The perfect homemade Christmas Cookie Bars worthy of Santa Claus himself! Make these Christmas Blondies delicious and festive-looking cookie bars this Christmas season for a classic look and tasty result. These have quickly become a family favorite.
What better way to celebrate the season than to make fun and easy desserts? I know our home is busy this time of year with homemade baked goods, and we wouldn't have it any other way. This M&M cookie bar is no exception!
This picture-perfect Christmas Cookie Bar is all the rage! It's so easy to make and it makes an ideal dessert for a holiday party, neighbor gift, or fun with the family.
For more festive-looking Christmas treats you have to try our Grinch Balls, Christmas Crack, and Christmas Bark. These are definitely all Santa's favorites.
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Ingredients
Spread Christmas joy with these holiday-inspired cookie bars. Made with tasty green and red M&M's.
- Butter- Use softened and salted butter.
- Sugar- This recipe calls for both white and brown sugar to get that deep caramel look and taste.
- Flour- All-purpose flour works great with this recipe.
- Vanilla- For a smooth taste and added flavor we add vanilla to the dough.
- Leavening Agents- Baking soda, baking powder, and eggs all help these cookies have a soft and chewy texture. Use room-temperature eggs for the best results.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Christmas Cookie Bars
Learn how to bake Christmas Cookie Bars with these easy to follow step by step directions with photos.
- Beat the softened butter and white and brown sugar together. Combine until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until a smooth mixture forms.
- Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and slowly mix together until combined. It's important not to overmix the dough!
- Press the cookie dough into a parchment paper lined 9x13 pan. Press the stop with M&Ms and bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes.
Hint: Make sure to not overmix the egg into the sugar mixture. Beat for about 1 minute.
Substitutions and Variations
Try some of our favorite substitutions and variations for different fun flavors!
- Chocolate Chip- You can easily substitute chocolate chips for the festive M&Ms. Or you can do a 50/50 split with the chocolate chips and M&Ms to keep the festive look.
- Flavored Chocolate Chips- You can add mint chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips to the M&Ms for a fun flavor and festive look.
- Holiday Fun- Make these for any holiday by substituting the Christmas M&Ms for other holidays like Easter and Halloween.
How to serve cookie bars for Christmas
Whether you are making a large batch for friends or a party, or just need a small batch for your kids, this DIY cookie bar is perfect for the holidays. Serve with your favorite Christmas treats for a fun festive spread. Or you can eat them on their own with a glass of hot chocolate and a Christmas family movie night.
Storing Christmas Blondies
Store leftover Christmas Bars in an air tight container at room temperature. Make sure they have completely cooled before storing. They have a fresh taste for 3-4 days.
You can easily cut and freeze this cookie bar for 2 months in an air-tight, freezer-friendly container. We suggest cutting them into individual bars before freezing for easier access.
Top tip
As we tested this recipe, we found that all of our taste testers preferred the m&ms to only be on top, and not stirred into the dough. You can absolutely stir the m&m's in, if you prefer them that way, but the recipe is written with them only on top.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Christmas Cookie Bars (Christmas Blondies)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened, I used salted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup m&ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- Beat softened butter, sugar and brown sugar on high until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy and lightened in color, about 1 minute. See photos above for a great visual.
- Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix on low just until combined. Press evenly into your greased or lined 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle M&Ms across the top evenly and press lightly into the dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- It is important not to over mix the dough once you add the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined. You may choose to stir in the dry ingredients by hand to prevent over mixing.
- For a richer flavor, we love using dark brown sugar instead of light brown.
- Make these Christmas Blondies for any holiday by using different colored m&ms!
- If you want the m&ms spread throughout the dough, get an extra half cup m&m's and stir them into the dough, still using 1 cup on top.
- A lot of people love these with chocolate chips! We love these with a 50/50 split of m&ms and chocolate chips.
Andrea says
My family loves making these Christmas Cookie Bars (Christmas Blondies)! They are easy to make and they turn out right every time.