M&M Cookie Bars Recipe

Craving cookies but don’t want to deal with multiple batches? My M&M Cookie Bars recipe is just what you’ve been looking for. Bake chewy, chocolate-packed cookie bars in less than 30 minutes!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 242kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

9x13" cake pan
Mixing Bowls
Electric hand or stand mixer

Ingredients

2⅔ cups all-purpose flour (320g)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (220g)
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
2 large eggs
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup regular M&Ms plus more for sprinkling (220g)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling (90g)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes. (If it’s too fluffy, the bars will be crumbly, not chewy.)
Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. WIth the mix on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with more M&Ms and chocolate chips if desired.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookie dough is lightly browned and appears dry and slightly shiny on the surface. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment to remove the cookie slab from the pan and cut it into bars.

Notes

Use the right pan. For this M&M's cookie bar recipe, you should use a 9x13" metal pan, not a rimmed baking sheet—using the latter causes a crater in the middle of the pan.
For easy removal, make a parchment sling. Lay a long piece of parchment paper in the baking pan, making sure there is a good amount (about 2 inches) of overhang on each long side of the pan. Once your bars are done baking and cooled, simply lift the spare paper to remove the whole slab for cutting.
Get creative! A haphazard sprinkling of bright candy has its charm, but M&M's are like round Legos—you can use them to spell out a phrase, decorate with a big number or letter, or draw a picture!

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