Chewy M&M Cookie Bars

The BEST soft, thick, and chewy M&M cookie bars for any occasion! Bake in a standard 9x13 pan for a quick & easy after-school treat, birthday cookie cake, or add seasonal M&M's to match any holiday!

Your New Go-To Cookie Bars for ANY occasion!

• Make for an easy after-school treat, summer barbecue, or quick potluck dessert!
• Use different colored M&M's for Christmas, Valentine's Day, 4th of July, or Easter M&M bars!
• Perfectly durable, chewy squares to use for summer homemade ice cream sandwiches!
• Add frosting and sprinkles for a easy 9x13 birthday homemade cookie cake!
• Don't have M&M's? Replace them with another ½ cup of chocolate chips for chewy chocolate chip bars!

What You Need to Make Easy M&M Cookie Bars From Scratch

• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar
• 1 Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• Baking soda + Baking Powder
• Flour
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• M&M's

How to Make Chewy M&M Cookie Bars

Step 1: Mix Dough by Hand

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for 20-30 seconds until JUST melted (you don't want it piping hot and don't want any unmelted chunks).

1. Transfer melted butter to a larger mixing bowl and add in white sugar and brown sugar.
2. Use a spatula (don't use a mixer!) to stir by hand until combined. Mix in egg. Next, add in baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again. Add flour.
3. Mix until all the flour disappears into the dough.
4. Lastly, add the ½ cup of chocolate chips and ½ cup of M&M's into the dough and mix. I mean, does it get any better than chocolate chip AND m&m cookie bars? I think not. These truly are the best m&m cookie bars.

Step 2: Press Dough Into Pan

Grease a 9x13 pan or line with parchment. Use a spatula or your hands to press down the dough into a smooth layer (being sure to get all the corners).

Step 3: Bake

Bake at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes - do NOT overbake or your M&M cookie bars will not be soft. If desired, right after baking immediately press extra M&M's in the top.

How do you know when the M&M bars are done? The top should be slightly brown (see below) and the center baked through. The cookie bars may still look slightly underbaked but this is the trick to a soft, chewy cookie. If you overbake it and it gets too brown, you will have crunch M&M cookie bars. For the best slices, allow the cookie cake to cool completely before cutting & removing.

Step 4: Cut into Squares

Use a sharp, large knife to cut. Depending on how many you're needing to feed, cut the bars in smaller or larger squares.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I freeze these M&M cookie bars?

Yes! These are actually really good frozen, straight-from-the-freezer. Although freezing cookies will usually dry them out a bit (i.e. won't be as chewy), if you do need to make this in advance, wrap the cut baked bars in plastic wrap then place in a airtight bag or container. When you're ready to eat, let it thaw to room temperature (or just eat frozen...my fave!).

If you've got a good airtight plastic container, that will also work for freezing...although I find that they absorb a little more of the freezer taste when they aren't wrapped in plastic wrap first!

Can I make these M&M cookie bars in another size pan?

Yes! You don't just have to make these M&M cookie bars in a 9x13 pan. You could bake in a 9x9" pan and the bars will just be thicker. Just be sure to bake for a few extra minutes to account for the thickness.

You can also spread this in a 12" round cookie cake pan and bake for 12-14 minutes. This recipe is actually the same as my homemade cookie cake, just baked in a different pan and with M&M's!

Customize the M&M's for any holiday!

• Red & Green M&M's for Christmas Cookie Bars
• Pink & Red for Valentine's Day Cookie Bars
• Red, White, and Blue for 4th of July Cookie Bars
• Pastel M&M's for Easter Cookie Bars

I mean, you *could make* normal cookie bars but why do that when you can have chocolate chip cookie bars with M&M's?!

5 from 33 votes

Chewy M&M Cookie Bars

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

The BEST soft, thick, and chewy M&M cookie bars for any occasion! Bake in a standard 9x13 pan for a quick & easy after-school treat, birthday cookie cake, or add seasonal M&M's to match any holiday!

Recipe by Melissa Rose

Ingredients

 

1x2x3xAdd your own

Cookie Cake Recipe

• ½ cup unsalted butter, You will be melting this
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup M&M's

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Instructions

 

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the ½ cup unsalted butter for 20-30 seconds until JUST melted. You want it fully melted down without any chunks.
3. Add in ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar and use a spatula to stir until combined (* do not use a mixer!).

   Add in 1 large egg and 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, then mix. Next, add in ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix again.
4. Add in 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour and mix until all the flour disappears into the dough.
5. Add the ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ½ cup M&M's into the dough and mix (if desired, press a few extra M&M's on top for aesthetics). Immediately proceed to pressing into pan (you don't want the dough sitting out or it will set too much with the melted butter).
6. Grease a 9x13 metal pan. Drop dough into chunks then use a spatula or your hands to press down the dough into a smooth layer (being sure to get all the corners).
7. Bake at 350°F for 14-15 minutes - do NOT overbake or your bars will not be soft. You want the cookie cake to be slightly brown on the top and look slightly underbaked (my oven was perfect at 14 minutes). Remove from oven and place entire pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cookie cake to cool completely before removing.

Notes from Melissa

Freezing/Make Ahead Tip: I don't typically like freezing chocolate chip cookies because I feel like they get dry and not as chewy in the freezer. If you do need to make this in advance,  wrap the cut baked bars in plastic wrap then place in a airtight bag or container. When you're ready to eat, let it thaw to room temperature (or just eat frozen…my fave!).

If you’ve got a good airtight plastic container, that will also work for freezing…although I find that they absorb a little more of the freezer taste when they aren’t wrapped in plastic wrap first!

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 87mg, Potassium: 67mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 220IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1.2mg

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