These M&M Cookie Bars are the most perfect, simple to prepare cookie bars you’ll make! Buttery crisp on the edges while soft and chewy on the inside.
If you love cookie bar recipes like we do, try our Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars too.
M&M Cookie Bars
Making cookie bars is one of our favorite dessert recipes. They’re simple, delicious and easy to transport to parties, potlucks and other gatherings. The texture is perfectly crisp edges with soft chewy centers. These cookie bars are a hit every time they’re made.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect For Parties. These colorful bars are great to bring to any party or occasion where dessert is needed!
- Easy To Make. There’s no individual scooping cookie dough here. You easily press cookie dough into a baking dish and bake!
Be sure to try my Perfect M&M Cookies too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make M&M Cookie Bars at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full details.
- Salted Butter– For most of my recipes I use salted butter. Unsalted works too.
- Granulated Sugar– This fine white sugar adds sweetness to the cookie bars.
- Brown Sugar– This cookie recipe can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs– For consistency, I use large eggs in my cooking and baking.
- Vanilla– For best tasting results use pure vanilla.
- All-Purpose Flour– Flour is the main dry ingredient in the cookies.
- Baking Soda– Baking soda helps the cookies rise during baking.
- Kosher Salt- Kosher salt is a course salt commonly used in cooking and baking. I prefer it over table salt.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (can be left out if needed)- Check the baking isle near the cake mixes for instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Mini Chocolate Chips– Find mini chocolate chips near the regular chocolate chips in the baking isle.
- Mini M&M’s– Check the candy isle for bag of Mini M&M’s.
How To Make M and M Cookie Bars
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Cream Butter and Sugars. In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined.
Eggs and Vanilla. Add your eggs and vanilla mixing to combine.
Dry Ingredients. Stir in the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m’s stirring to combine.
Press Dough Into Baking Dish. Transfer dough to baking dish pressing evenly. Top with additional M and M’s pressing slightly into dough.
Bake. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until golden brown and set in middle. Remove and let cool for an hour before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Use Real Butter. Use the best quality ingredients for best tasting results. I like to use salted butter. Make sure it’s softened before starting the recipe.
- Parchment Paper. I like to line my baking dish with parchment paper. It makes it easy to remove the squares once cut.
- Plastic Knife. Using a plastic knife makes for easy cutting without any sticking.
How To Serve The Best Cookie Bars
These bars are great to take to family gatherings, parties and picnics. Serve room temperature cut into squares.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftover cookie bars in an airtight container room temperature for up to 2 days for best results.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze cookie dough or bars, place into an airtight container or freezer safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before using again.
Try More Cookie Bar Recipes
M&M Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Oven
- mixing bowl
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- parchment paper
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- knife to cut cookie bars
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose Flour
- 3.4 ounce box Instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups Mini M and M’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your eggs and vanilla mixing to combine. Add the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m's stirring to combine. Transfer dough to baking dish pressing evenly. Top with additional M and M's pressing slightly into dough. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until golden brown and set in middle. Remove and let cool for an hour before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition
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I have made these a few times, with and without pudding, and the inside of my bars always come out so chocolately! (Not complaining) Just wondering if I can lower the amount of chips and M&Ms so the “doughy”flavor comes through?
Yah, try adding less chocolate and see if you like that better 🙂
Looks…AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!