These homemade Christmas Cookie Bars are soft, chewy, colorful, and festive enough for Santa’s cookie plate. Also known as Christmas blondies, these easy cookie bars are baked in one pan and topped with red and green M&Ms for a classic holiday look. They are simple to make, easy to slice, and perfect for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, neighbor gifts, or a cozy family movie night.
Why This Recipe is the Best
These Christmas Cookie Bars are everything a holiday dessert should be: easy, cheerful, buttery, and delicious. Instead of scooping individual cookies, the dough is pressed into a 9×13 pan and baked into thick, soft bars. That makes this recipe especially helpful during the busy Christmas season when you want something festive without spending hours in the kitchen.
The texture is similar to a blondie, with a chewy center, lightly golden edges, and plenty of vanilla flavor. Brown sugar gives the bars a warm, caramel-like taste, while white sugar helps keep the texture tender. The red and green M&Ms add color, crunch, and just the right amount of chocolate, making these Christmas blondies a reliable crowd-pleaser for both kids and adults.
Serve these holiday cookie bars alongside other festive treats such as Grinch balls, Christmas crack, Christmas bark, peppermint cookies, or Christmas popcorn. They also taste wonderful on their own with a mug of hot chocolate.
Key Ingredients
These Christmas Cookie Bars use simple baking ingredients and a colorful M&M topping. The result is a soft, chewy holiday dessert with a bright, festive finish.
- Butter: Use softened butter so it creams smoothly with the sugars. Salted butter works well in this recipe.
- Sugar: A combination of brown sugar and white sugar gives these bars their chewy texture, golden color, and sweet, buttery flavor.
- Eggs and vanilla: Eggs help bind the dough and keep the bars soft, while vanilla adds classic cookie flavor.
- Flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda: These dry ingredients create structure and help the bars bake evenly with a tender crumb.
- M&Ms: Red and green M&Ms make the bars festive for Christmas. Pressing them on top gives every slice a colorful holiday look.
How to Make Christmas Cookie Bars
Follow these simple step-by-step directions to make soft and chewy Christmas Cookie Bars. For the best texture, avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients are added.
- Beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and slightly lighter in color, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
- Press the dough evenly into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top and press them lightly into the dough. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Hint: Do not overmix the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture. About 1 minute is enough. Once the flour is added, mix only until combined so the cookie bars stay soft and chewy.
How to Serve Cookie Bars for Christmas
Christmas Cookie Bars are easy to serve because they slice neatly into individual portions. Let them cool before cutting so the edges stay clean and the centers set properly. Arrange the bars on a holiday platter for parties, pack them in treat boxes, or add them to a dessert table with other Christmas sweets.
These bars are also a great choice for a simple family dessert. Serve them with hot chocolate, milk, or your favorite warm holiday drink. Because they are baked in one pan, they are less fussy than individual cookies but still have all the flavor of a classic Christmas cookie.
Top Tip
For the best appearance, place the M&Ms on top of the dough instead of stirring them in. This keeps the red and green candy pieces visible after baking and gives the bars a festive Christmas look. If you prefer M&Ms throughout the dough, you can stir in extra candy and still add some on top.
Recipe
Christmas Cookie Bars (Christmas Blondies)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened, salted preferred
- 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
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
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Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on high until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, then beat for about 1 minute until smooth and lighter in color.
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Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low only until combined. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top and press them gently into the dough.
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bars cool in the pan for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough after adding the dry ingredients. Mix only until the flour disappears. You can stir the dry ingredients in by hand if preferred.
- Dark brown sugar gives the bars a deeper, richer flavor.
- Use different colored M&Ms to make these cookie bars for other holidays.
- For M&Ms throughout the bars, stir an extra ½ cup into the dough and still use 1 cup on top.
- Chocolate chips can be used in place of some of the M&Ms. A 50/50 mix of M&Ms and chocolate chips works well.
Nutrition
Calories: 265 kcal
Carbohydrates: 44 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 9 g
Sugar: 28 g
Related
Looking for more festive dessert ideas? Try these holiday treats:
- Crockpot Christmas Crack (Christmas Candy)
- Christmas Rice Krispie Treats (White Chocolate Peppermint)
- Christmas Popcorn Recipe
- Christmas Chex Mix
- White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies
- Grinch Balls (Truffles)
- Sugar Cookie Truffles
- Christmas Bark Recipe
Substitutions and Variations
These Christmas blondies are easy to adjust with different mix-ins and colors. Use the same base recipe and customize the topping to match the season or your favorite flavors.
- Chocolate Chip: Replace the festive M&Ms with chocolate chips, or use half chocolate chips and half M&Ms for a mix of chocolate flavor and holiday color.
- Flavored Chocolate Chips: Add mint chocolate chips or white chocolate chips with the M&Ms for a different flavor and a festive appearance.
- Holiday Fun: Make these cookie bars for other holidays by using different colored M&Ms, such as pastels for Easter or orange and black for Halloween.
Storing Christmas Blondies
Store leftover Christmas Cookie Bars in an airtight container at room temperature after they have cooled completely. They taste fresh for 3 to 4 days, making them a convenient make-ahead treat for holiday gatherings.
You can also freeze these cookie bars for up to 2 months. For best results, cut them into individual bars before freezing and place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container. This makes it easy to take out only the amount you need.