Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars combine classic chocolate chip cookie dough with red and green M&M’s, chocolate chips, and crunchy pretzel pieces for a perfectly sweet-and-salty holiday treat. These bars are soft and chewy like your favorite cookie, but faster—there’s no chilling time required. Skip scooping individual cookies and bake a pan of these festive cookie bars instead.
This recipe is one of the simplest in my collection. The dough comes together quickly; then you press it into a prepared 13″ x 9″ pan, bake, and you’re done. It’s an ideal last-minute holiday dessert that still feels special.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients Needed
- Essential Baking Tools
- Helpful Recipe Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Bars and Brownies to Enjoy!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
Ingredients Needed
Most of these are pantry staples—add holiday-colored M&M’s and pretzels for festive flavor and texture.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- Eggs (room temperature)
- Vanilla extract
- Holiday-colored M&M’s
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Salted pretzels, broken into small pieces
Essential Baking Tools
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Medium bowl for whisking dry ingredients
- Small whisk
- Spatula
- Flour-based baking spray
- 13″ x 9″ baking pan
- Wire cooling rack
- Parchment paper (optional, for an easy sling)
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Generously spray the pan. If you use parchment as a sling, respray the top of the parchment so the dough won’t stick.
- Add M&M’s, chocolate chips, and pretzels by hand with a spoon or spatula—don’t use the mixer for these mix-ins.
- Spray one side of your spatula with flour-based baking spray so the dough won’t stick while spreading it in the pan.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute milk, white, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips if you prefer.
Yes—try peanuts, Cheez-Its, or Goldfish crackers. Use something salty to keep the sweet-and-salty contrast.
This recipe was developed with all-purpose flour and eggs; I haven’t tested reliable substitutions.
More Bars and Brownies to Enjoy!
15 Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes Everyone Should Try
Brownie Bread
Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars
If you tried this Easy Holiday Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipe, please leave a star rating and share a comment to let me know how it turned out. Thanks for visiting!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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 extra for topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
- 1 cup salted pretzels, broken into small pieces, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and position a rack just above center.
- Generously spray a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with flour-based baking spray. Optionally line the pan with a parchment sling and respray the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-high until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing only until just combined.
- Fold in the M&M’s, chocolate chips, and broken pretzel pieces with a spatula or spoon; the dough should be thick and slightly sticky.
- Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges. A spatula lightly sprayed with baking spray or clean hands work well.
- Bake at 350ºF for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days; add a slice of bread to help keep the bars soft.
Notes
- Respray the parchment if using a sling so the dough won’t stick.
- Add mix-ins by hand—don’t use the mixer.
- Spraying one side of your spatula helps when pressing dough into the pan.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.