Christmas Cookie Bars

 

Christmas cookie bars are an easy, irresistible dessert bar with a soft, chewy texture and bright festive colors. Cookies are the best way to celebrate the holidays!
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Table of Contents
  1. Christmas Cookie Bars Ingredients
  2. Substitutions and Additions
  3. How to Make Christmas Cookie Bars
  4. How to Serve Christmas Cookie Bars
  5. Storage
  6. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  7. MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
  8. JUMP TO RECIPE

Christmas Cookie Bars are packed with chocolate chips, bright and festive holiday sprinkles, and chocolatey candy. Warm, gooey, and delicious, biting into these cookie bars is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. 

If you love festive Christmas cookies then you’ll also want to make Christmas Pinwheels, Christmas Wreath Cookies, and Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars.

You will 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
  • ¼ cup Christmas jimmies
  • 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.

PRO TIP: 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 egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.

STEP THREE: Add flour and salt 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 chocolate chips, ⅓ cup of the M&Ms, 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 blondie with lots of chocolate and sprinkle flavor.

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

STEP SIX: Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown 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.

STEP SEVEN: Set the pan on a wire rack and sprinkle with additional sprinkles, as desired. Cool completely. Using the parchment overhang, lift the blondies from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

These delightful Christmas Cookie Bars would be such fun Christmas treats to bring to holiday cookie exchanges or add to a holiday cookie tray. Serve these yummy treats fresh and warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream on top for an extra decadent dessert. Even Santa would love a Christmas Cookie Bar!

Storage

ON THE COUNTER: Store the holiday cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 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 3 months. Thaw 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.

Christmas cookie bars are an easy, irresistible dessert bar with a soft, chewy texture and bright festive colors. A guaranteed family favorite, these cookie bars are the best way to celebrate the holidays. With a soft, brownie-like texture, these cookie bars 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.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

Christmas cookie bars are an easy, irresistible dessert bar with a soft, chewy texture and bright festive colors. Cookies are the best way to celebrate the holidays!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 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

Instructions
 

  • 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.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the remaining butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  • Add flour and salt and mix just until moistened (do not over-mix).
  • Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips, ⅓ cup of the M&Ms, and jimmies.
  • Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining M&M’s.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Set the pan on a wire rack and sprinkle with additional sprinkles, as desired. Cool completely. Using the parchment overhang, lift the blondies from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Notes

These cookie bars freeze well. Make a double batch and keep them in the freezer for a homemade holiday gift during the festive season.
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.
Stir the batter together gently to keep the cookies soft and chewy; overmixing can cause the bars to be crumbly and tough.
You can adjust the chocolate chips, M&M’s, and sprinkles amounts however you’d like. The quantities given here produce a chewy blondie with lots of chocolate and sprinkle flavor.
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.

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