These chewy Christmas cookie bars are absolutely delicious. They’re essentially chocolate chip cookies but in bar form! All you need is one bowl and mostly ingredients you might already have! They are thick, chewy, dense, doughy. All the best things! I added in the M&M’s and the sprinkles to make them festive, but you can always just do chocolate chips or any kind of mix-in’s you prefer. Enjoy!
What you need to make chewy Christmas cookie bars + substitutions:
- Unsalted butter- You can use salted as well but I always go for unsalted in baking. If you use salted, you can still follow the recipe the same. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, it makes a huge difference!
- Brown sugar- Brown sugar gives it that caramel note and adds the perfect sweetness as well as giving them that deep rich brown color. If you haven’t made your own brown sugar yet, it’s ridiculously easy! See how here!
- Granulated sugar- A classic in any recipe. You can use white sugar, cane sugar, whatever you prefer. I haven’t tested coconut sugar in these cookie bars.
- Eggs- Eggs help bind a recipe and really help give it taste and texture. Make sure these are room temperature as well to help the recipe bind together better, but it’ll still work fine if you forget. I don’t know if flax eggs would work as an alternative.
- Vanilla extract- No baked good recipe is complete without vanilla extract in my opinion. It’s key!
- All-purpose flour- I typically bake with all-purpose flour. Almond and coconut flour do not have the same measurements so they will not work for this. However, gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour should work just fine. Make sure to find one with xantham gum, I love Bob’s Red Mill, but any should do.
- Baking soda- Helps to produce a light and fluffy and perfectly cooked Christmas cookie bar.
- Sea salt- Salt is key in a baked good, because it really helps to bring out the flavor! This is our favorite brand, we buy the 10lb bag. You can use the code DADDIO for 15% off.
- Christmas M&M’s– I used the festive Christmas M&M’s here which make it fun, but you can totally use chocolate chips or any mix-in’s you prefer for these cookie bars.
- Christmas sprinkles- These are totally optional, but definitely fun! I usually try to stay away from food dye when we can! Obviously the M&M’s have food dye, but I used sprinkles that didn’t. You can find good ones at Trader Joes that are cheap or I like these ones as well!
Tips for making the chocolate chip cookie bars:
- This is my favorite brand of baking pans! We’ve been using them for years, and I love them. It’s perfect for these Christmas cookie bars.
- Let them cool completely before cutting. I know, I know no one ever likes this because who the heck can wait? But if you want them to be able to cut into bars, then they have to cool completely! However, if you want to dig in, just grab a spoon and have at it!
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Alright, let’s get to making the recipe! Enjoy friends!
Chewy Christmas Cookie Bars
These chewy Christmas cookie bars are absolutely delicious. They're essentially chocolate chip cookies but in bar form! All you need is one bowl and mostly ingredients you might already have! They are thick, chewy, dense, doughy. All the best things! I added in the M&M's and the sprinkles to make them festive, but you can always just do chocolate chips or any kind of mix-in's you prefer. Enjoy!
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 2 eggs room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spoon & leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup Christmas M&M’s
- Christmas sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray a 9x9in square baking pan (or any similar size, 8×8 is too small) with oil or butter. 3. In a large bowl, add in the melted butter and sugars & whisk until well incorporated. Once combined, add in the eggs and vanilla extract
- Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and slowly mix in using a wooden or plastic spatula.
- Pour in the M&M’s & fold in fold in.
- Press dough into your greased pan and add a few extra M&M’s on top. Option to sprinkle with some sprinkles as well!
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and set but make sure not to overbake.
- Cook until the edges are set and the middle is still soft but not raw. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
For Freezing: Individually wrap each cookie piece in plastic wrap and then store in a ziplock for up to 6 months.