M&M Cookie Bars: The Ultimate Easy Dessert Recipe

Craving a sweet treat that’s quick, easy, and satisfying? Look no further than these irresistible M&M Cookie Bars! This recipe combines the classic comfort of homemade cookies with the convenience of a bar, making it the perfect dessert for busy weeknights, parties, or any occasion where you need a crowd-pleasing treat.

From the Kitchen: M&M Cookie Bars, My Kids’ Favorite!

After mastering my classic cookie bar recipe, I knew I had to create an M&M version for my kids, who are completely obsessed with those colorful candies. And while I love baking M&M cookies, I’m not a fan of rolling out individual balls of dough.

These bars are my shortcut to cookie perfection. They offer the same warm, gooey cookie flavors without the scooping or chilling. I simply press the dough into a pan, bake, and they come out perfect every single time. Plus, you can easily swap out the M&M colors to match any holiday, making these bars a fun and festive treat all year round.

We even started a tradition of making them with leftover Halloween candy. The kids dump their candy on the counter, pick out their “cookie bar candy,” and we bake a pan together. It’s chaotic, yes, but in the sweetest way possible.

What You’ll Need: M&M Cookie Bar Ingredients

This M&M cookie bar recipe uses simple, pantry-staple ingredients, making it easy to whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need:

Ingredient	Swap / Tip
Butter	Melted butter creates extra chewy bars. Unsalted is recommended so you can control the salt level.
Brown Sugar	Light brown sugar is my favorite in this recipe, but dark brown sugar will also work well.
Egg + Extra Yolk	The extra yolk adds richness and density to the bars. Don’t skip it!
Maple Syrup	Gives the bars extra sweetness and tenderness. Pure maple syrup is the best choice.
All-Purpose Flour	Spoon and level the flour when measuring to avoid adding too much. Too much flour can result in dry, cakey bars.
Baking Soda	Helps the bars rise just enough for a perfect texture.
Chocolate Chips	Any variety of chocolate chips will work: semi-sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate.
M&M’s	Use your favorite type of M&M’s! Regular, mini, peanut butter, or holiday-themed colors – the choice is yours.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make M&M Cookie Bars

Making these M&M Cookie Bars is incredibly easy! Follow these simple steps for cookie bar perfection:

Preheat: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan. Grease the pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Melt & Mix: Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup (if using) and mix until smooth.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&M’s.
Bake: Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. You can add a few extra chocolate chips and M&M’s on top for a more festive look. Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is set.
Cool & Enjoy: Let the cookie bars cool completely in the pan before cutting them into squares. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best M&M Cookie Bars

Here are a few helpful tips to ensure your M&M Cookie Bars turn out perfectly every time:

Cool the Butter: Allowing the melted butter to cool slightly before mixing it with the sugars will prevent the bars from becoming greasy.
Measure Flour Accurately: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid adding too much flour.
Watch the Bake Time: Keep a close eye on the bars while they’re baking and remove them from the oven when the edges are lightly browned. Overbaking will result in dry bars.
Mix Gently: Overmixing the dough can lead to tough cookie bars. Stir until the ingredients are just combined.
Choose Quality Chocolate: Using high-quality chocolate chips will enhance the flavor of your bars.
Line the Pan: Lining the baking pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove the bars and simplifies cleanup.

Storing Your M&M Cookie Bars

Want to keep your cookie bars fresh? Here are some storage tips:

Room Temperature: Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Refrigerate: For longer freshness, store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze: Wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

More Irresistibly Good Cookie Recipes

If you love cookies as much as we do, be sure to check out these other delicious cookie recipes:

More Irresistibly Good Cookie Recipes:

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M&M Cookie Bars

By Chelsea Lords

M&M Cookie Bars have all the chewy, chocolatey goodness of cookies in an easy-to-make bar. Perfectly tender and loaded with M&M’s!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 36 bars

Equipment

9 x 13-inch baking pan
Parchment paper

Ingredients

Cooking spray
12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk see note 1
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup optional, see note 2
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips milk, white, semi-sweet, or dark—whatever you prefer
1 cup M&M’s or other candy-coated chocolates

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray, line with parchment paper (with an overhang for removal). Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool to room temp. (Hot butter will melt the sugars and cause greasy bars.)
Whisk melted butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and syrup. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
Use a wooden spoon to stir in baking soda, salt, and flour until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips plus M&M’s. If needed, switch to a hand mixer, but don’t overmix. Press dough evenly into pan. If desired, press a few more chocolate chips and M&M’s into tops of bars.
Bake 23–28 minutes until top isn’t glossy and edges are lightly golden. Be careful to not overbake for soft and chewy bars. Optional: top with sea salt right out of the oven. Fully cool in pan, lift out, cut, and serve. Best within 1–2 days.

Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: You can discard egg white or save and add it to breakfast the next morning (I love this Egg Skillet) or use it in my favorite Egg Wrap.

Note 2: Maple syrup is the “secret ingredient” in these bars. In a pinch, you can leave it out, but the bars do lack a bit of tenderness and a certain level of sweetness. I use pure maple syrup, not to be confused with pancake syrup.

Storage: Keep bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For extended freshness, keep in the fridge up to 2 weeks. To freeze, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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