Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

If you’re looking for a last minute dessert recipe, these Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are PERFECT! This recipe is a combination of your classic chocolate chip cookie dough 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! And, even better yet, they’re the perfect combo of salty and sweet! Ditch the cookie scoop and give these delicious holiday chocolate chip cookie bars a try!

how to make easy holiday chocolate chip cookie bars

ingredients needed: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, holiday colored M&M’s, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and salted pretzels

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! Haha!

For this recipe, the cookie dough comes together pretty 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!

what baking tools will I need to make these chocolate chip bars?

• Hand-held 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)

tips for making easy holiday 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!
• Try out different colored M&M’s depending on the holiday. Use red and green for Christmas, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, or green for St. Patrick’s Day. You get the idea!
• Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.
• Same goes for the pretzels! You can try peanuts or cheez-its, for example. Whatever treat you choose make sure it’s salty!

Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• Author: Jennifer
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 24 bars 1x
• Category: Bars and Brownies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

If you’re looking for a last minute dessert recipe, these Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are PERFECT! This recipe is a combination of your classic chocolate chip cookie dough 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! And, even better yet, they’re the perfect combo of salty and sweet! Ditch the cookie scoop and give these delicious holiday chocolate chip cookie bars a try!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 cups (425 grams) of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 cup (226 grams) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (205 grams) Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup (179 grams) Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup (196 grams) Holiday Colored M&M’s of your choice, plus a bit extra for topping
• 1 cup (165 grams) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, plus a bit extra for topping
• 1 cup (60 grams) Salted Pretzels, broken into small pieces, plus a bit extra for topping

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Instructions

1. Adjust your oven rack to the second level mark and preheat your oven to 350ºF.

2. 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.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.
4. Using a hand-held 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.
5. Add in the large eggs one at a time, until each one is fully mixed with the batter. Then add in the vanilla extract.
6. Reduce your mixer speed to a slower setting, then gradually add in your whisked dry mixture until it is just combined. Do not over mix the cookie batter.
7. 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.
8. 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 sprayed lightly with some flour-based baking spray.
9. Place in the oven and bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until the top is a nice light golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before cutting into squares.

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Keywords: easy holiday chocolate chip cookie bars, holiday chocolate chip cookie bars, cookie bars, chocolate chips, easy holiday recipes, holiday desserts, cookie bars

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there’s plenty more bars & brownies to try!

• The Best Salted Pecan Pie Brownies
• Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
• Classic Fudge Nut Bars
• Irresistible Peanut Butter Tandy Kakes

Need more dessert recipe inspiration? Visit my recipe box or follow me over on Pinterest!