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These thick and chewy M&M Cookie Bars are made with basic pantry staples and capture all the chewy deliciousness of regular M&M cookies without needing to scoop or roll the dough! 

Oh how I love a delicious cookie bar!  If you like these, don't miss my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Sugar Cookie Bars, and Magic Bars.

M&M Cookie Bars cut into squares on a board with parchment paper.

There's nothing you wont LOVE about these M&M Cookie Bars but you'll especially love how easy they are to make! No rolling or chilling the dough or baking several batches–just press everything into a 9×13 pan and bake! They feed a crowd and everyone always raves about them! What's not to love about super soft, chewy, cookie bars loaded with M&M candies?

How to Make M&M Cookie Bars:

1. Combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Combine wet ingredients: Add butter, sugar and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and beat well until creamed together. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Two process photos for making M&M cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

3. Add chocolate: Stir in chocolate chips and m&m’s.

4. Bake:  Press dough into a greased 9×13” pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 22-35 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely. Pull up on the sides of parchment paper to remove bars from the pan and cut into squares.

A pan with M&M Cookie Bars dough, then a photo of the baked bars, cut into squares.

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: The cookie dough can be made 2-3 days ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator.

To freeze: allow baked bars to cool completely after cooking and cut them into squares.  Place squares into a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipes Variations:

  • Add nuts: chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Substitute the chips: feel free to add or substitute your favorite “chips”, like peanut butter or white chocolate chips.

Looking for more Cookie and Bar recipes? Try these:

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4.74 from 148 votes

M&M Cookie Bars

Author: Lauren Allen
These soft and chewy M&M Cookie Bars will be your new favorite! 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 20

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line a 9 x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  • Add butter, sugar and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and beat well until creamed together. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
  • Gradually mix in the flour and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and m&m’s. Press dough into an even layer in prepared pan.
  • Bake for 22-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from pan and let cool completely. Pull on side of parchment paper to remove bars from the pan and cut into squares.

Notes

Make ahead Instructions: The cookie dough can be made 2-3 days ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator.
Freezing Instructions: allow baked bars to cool completely after cooking and cut them into squares.  Place squares into a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipes Variations:
  • Add nuts: chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Substitute the chips: feel free to add or substitute your favorite "chips", like peanut butter or white chocolate chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 222mg, Potassium: 59mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 317IU, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe June 2017. Updated October 2020.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

4.74 from 148 votes (125 ratings without comment)
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Raegan
1 month ago

5 stars
They were great and family loved them. Tasted exactly like cookies. The square version may be a little more like cake but it wasn’t much and you could eliminate the baking powder so it is firmer like a cookie if you wanted. Way easier than rolling out cookies. Will make again… as requested by the kids 🙂

Dee
9 months ago

Can I add cocoa powder to this recipe

Admin
Stacy Popham
9 months ago
Reply to  Dee

Yes, you can definitely add cocoa powder to make chocolate M&M cookies! Try replacing about ¼ to ⅓ cup of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. So use around 1 ⅔ to 1 ¾ cups flour + ¼ cup cocoa powder. It’ll give the cookies a rich chocolate base without messing with the texture too much.
-Stacy

Lauren
1 year ago

2 stars
I wish I read reviews first. Cooked mine for 25 mins in metal pan, and they are under cooked (had clean toothpick). Trying now to put all of the middle pieces back in the oven. Taste is ok but a regular chocolate chip cookie would be much better.

Key
1 year ago

1 star
I made this recipe to a t but This didn’t taste like a cookie it tasted like cake and it was very bland

Julie
1 year ago

1 star
Unfortunately, these came out very dry and crumbly. I followed the recipe exactly but I believe there was too much flour prescribed. I even took them out a bit early than the recommended baking time. I could tell they were already dry from the flour. If I follow this again, I’d cut back on the flour big time. I noticed my dough immediately got dry when third cup went in. Not impressed and they didn’t even taste good. 🙁