If you’re looking for an easy Christmas dessert that’s loaded with chocolate and festive colours, these Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars are SO good! They’re soft, buttery, and packed with Christmas M&M’s and colourful sprinkles. The edges are perfectly chewy, while the middle stays deliciously soft and gooey.

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These Christmas cookie bars are perfect for holiday parties, Christmas cookie exchanges, dessert trays, or just making something fun with the kids during Christmas break.

Plus, they only take about 15 minutes to prepare!

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES:

White Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Clusters

Puff Pastry Brie Cranberry Bites

Reindeer Cinnamon Rolls

Spinach Dip Wreath

Christmas Veggie Wreath Appetizer (Easy Festive Party Food)

Easy Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board (With Cheese & Fruit)

Why You’ll Love These Christmas Cookie Bars

• So easy to make! No rolling, scooping, or chilling cookie dough required.
• Soft and gooey: The brown sugar gives these bars a wonderfully chewy texture with a rich, buttery center.
• Perfect for Christmas: Red and green M&M’s and festive sprinkles make them extra cute for the holidays.
• Great for sharing: One pan makes 24 cookie bars, so they’re perfect for parties and cookie trays.
• Kid-friendly: Kids will love helping mix in the candies and decorate the tops!

Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

Servings: 24 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 22–25 minutes
Cooling Time: Until completely cooled
Total Time: Approximately 40 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Christmas M&M’s
• ½ cup Christmas sprinkles

Equipment You’ll Need

• 9×13-inch metal baking pan
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric hand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spatula
• Sharp knife

How To Make Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars

These Christmas M&M cookie bars couldn’t be much easier to make! Everything comes together in one bowl, and you don’t even need to chill the dough before baking.

Step 1: Preheat The Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a little overhang on the sides so you can easily lift the bars out later.

Lightly coat the lining with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: Mix The Butter And Brown Sugar

Add the softened butter and packed brown sugar to a large mixing bowl.

Using an electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients together until combined. The mixture will look a little crumbly at this stage, and that’s completely normal!

Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then continue mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.

Step 3: Add The Dry Ingredients

Add the salt and baking powder to the bowl.

Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour, adding a little at a time until a thick cookie dough forms.

Be careful not to overmix once the flour has been added. You want everything just combined.

Step 4: Fold In The Christmas M&M’s And Sprinkles

Gently fold most of the Christmas M&M’s and sprinkles into the cookie dough using a spatula.

Make sure to save a small handful of each for decorating the top!

The red and green candies make these cookie bars look so festive, and I love how pretty they turn out.

Step 5: Spread The Dough Into The Pan

Transfer the cookie dough into your prepared baking pan.

The dough will be quite thick and sticky, so don’t worry if it doesn’t spread easily at first.

Lightly spray your hands or a spatula with nonstick cooking spray, then gently press the dough into an even layer across the pan.

Try to spread it all the way into the corners so the bars bake evenly.

Step 6: Add The Festive Toppings

Scatter the remaining Christmas M&M’s and sprinkles over the top of the cookie dough.

Gently press them into the surface so they stay in place while baking.

This little extra step makes such a difference in how pretty the finished cookie bars look!

Step 7: Bake Until Golden

Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set.

Here’s the important part: don’t overbake them!

The center should still look slightly soft when you remove the pan from the oven. The bars will continue to firm up as they cool, giving you that delicious gooey texture.

Step 8: Cool And Slice

Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan.

Once cooled, use the parchment paper or foil overhang to carefully lift them out.

Place them on a cutting board and slice into 24 squares.

Serve and enjoy!

Tips For Making The Best Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars

Don’t overbake them. This is probably the most important tip! If you want soft, gooey Christmas cookie bars, take them out when the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set. They’ll firm up as they cool.

Use softened butter. Make sure your butter is soft enough to mix easily with the brown sugar, but not melted.

Choose jimmies-style sprinkles. These are the longer, skinny sprinkles, and they work much better in cookie dough than tiny round nonpareils. Nonpareils can bleed their colours into the dough.

Save some M&M’s for the top. Don’t mix all the candies into the batter! Pressing a few extra red and green M&M’s into the top makes the finished bars look so much more festive.

Line your baking pan. Parchment paper makes removing and slicing the bars much easier. Plus, cleanup is a breeze!

Let them cool before cutting. I know it’s tempting to dig right in, but allowing the bars to cool completely helps them hold their shape when sliced.

How To Make Thicker Christmas Cookie Bars

If you prefer really thick, gooey cookie bars, you can make this recipe in an 8×8-inch baking pan instead.

Using a smaller pan creates a much thicker layer of dough, giving you extra-thick Christmas dessert bars.

You’ll get approximately 12 larger bars instead of 24.

Keep in mind that thicker bars will need a longer baking time. Start checking around the original baking time, but expect them to take longer. The edges should be golden, and the center should be set without looking wet or raw.

Christmas Cookie Bar Variations

One of my favourite things about this recipe is how easy it is to change things up!

Try Different M&M’s

You can use regular milk chocolate M&M’s, peanut butter M&M’s, or even mini M&M’s.

The Christmas-coloured candies are especially cute for the holidays, but you can easily make these bars for other occasions too.

Add Chocolate Chips

Want even more chocolate? Try replacing some of the M&M’s with semi-sweet or white chocolate chips.

White chocolate chips would be especially pretty mixed with the red and green sprinkles.

Make Them For Other Holidays

These cookie bars aren’t just for Christmas!

Switch up the sprinkle and candy colours to make them for:

• Valentine’s Day
• Easter
• Halloween
• Birthday parties
• Baby showers

It’s such an easy recipe to customize for different celebrations.

How To Store Christmas Cookie Bars

These gooey Christmas cookie bars are perfect for making ahead, especially during the busy holiday season.

Room Temperature: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. Keep them in a cool, dry spot to help them stay soft and chewy.

Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze the fully cooled bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months for best quality. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.

When you’re ready to enjoy them, let the bars thaw at room temperature.

Can You Make Christmas Cookie Bars Ahead Of Time?

Absolutely!

These are a great make-ahead Christmas dessert because they store well and don’t require any last-minute decorating.

You can bake them a day or two before your Christmas party, store them in an airtight container, and they’ll be ready to serve when you need them.

You can also freeze them ahead of time if you’re getting a head start on your Christmas baking.

I love having a few easy desserts tucked away in the freezer during December!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are My Christmas Cookie Bars Dry?

The most common reason is overbaking. These bars are supposed to be soft and slightly gooey in the middle, so you don’t want to wait until the entire top looks deeply golden.

Remove them when the edges are lightly browned and the center is just set.

Can I Use White Sugar Instead Of Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is what gives these cookie bars their soft, chewy texture and rich flavour.

You can replace some of the brown sugar with white sugar, but the finished bars may be a little less moist and chewy.

For the best results, I recommend sticking with the brown sugar in the original recipe.

Can I Use Regular M&M’s?

Of course! Regular M&M’s work just as well.

The red and green Christmas M&M’s simply make the bars extra festive for holiday parties and cookie trays.

Can I Use Different Sprinkles?

Yes! Just keep in mind that jimmies-style sprinkles tend to work best when mixed into cookie dough.

Tiny round nonpareils can sometimes bleed their colours, especially when mixed into a moist batter.

Do Christmas Cookie Bars Need To Be Refrigerated?

Nope! These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.

If you want to keep them longer, freezing is a great option.

Are These Good For Christmas Cookie Trays?

Definitely! These are perfect for Christmas cookie trays because they’re easy to cut into squares, colourful, and simple to make in a big batch.

You can even cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces if you’re putting together a platter with several different Christmas treats.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an easy Christmas dessert that’s soft, chewy, chocolatey, and loaded with festive colours, these Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars are definitely worth making!

I love that you get all the deliciousness of homemade Christmas cookies without having to spend forever baking individual batches.

They’re perfect for Christmas parties, holiday dessert trays, cookie exchanges, or just enjoying with a cup of hot chocolate on a cozy December evening.

And those gooey centers with all the little pockets of melted chocolate? SO good!