Loaded Holiday M&M’s Cookie Bars — These M&M’s cookie bars are packed with holiday M&M’s and crushed Oreos. This is an easy, one-bowl holiday dessert your family will love!
Loaded Christmas Bar Cookies
These M&M’s cookie bars are famous. Well, maybe not these exact bars but the original recipe is. The original recipe has been Pinned over 1 million times and appeared on the cover of Taste of Home Magazine in 2014.
I made the original recipe on a whim because I was moving and had a half package of both Oreos and M&M’s open, didn’t want to move them, didn’t want to toss them, made the bars, and the rest is history.
This cookie bars recipe is a spinoff on my trusty blondie base. When I want an easy, fuss-free, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that I know everyone will love, it’s my go-to. With 30+ versions and counting, it never lets me down.
It’s an easy recipe to memorize because everything is ‘one’. In the 1 bowl used, melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 1 egg, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 cup flour. For this version, there’s Oreos and M&M’s added.
I was on the hunt for red or green-filled seasonal Oreos but was just a bit too early when I made the bars a few weeks back. I think mint M&M’s or mint Oreos would be a great touch here as well.
These M&M’s cookie bars are loaded with goodies in every bite. Crunchy Oreos and crisp M&M’s are a great texture contrast to the soft, buttery bars.
What’s in M&M’s Cookie Bars?
To make these easy cookie bars, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Oreo cookies
- M&M’s
How to Make M&M’s Cookie Bars
Melt the butter, then stir in the egg, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in the M&M’s and chopped Oreos.
Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish and bake until the top is set in the center and done. The toothpick test is a bit tricky because there aren’t many bare batches, but if you hit a patch of just dough, the toothpick should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing and serving.
Want to see how to make cookie bars? Watch the video!
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
Of course! You can add other chopped holiday candies and chocolates to these M&M’s cookie bars.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, simply double the ingredients and bake these cookie bars in a 9×13-inch pan.
Tips for Making M&M’s Cookie Bars
You just need to roughly chop the Oreos for these M&M’s cookie bars. You want them to be big enough to bite into, but not so big that you’re trying to chew half an Oreo at once.
I made this recipe as Christmas bar cookies, but you can make these bars for any holiday. Just switch out the holiday M&M’s for whatever color you’d like. You can even add seasonal Oreos to the mix, if desired.
These M&M’s cookie bars can be kept on your counter for a few days, or you can pop them into a freezer bag and freeze them for later. They’re a great treat to have stashed in the freezer for last-minute guests this time of year!
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Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Holiday Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 18 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
- ½ cup M&M’s, I used Dark Chocolate Red and Green M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Add the Oreos and stir to combine.
- Add the M&M’s and stir to combine.
- Turn the batter out into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula and pushing it into the corners. Tip – Strategically place a few Oreos and M&M’s on top for visual appeal.
- Bake for about 18 to 21 minutes, or until top is set in center and done; don’t overbake. Bars firm up as they cool. A toothpick test is a bit tricky because there aren’t many bare batches, but if you hit a patch of just dough, the toothpick should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Recipe adapted from Loaded M&M's Oreo Cookie Bars.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Snickerdoodle Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — Snickerdoodle bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making snickerdoodle cookies!! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting will put everyone in the holiday spirit!!
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First, I can’t understand why you would have a half a package of oreos left but then I realized not everyone in the world scarfs down any bit of processed sugar as quickly my husband and son do.
Second, this recipe looks so beautiful and so simple. I need some festive looking bars to include on the Christmas cookie platters I’m giving this year. :)
Thanks
Ha! Well when you bake as much as I do and have 17 versions of sugar in one cupboard alone, I guess that it’s not as ‘alluring’…haha! Hope you get a chance to try these!
Averie,
I just posted Mega M&M Blondies. These are similar but they look easier than mine. Pinning.
Have you seen the Mega M&M’s yet?
Annamaria
Thanks for pinning and no I haven’t see the Mega M&Ms yet but I’ll be on the lookout!
I love how chewy these bars look.
Your always providing good recipes Averie.
Thanks!
These bars look amazing, and I love the combo of Oreo’s and M&M’s! These are definitely going on my
baking list!
WOW these look amazing Averie!! Beautiful!!
This really is the perfect recipe. Gorgeous photos once again!
Thank you and thanks for pinning!
Wow, I am not surprised the original recipe was so popular – these look amazing.
Well, it’s too early for me to think about Christmas decorating (although I understand the people who put up their outdoor decorations around here before the snow flies–it makes sense–but do they have to turn on the lights???) but not for Christmas baking! This might be an easy, festive dessert to bring to my extended family’s Christmas celebration (coming up in 3 weeks!). Hmmmm ….
It will be a guaranteed hit if you make it! And in SoCal, with palm trees and 70F weather in Nov and Dec during the daytime, it’s always hard to get in the ‘Christmas mood’, until it hits the 40s at night, then I want to bake and crank my oven!
Holiday cheer in edible form! Send some my way please :)
Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving!
I love M&Ms in almost anything. These bars look so pretty. I can’t wait to sink my teeth in them.
It’s TOO EARLY for Christmas!! I mean….I know it isn’t, since OH MY GOD I just looked at the date and we’re only 5 weeks from Christmas?!?! WTF?!
I still remember seeing this recipe the first time – so pretty!! And sccrolling through all the related recipes is just super festive. Something about m&ms and cookie bars. LOVE.
I know, I felt like it was a wee bit early to post these BUT we are 5 weeks away and many people do the bulk of their holiday baking right after Thanksgiving and the first week or two in December so I figured okay, why not!
This recipe and the first time around feels like a lifetime ago :) It was! It’s nice to know you remember it!
These bars are making me drool as we speak! I couldn’t agree with you more, I LOVE the crunchy texture the Oreos and M&M’s give to the soft bars! It’s AHHHHMAZING!
Such winners! I’m a bar fanatic. I think most of my blog recipes are bars because they’re so easy, yet so good! You are the one who taught me to cut them with a sharp chef’s knife for better pics, so I am forever grateful to you for that.
I want to eat these now!
Oh that’s awesome about the cutting tip and that it has worked out well for you over the years!
I love cookies and candy in bars–the more the merrier! I think the mint M&M’s and/ or oreos would be great for the holidays. I’m not ready for winter but I’m always ready for chocolate and mint!
I’m not ready for winter, either! And it finally got ‘cold’ in San Diego the past week and I am not loving it…at all!
Yum! I have a problem with freezing baked goods with M&Ms. I find that after thawing they bleed and look old and unappetizing. Do you have any tips to avoid this?
M&M’s can be tricky with freezing because yes they can bleed and then look a bit ‘old’…sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but I can’t pinpoint when/how it will happen so no advice for you there.
I got affectionate and wising to eat it. It is looking beautiful. I am thinking how much it would be testy.