Description
These Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars are festive blondies packed with holiday M&Ms and sprinkles, perfect for gifting or enjoying during the holiday season. They are easy to make, freezer-friendly, and delightfully sweet with a soft, chewy texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Bars
- 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
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms (or your favorite color)
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles (use jimmies for best results)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: 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 Butter and Sugar: Using a stand or hand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is crumbly and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until the batter becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in salt and baking powder, then gradually add the all-purpose flour, mixing until just combined.
- Incorporate Mix-ins: Fold in the Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles evenly throughout the batter.
- Spread Batter: Spray your hands with cooking spray and spread the wet batter evenly into the prepared pan. Top with any remaining M&Ms and sprinkles for decoration.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Avoid overbaking, as the bars will continue to cook while cooling, resulting in a gooey texture.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool slightly before slicing into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month.
Notes
- Use a metal pan lined with foil for best baking results; glass pans are not recommended.
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray helps spread the sticky batter evenly without sticking.
- These bars are best slightly underbaked to maintain gooeyness as they cool.
- Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles can be substituted with your favorite candy or colorful toppings.
- The bars freeze well, making them perfect for preparing ahead of time for holiday gifting.
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
