Soft and Chewy Valentine’s Day M&M Cookie Bars
No Valentine’s Day is complete without chocolaty treats and these soft and chewy M&M cookie bars are exactly that. Think, M&M cookies, in bar form. No rolling or shaping needed.
With crisp edges and a soft chewy center, these bars are an easy dessert to bake with ingredients you likely have on hand. With festive holiday-themed sprinkles and M&M candies, these bar cookies are a huge hit at bake sales, school parties or cookie exchanges.
The sugary fun doesn’t have to end on Valentine’s Day. Go green for St. Patrick’s, pastel for Easter, red and green for Christmas, etc. One bar, different holidays, same deliciousness. For more yummy treats, try Funfetti Cake Mix Donuts or S’mores Cookie Bars.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- 156 calories per bar.
- Perfect treat for any holiday season.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for these M&M cookie bars. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.
- Unsalted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar: or dark brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor.
- White Sugar: coconut sugar or sugar replacement. This will change the taste and texture of your bars.
- Egg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Valentine M&M’s: or any themed m&m according to the holiday you’re celebrating (as if you need a holiday to make these).
- Sprinkles: again, play with colors according to the occasion.
Variations
- Add white chocolate chips, dark chocolate, or or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- You can make this exact same recipe into individual cookies. The base of this recipe is the same as my Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
- Just use chocolate chips and make chocolate chip cookie bars.
Dietary Modifications
- To make dairy-free, use a dairy-free butter, M&M’s and sprinkles. This will change the taste and texture of your cookie bars.
- To make gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1, M&M’s and sprinkles. This may change the taste and texture of your bars.
How to make your delicious cookie bars (a step-by-step visual guide):
Step 1: mix dry ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (image 1). Whisk until fully combined (image 2).
Step 2: mix wet ingredients
Add the softened butter and sugar to a separate large mixing bowl (image 3). Using a hand mixer, mix until light and fluffy and fully combined (image 4). Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture (image 5). Mix with the hand mixer until fully combined (image 6).
Step 3: combine wet and dry
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (image 7). Mix until just combined (image 8). Add the M&M’s and sprinkle to the cookie dough (image 9). Gently fold the M&M’s and sprinkles into the cookie dough to evenly distribute (image 10).
Step 4: spread into an even layer and bake
Add the cookie dough to the prepared baking pan (metal pan) and using a rubber spatula or your hands work the dough so it covers the entire surface of the pan (image 11). Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs (image 12).
Step 5: remove and cool
Remove from the oven and allow the cookie bars to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. When ready to transfer, either remove with the parchment paper or place a cutting board over the top of the pan and flip out onto the cutting board.
To flip the top side back up use a second surface or cutting board, place on the bottom of the bars and flip over. Cut into 16 equal squares.
Expert Tip!
To make a statement, add additional M&M candies and sprinkles to the top of the bars before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Store your leftover cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Check out some of our other cookie recipes!
- Oreo Chunk White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
- Double Peanut Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Banana Cookies (with chocolate chips)
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
M&M Cookie Bars
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute) 100g
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (or sugar substitute) 90g
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour 180g
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup Valentine's m&ms (or any m&m) 75g
- 1 Tbsp. sprinkles (using Wilton pink, red and white) 10g
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. If using a good nonstick metal pan, no need. Do not use bigger than a 9×9 pan.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Gently fold in the M&M’s and sprinkle.
- Add the cookie dough to the prepared baking pan and using a rubber spatula or your hands work the dough so it covers the entire surface of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are browned and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookie bars to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. When ready to transfer either remove with the parchment paper or place cutting board over the top of the pan and flip out onto the cutting board. To flip the top side back up use a second surface or cutting board, place on the bottom of the bars and flip over.
- Cut into 16 equal squares and enjoy.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- Do not use a 9×13 or anything larger than a 9×9-inch pan. This will cause extremely thin bars. The smaller the pan the thicker.
Made these for Valentine’s Day for my husband and son (and me, of course!) They were a huge hit! Very yummy!
Best cookie I ever tasted!!!!
Made my Valentine’s Day! Thank you!