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M&M Cookie Bars

M&M cookie bars are a wonderfully decadent dessert that you can make in less than an hour, including baking time!

Cookie bars on a counter with M&Ms scattered.

The bars are perfect for gift-giving, in fact, after we tried a couple (of course) I took them to some friends to share–and they are always a welcome treat!

A Variety of Colors

The rich and chewy bars are a favorite around here and filled with colorful M&M candies. The cookie bars are perfect for any holiday and you can change the candy colors for each occasion.

You’ve seen the fabulous colors that M&M’s come in, including pink, red and green for Christmas, or you can even switch them out with peanut butter M&M’s for a different flavor. The possibilities are endless.

M&M cookie bars stacked on top of each other.

The M&M cookie recipe is almost a one-bowl recipe.

  1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Next, cream the butter.
  3. Add the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well.
  4. Pour the flour mixture in and mix well.
  5. Finally, add the M&M’s candy, mix and pour into a baking dish.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make M&M Cookies?

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Eggs
  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • M&Ms
Flour in a glass bowl.

Start by adding the flour to a medium-sized bowl.

Flour, baking soda, and salt in a glass bowl

Next, add the baking soda and salt to the bowl. Whisk the three ingredients together and set the bowl to the side.

Two sticks of butter in a glass bowl.

In a large bowl, add the softened butter.

I am terrible about remembering to set the butter out to soften, so I usually put it in the microwave for a few seconds or use the “soften” mode.

If you don’t use either of those choices, you can just mix the butter with the hand mixer until it is creamy.

Creamed butter and sugar in a glass bowl.

Next, add the granulated sugar to the bowl with the butter.

Brown and white sugar with butter in a glass bowl.

Add the brown sugar to the bowl.

Vanilla, eggs, sugar, and butter in a large glass bowl.

The eggs and the vanilla extract are next. Mix the ingredients until creamy and well blended.

Flour for M&M cookies

Pour the flour mixture into the bowl and mix well.

M&Ms in a bowl with cookie dough

Pour 1-1/2 cups of the M&M candies into the bowl and mix well.

M&M cookie dough in a casserole dish.

Finally, spread the cookie dough into a greased 9″ x 13″ dish. Top with the remainder of the candies.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cookie bars cool for at least 30 minutes.

M&M Cookie Bar Recipe
M and M Cookie bars on a plate.

Recipe Card

Check out the M&M cookie bar recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start baking! This is a delicious treat that everyone will love.

Then, share your comments below and click here to share a picture of your cookie bars on the Pinterest Pin!  If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share it with us so we can try it, too!

Cookie bars on a counter with M&Ms scattered.

M&M Cookie Bars

Yield: 36
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

M&M cookie bars are an easy and decadent dessert to make. With just a few ingredients you'll have the bars ready in no time.

Ingredients

  • 2-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 sticks of butter, softened (1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups of M&M's. (Reserve 1/2 cup for the top)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
  2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the ingredients together and set the bowl to the side.
  3. In a large bowl, add the softened butter and cream.
  4. Next, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs to the bowl. Mix well.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix all of the ingredients together.
  6. Pour 1-1/2 cups of M&M's into the bowl and mix well.
  7. Add the cookie dough to the casserole dish, spread out, top with the remaining M&M's, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
  8. Let the cookies cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

Nutrition is approximate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

For more delicious recipes head on over to Julia’s Simply Southern and South Your Mouth

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sue korte

Saturday 4th of July 2020

"In a large bowl, add the softened butter and cream."....there is no cream list'd in the ingrdts..........

Julie Pollitt

Saturday 4th of July 2020

Hi Sue,

I meant to cream, or mix the butter well, after you add it to the bowl. Sorry about that, I didn’t make that very clear! I’ll fix that.

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