Description
These Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars are festive blondies packed with holiday M&M's and sprinkles. Easy to make, soft, and chewy, they’re perfect for holiday gifting or for enjoying throughout the season. The buttery base combined with chocolate candies and colorful sprinkles gives a fun and delicious twist to classic cookie bars.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (400g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
Toppings and Mix-ins
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms (or your favorite color)
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles (use jimmies for best results)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal pan with foil and spray it well with cooking spray. Avoid using a glass pan for best results.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, blend the unsalted butter and brown sugar together until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then, mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Incorporate the salt and baking powder into the mixture, followed by the all-purpose flour. Stir gently to combine everything evenly.
- Fold in Mix-ins: Stir in the Christmas M&Ms and half of the Christmas sprinkles into the batter to spread the festive colors and flavors throughout.
- Spread Batter in Pan: Spray your hands lightly with cooking spray and spread the wet, sticky batter evenly in the prepared pan. Smooth the top with your hands for an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms and sprinkles on top as a decoration.
- Bake: Bake the bars for about 25 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden around the edges. Aim to slightly underbake them because they will continue to cook as they cool, ensuring a gooey texture.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan, then use the foil to lift them out and slice into 24 bars.
- Store: Store the cookie bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month for longer storage.
Notes
- Use a metal pan as the recipe requires; glass pans can cause uneven baking.
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray helps in spreading the sticky batter evenly without mess.
- Underbaking slightly helps maintain the gooey, soft texture as the bars finish cooking while cooling.
- You can customize the candy mix-ins with your preferred seasonal colors or your favorite candies.
- These bars freeze well, making them ideal for holiday gifting or prepping desserts ahead of time.
- Use jimmies for sprinkles instead of sugar crystals to get better color and texture without melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 205 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 66 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
