Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the perfect combination of your classic chocolate chip cookie mixed with M&M's, chocolate chips, and pretzels! Ditch the cookie scoop and give this sweet-and-salty, delicious holiday chocolate chip cookie bar recipe a try!
Servings: 24 cookie bars
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp 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 middle position and preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Generously spray a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with a flour-based baking spray. If you like, you can add a parchment paper sling to the pan if you plan to remove the bars for cutting. Make sure to lightly 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.3 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt
- 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.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- Add in the large eggs one at a time, until each one is fully mixed with the batter. Then add in the vanilla extract.3 Large Eggs, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Reduce your mixer speed to low and gradually add your whisked dry mixture until just combined.
- 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.1 cup Holiday Colored M&M's , 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 1 cup Salted Pretzels
- 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.
Notes
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 using your mixer!
When pressing the cookie dough into the pan, you can use a spatula that's been sprayed with a flour-based baking spray on one side. It will keep the dough from sticking to the spatula.
To store these chocolate chip cookie bars, let them cool completely, then slice and keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I recommend placing a slice of bread in the container with the cookie bars to keep them soft! If kept in the refrigerator, they will keep for up to 1 week.
To freeze the cookie bars, let them cool completely, slice them, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Keep them stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
If you plan to store the cookie bars in the refrigerator or freezer, let them come to room temperature so the chocolate-coated candies aren't super hard when you bite into them!
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg