Description
These 30 Minute M&M Cookie Bars are thick, chewy, and packed with colorful M&Ms and rich dark chocolate chunks. Baked in a single pan, these bars combine the classic flavors of favorite cookie ingredients with the convenience of bar shape for easy serving and sharing. Perfectly balanced sweetness and texture make them an irresistible treat for any cookie lover.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled (re-weigh after melting and add a little extra butter if needed)
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature (about 45g egg yolks)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Sugars
- 120g light or dark brown sugar
- 45g granulated sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 135g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2g salt (½ tsp kosher salt)
Add-ins
- 180g M&Ms plus a few more for the tops, optional
- 85g dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (20cm) non-stick baking pan with parchment paper extending over the sides to create a sling, securing with binder clips if necessary for easy removal.
- Combine wet ingredients and sugars: In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted cooled butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla bean paste or extract until the mixture thickens and lightens slightly in color. Use a whisk or handheld electric mixer to achieve this.
- Add dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold and mix until only a few streaks of flour remain, being careful not to overmix.
- Incorporate M&Ms and chocolate: Fold in the 180g of M&Ms and chopped dark chocolate with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Press dough into the pan: Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, pressing it down and smoothing the surface with an offset spatula. Add a few extra M&Ms on top if desired for decoration.
- Bake the cookie bars: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes until the top is golden brown and set, and the edges start to firm up. For crispier edges, extend baking time slightly, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the bars out using the parchment sling and cut into 12 even pieces with a sharp knife.
- Storage: Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to retain freshness.
Notes
- These M&M cookie bars have the delightful chewiness and flavor of classic cookies but are baked in a bar form for easy slicing and sharing.
- Using a parchment sling makes removing the bars from the pan effortless and keeps their shape intact.
- Adding extra M&Ms on top before baking gives a colorful, appealing finish.
- Butter should be melted and slightly cooled to help the dough come together smoothly without cooking the egg yolks.
- For thicker bars, use an 8-inch pan as directed; a larger pan will yield thinner bars.
- Adjust baking time slightly if using a glass baking dish, as it may bake differently than metal pans.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (based on 12 servings)
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
