This Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the perfect combination of your classic chocolate chip cookie mixed with red and green M&M's, chocolate chips, and pretzels! They're soft and chewy just like your favorite chocolate chip cookie, except there is no chilling time required for the dough! Ditch the cookie scoop and give this sweet and salty, delicious holiday chocolate chip cookie bars recipe a try!
Table of Contents
What Ingredients Are Needed?
Below is the list of ingredients to make these easy holiday chocolate chip cookie bars. You might even have most of these items in your pantry!
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Holiday Colored M&M
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Salted Pretzels
Let's Talk About the Recipe
I know that with many of the recipes I've shared with you on here I say they're easy to make, which is true. But this holiday chocolate chip cookie bars recipe really is one of, if not the easiest recipe in my recipe box! I even say it in the title of the recipe name, that's how easy it is!
For this cookie bar recipe, the cookie dough comes together quickly. Then you'll scoop the cookie dough into the prepared 13" x 9" baking pan, making sure to evenly spread out the dough until it reaches the edges.
You can choose to top it off with a little more of the M&M's, chocolate chips, and pretzels if you'd like!
Essential Baking Tools
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
- Medium Bowl - for whisking together the dry ingredients
- Small Whisk
- Spatula
- Flour-Based Baking Spray - I swear by Baker's Joy. It is, hands down, the best stuff out there.
- 13' x 9" Baking Pan - I absolutely love to use this Nordic Ware pan!
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Parchment Paper (used as a sling for easy removal of the cookie bars for cutting, optional step)
Quick Tips for Making Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Generously spray your 13" x 9" baking pan. If you'd like to easily remove the bars for cutting, you can add a parchment paper sling. Just remember to respray the top of the parchment paper after adding it.
- Use a spoon or spatula to add in your M&M's, chocolate chips, and pretzels. Do not add them in using your mixer!
- When pressing the cookie dough into the pan, you can use a spatula that's been sprayed on one side using a flour-based baking spray. It will keep the dough from sticking to the spatula. This tip comes in handy when making my classic and chocolate-vanilla layered rice krispie treat recipes!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FAQs
Pretty much any type of chocolate chip will be perfect. You can swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk, white, butterscotch, or peanut butter!
Yes! You can try peanuts, cheez-its, or goldfish crackers, for example. Whatever treat you choose, make sure it's salty.
At this time, no. I only tested this recipe with the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Author:Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Holiday Colored M&M's , plus a bit extra for topping
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, plus a bit extra for topping
- 1 cup Salted Pretzels, broken into small pieces, plus a bit extra for topping
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to the second level mark (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Generously spray a 13" x 9" baking pan with a flour-based baking spray. If you like, you can add a parchment paper sling to the pan for easy removal of the bars before cutting. Make sure to respray the top of the paper with the flour-based baking spray if going with this option.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined.
- Add in the large eggs one at a time, until each one is fully mixed with the batter. Then add in the vanilla extract.
- Reduce your mixer speed to low and gradually add in your whisked dry mixture until it is just combined. Do not over mix the cookie batter.
- Using a spatula or spoon, add in the M&M's, chocolate chips, and broken pieces of pretzels. The cookie dough mixture should be thick and a little sticky.
- Spoon the cookie dough into the 13" x 9" baking pan, then evenly spread it out until it reaches the edges. You can use your clean hands or a spatula lightly sprayed with some flour-based baking spray.
- Place in the oven and bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a nice light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before cutting into squares. Keep the chocolate chip cookie bars stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To keep them soft, add a slice of bread to the container.
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