Soft and Chewy Christmas Cookie Bars

These soft and chewy Christmas cookie bars are loaded with red and green M&Ms and white chocolate chips, making them the easiest festive treat to bring to a party or leave for Santa.

No portioning dough onto trays, no chilling time, just press the whole batch into a pan, bake, and slice into squares while the rest of your holiday baking can wait.

Why This Treat Deserves a Spot on Your Cookie Tray

An extra egg yolk in the dough keeps the center buttery and tender for days, so the bars never dry out the way drop cookies sometimes can.

The edges bake up golden and crisp while the middle stays thick and soft, and the pops of candy shell add color and a little crunch that feels purely December.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened: leave it on the counter for an hour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg: plus 1 extra egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup red and green M&M’s: plus 2 tbsp more for topping
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips: plus 1 tbsp for topping

Variations / Substitutions

• Use holiday sprinkles: fold in 2 tbsp jimmies instead of half the M&M’s for a confetti look that still feels festive.
• Swap the chips: semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips cut the sweetness and pair well with the candy.
• Dairy-free option: a plant-based butter stick and dairy-free chocolate chips work beautifully here, just keep the egg for structure.
• Other candy colors: any seasonal M&M mix turns these into an any-occasion bar, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, pastels for Easter, or orange and black for Halloween.

For a classic drop cookie, try my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

How To Make Christmas Cookie Bars

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugars

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the 1 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 3/4 cup brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the bowl once so nothing hides at the bottom.

The mixture should look pale and feel soft and grainy when you rub a little between your fingers. It will hold the next ingredients much better this way.

Step 2: Mix in the Wet Ingredients

Crack in the whole egg, add the extra egg yolk, and pour in the 2 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on low until the streak of yolk disappears and the batter looks smooth, about 30 seconds.

The dough will be creamy and a little glossy around the edges, and it will smell sweet and buttery.

Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients

Add the 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt all at once. Mix on the lowest speed just until you no longer see dry flour, about 1 minute. Stop as soon as the dough pulls together into a soft, slightly sticky mass, because overmixing will make the bars tough.

A few pale streaks that disappear when you switch to a spatula are fine. Give it one or two folds by hand to catch any pockets at the bottom.

Step 4: Fold in the Add-Ins

Scrape the dough off the beaters and switch to a sturdy spatula. Dump in 1 cup of M&M’s and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Fold gently until the candies and chips are evenly distributed, which takes about 15 strokes.

The dough will be studded with color and feel heavy. Reserve a few candies and chips to press on top later, it makes the bars look bakery-worthy without any extra effort.

Step 5: Press, Bake, and Slice the Bars

Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to lift the bars out later. Tip the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer with damp fingers or the back of a spatula. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tbsp M&M’s and 1 tbsp white chocolate chips, pressing them in lightly.

Bake on the middle rack at 350°F (175°C) for 22 to 25 minutes. The edges will be deep golden and the center will look set but still soft. A toothpick inserted near the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the pan cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes, then lift the whole block out by the parchment, set it on a cutting board, and slice into 24 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature while the candy colors are bright and the chocolate is still a little melty.

Tips for the Best Holiday Cookie Bars

• Bring everything to room temperature: before you start. Cold butter won’t cream up as well, and a cold egg can make the dough stiff and harder to press evenly into the pan.
• Line the pan fully: with a parchment sling so you can lift the whole block out without mangling the corners. Pressing dough straight into an unlined pan usually ends with the first bar crumbling.
• Press extra M&M’s on top right after baking: if you want the candies to stay bold and bright. Heat from the cooling bars will just barely soften their shells so they stick.

Bake times by pan size:

Storing Leftover Bars

Refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Place a sheet of parchment between layers so they don’t stick.

Reheat a single bar in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to get that fresh-from-the-oven gooeyness back.

Serve cold straight from the fridge if you like a firmer texture, the extra egg yolk keeps them from turning hard.

What To Serve With Christmas Cookie Bars

A tall glass of cold milk is the all-ages classic, but a mug of peppermint hot chocolate pairs especially well when the white chocolate chips melt into the same minty note. For a grown-up holiday tray, serve squares alongside a small dish of vanilla bean ice cream and a dusting of cinnamon, the cold cream against the warm chewy bars feels like the holidays on a plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze the cookie dough?

Yes. Press the raw dough into a freezer-safe pan, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking as directed, adding a few extra minutes if needed.

Do the M&M’s colors bleed in the oven?

They can bleed slightly if you press them in too deeply or bake longer than 25 minutes. Pressing the extra candies gently right on the surface helps the colors stay true.

Can I double the recipe for a larger pan?

Yes, double all the ingredients and bake in an 11×15-inch jelly roll pan at 350°F for 28 to 32 minutes. The bars will be a little thinner but still chewy.

What if I only have semisweet chocolate chips on hand?

Use the same amount of semisweet chips. The bars will taste a little less sweet overall, which some people prefer as a contrast to the candy coating.

Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 24 bars

Calories: 210

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup red and green M&M’s plus 2 tbsp for topping
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips plus 1 tbsp for topping

Method

 

1. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, then beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low just until the dry ingredients disappear, about 1 minute. Do not overmix.
3. Fold in 1 cup M&M’s and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with a spatula until evenly distributed.
4. Press the dough into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch metal pan. Press the remaining 2 tbsp M&M’s and 1 tbsp white chocolate chips gently onto the top.
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are golden and the center looks set. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out, slice into 24 bars, and serve.

Notes

Let the bars cool long enough to handle cleanly, about 15 minutes, before slicing. For the cleanest cuts, use a sharp chef’s knife and wipe the blade between slices.