Christmas Cookie Bars
Chewy, buttery Christmas cookie bars loaded with chocolate chips, red and green M&M's, crushed pretzels and holiday sprinkles. One bowl, one pan, 24 bars in about 40 minutes. The photos show the same bars in the any-season rainbow version described in the notes.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Mix-Ins and Toppings
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips mini chips as pictured, or standard
- 2 tbsp holiday sprinkles jimmies, for the top
- 3/4 cup red and green M&M's plus extra for the top; rainbow for the pictured version
- 1/2 cup crushed pretzels plus whole mini twists for the top
Equipment
- 9x13-inch Baking Pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Spatula
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for lifting.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. (Melted-butter option, as pictured: melt the butter, cool it 5 minutes and stir it into the sugars with a spatula until glossy.)
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Fold in about three quarters of the chocolate chips, M&M's and crushed pretzels, keeping the rest for the top.
Top and Bake
- Spread and top. Spread the dough evenly in the pan. Scatter the remaining chips, M&M's and pretzels over the top, press them in lightly, and finish with the sprinkles.
- Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Add 3 to 5 minutes for a glass dish.
- Cool and cut. Cool completely in the pan, then lift the slab out by the parchment and cut into 24 squares.
Notes
Pictured version, for any season: the bars in the photos use rainbow M&M's, rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips and about 20 whole mini pretzel twists laid over the top instead of crushed pretzels, and were baked in a glass dish. Same dough, same time; add 3 to 5 minutes for glass. Melted butter, as shown in the step photos, works too: melt it, cool 5 minutes and stir it into the sugars for a denser, chewier bar.
Doneness: golden edges pulling away from the pan, a paler center, and a toothpick with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before cutting.
Make ahead: bake up to 2 days ahead and keep covered in the pan. The topped, unbaked dough keeps in the fridge for a day; bake from cold with 3 to 4 extra minutes.
Storage: airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days with parchment between layers, or wrap squares individually and freeze for up to 2 months.
Substitutions: white chocolate chips and dried cranberries; crushed candy canes and a 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract; toffee bits or chopped pecans; a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with gluten-free pretzels.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.8mg