
  6. Turn the mixer down to low, and spoon in the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Stir in the M&Ms (reserving a few for the top) and about half of the chocolate chips.
  7. Turn the cookie dough out into the prepared baking pan, and use an offset spatula to even out the top and smooth the dough into the corners. The dough will be thick.
  8. Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms and chocolate chips on top.
  9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the bars look shiny and set, the edges are golden, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cookie bars cool in the pan before slicing. Serve warm. Enjoy!!

Equipment

Notes

Note: If you’re a fan of salted chocolate, these are delicious topped with a sprinkle of flake sea salt such as Maldon.

Make them dairy free: Use a plant-based butter such as Miyokos or Earth Balance Buttery Baking Sticks. I find that while both result in similar textures, Miyokos has a less noticeable flavor. You’ll also need to use a dairy-free chocolate candy instead of M&Ms, which are made with milk chocolate. I like the Unreal Dark Chocolate Gems. Be sure to also use dairy-free chocolate chips.

Make them gluten free: Substitute equal parts of a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.

Keywords: holiday M&M cookie bars, christmas, candy, chocolate chip cookie bars, chewy, blondies