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Easy Christmas Cookie Bars

These Christmas Cookie Bars are the ultimate holiday treat — soft, chewy, loaded with festive mix-ins, and incredibly easy to make. Perfect for cookie platters, school parties, potlucks, or gift boxes, these bars deliver that classic chocolate-chip-cookie flavor in a fun, colorful, slice-and-serve format.

Whether you choose red-and-green M&M’s, chocolate chips, crunchy pretzels, caramel pieces, or sprinkles, this recipe is fully customizable and always a holiday hit. 🎅✨

⭐ Why You’ll Love These Christmas Cookie Bars

🎄 Soft and chewy — made with a tried-and-true cookie-bar base that stays gooey in the center.
🎄 Mix-in friendly — choose your favorite holiday add-ins (M&M’s, pretzels, caramel, sprinkles).
🎄 Perfect for gifting — cut into up to 48 bite-sized pieces to fill cookie tins or dessert trays.
🎄 Easy to make ahead — can be stored or frozen without losing texture.

Muller

Christmas Cookie Bars

Soft, chewy, and filled with festive mix-ins, these Christmas Cookie Bars are the perfect quick holiday dessert. Easily customizable and great for cookie platters, gift boxes, or parties.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings: 24
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cups unsalted butter (melted)
  • ¾ cups light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 extra egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (245 g) whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups (250 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (start with 2 cups, add up to ¼ cup more if dough is runny)
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup holiday red & green M&M’s
  • ½ cup crunchy pretzels (broken into small pieces)
  • ½ cup soft caramels (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons holiday sprinkles (optional)

Equipment

  • 9×13 baking pan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Spatula
  • Knife for cutting

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
  2. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and optionally line with parchment for easy removal.
  3. Chop caramels into small pieces.
  4. Break pretzels into small chunks until you have ½ cup.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
  6. Add the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla; mix well.
  7. Stir in baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  8. Add 2 cups flour and mix until just combined. If the dough is very loose, let it rest a few minutes and (if needed) add up to ¼ cup more flour.
  9. Fold in all mix-ins (chocolate chips, M&M’s, pretzels, caramel, sprinkles).
  10. Press dough evenly into the prepared pan.
  11. Press extra mix-ins on top for a festive look (optional).
  12. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake — bars should remain soft and chewy.
  13. Let bars cool completely in the pan.
  14. For clean slices, chill for 30 minutes, then cut into 12 large, 24 medium, or 48 bite-sized bars.
  15. Wipe the knife between cuts or warm slightly for cleaner edges.

Notes

    • Pretzels will soften over time; for extra crunch, press fresh pretzels on top before serving.
    • You can swap mix-ins: white chocolate, nuts, toffee bits, mini marshmallows, etc.
    • A sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes these bars to the next level.

📦 Storage & Freezing

Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–5 days.
They stay soft and chewy and are perfect for holiday trays or gifting. 🎁

To freeze, place the completely cooled bars into a freezer-safe bag or container.
They will keep well for 1–2 months in the freezer.

👉 Note: Pretzels will naturally soften over time.
If you want them to stay crunchy, either:

  • make the bars on the same day you plan to serve them, or
  • hold back some pretzels and press them on top right before serving for extra crunch.

✨ Tips & Variations

✔️ Customize the Mix-Ins
Swap in any combination you like — chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, festive holiday M&M’s, nuts, caramel bits, sprinkles, etc.

✔️ Add a Salty-Sweet Touch
Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the bars before slicing. It elevates the flavor beautifully.

✔️ Use a Parchment Sling
Lining the baking pan with parchment (leaving some overhang) makes it much easier to lift the entire slab out and slice into clean squares.

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