The Very Best M & M Cookie Bar Recipe
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The Very Best M & M Cookie Bar Recipe

Have you ever noticed that the cookies with the M & M’s are always the ones that the kids grab first? If you are looking for a homemade cookie that will get you into the Christmas spirit, then you need to make The Very Best M & M Cooke Bar Recipe. I’ve seen a lot of M & M cookie recipes out there, but this one is my favorite. You’ll find that it’s simple enough to do around the holidays when you tend to be so busy. No one wants more stress around the holidays, so it only makes sense to stick to simple recipes! In case you missed my post about making Chocolate Truffles, here it is.

The Very Best M & M Cookie Bar Recipe

Items You Need in the Kitchen:

Since you can buy M & M’s at your local grocery store for pretty cheap, I try to keep a bag on hand at all times. Of course, for the holidays, it only makes sense that I used red and green candies. It makes the bars even more festive, which makes me super happy. When these bars come out of the oven, you have the most fantastic holiday recipe ever. And yes, you can enjoy these M & M cookie bars any time of the year, not just around the holidays.

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Step One: Preheat Oven – Gather Ingredients

Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small cookie sheet (approx. 9-1/2 inches by 13-inches).

Ingredients

Step Two: Add Ingredients to Bowl

Add the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs to your mixing bowl.

Cream the ingredients

Step Three: Cream Ingredients

Cream the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs until thoroughly mixed.

Cream the ingredients

Step Four: Add Dry Ingredients +

Add the dry ingredients, the vanilla instant pudding, and the flour. Mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients

Step Five: Fold in M & M’s

Fold in the M & M’s.

Fold in the M & M's

Step Six: Spread Dough

Spread the dough evenly onto the greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Spread the cookie dough out

Finished Product

Let cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

The Very Best M & M Cookie Bar Recipe

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5 from 2 votes
The Very Best M & M Cookie Bar Recipe
M & M Cookie Bar Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
  • One 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding
  • 2-1/4 cups white flour (I use white bread flour)
  • 1-1/2 cups M & M's (green and red for Christmas)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small cookie sheet (approx. 9-1/2 inches by 13-inches). Cream the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients, the vanilla instant pudding, and the flour. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the M & M's. Spread the dough evenly onto the greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

Once you make these M & M Cookie Bars, how do you store them? This is actually pretty easy! Go ahead and grab an airtight container. You can store these cookies on the counter as long as it’s room temperature. If it gets too hot or cold, then the cookies could melt from the heat or dry out from the cold air. You can keep these cookies in the container for about a week, or until they are gone.

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I seldom make anything that you can’t freeze. In my opinion, it makes it so much better when you can freeze a dessert. Simply place the completed bars in a freezer bag. You can cut them into individual servings as well! When you cut up the bars, go ahead and double wrap them in Saran Wrap. This will help protect them from freezer burn.

When you decide to make these cookie bars, you may be wondering what could make them even better. My recipe will make really good bars, but there are some things you can do to make them even better.

Try not to over bake the cookie bars: I know that it’s so easy to worry about the bars not being done. However, you don’t want to over bake them. You want them to be chewy and not hard.

Use a bigger pan if you’d like: If you don’t want your bars to be as thick, you can always use a bigger pan. The bigger your pan, the thinner your bars will be.

Switch up the main ingredient: What if you don’t want to use M & M’s? The good news is that you can make these bars at any time of the year. You don’t just need to use chocolate candies. Use whatever you would like, make it match the next holiday. Chocolate chips make a great ingredient any time. Give them a try.

I hope these baking tips help you make even better bars! I’d love to hear what tips you’d like to add to this list.

Final Word

The next time you are craving a Christmas Cookie, give this recipe a try. It’s simple and I’d have to argue that it’s the very best one out there. When it comes to cookie bars, they are much easier to make than most regular cookies. You just can’t go wrong making these bars, so keep that in mind when you are choosing a recipe to make with your family. Happy Holidays, and May God Bless this world, Linda.

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11 Comments

  1. Good Morning Linda. As you know, my brain doesn’t think like most. Wondering if you could use different puddings in these cookies, like Chocolate, Butterscotch, Banana, etc.? I know it would give it a different taste. Just curious. Pam

    1. Hi Pam, I would think so, oh my gosh, what a great idea. A pudding mix is a pudding mix. Oh yeah! Great idea! This recipe actually started out with chocolate chips!! Just think of all the ways we can make these! Linda

  2. I like the idea of bars instead of the M&M’s sticking out of the cookie. A shelf life of a week is good, but I am sure most of us here know they would probably not last more than 2-3 days.

    I’m not a chocolate nut, but I love regular and peanut M&M’s. And brown sugar is what I add to my maple flavored instant oatmeal. I wonder if these cookie bars would be good with raisins.

    1. Hi Frank, oh my gosh, M & M peanuts are my favorite!! You are so funny you like the idea of bars sticking out the cookie! I love it! Life is good with chocolate! Now, I’m wondering if I can make an oatmeal raisin cookie bar!!! I love to bake! Linda

  3. These look so yummy Linda! And can you believe I still haven’t made any Christmas cookies this year because I’ve been really busy? I think you just solved my Christmas cookie dilemma, thank you!

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