Super Easy M&M Christmas Cookie Bars Using Cake Mix

Inside: Looking for an easy cookie recipe? These m&m Christmas cookie bars are ready in 20 minutes, and they make a recipe to gift or for cookie exchanges.

The holiday season is here, and that means its time to bake! Maybe you have to make something for the church bake sale… for your kid’s Christmas party… or to give to a neighbor. These holiday M&M bars are easy as can be!

Rather than making everything from scratch, this recipe uses cake mix and pudding mix to simplify the cooking process. That’s great news for those of us who are rather challenged when baking things from scratch.

So, let’s start baking these yummy bars!

How Do You Make Christmas Cookie Bars?

This recipe is made simpler by using boxed cake mix and pudding mix. For me, minimizing ingredients is a win. But if you prefer to make your Christmas bars from scratch, just find your favorite blondie recipe and go from there. I like this one.

You can also change up the recipe by adding in different candies and different chocolate chips. For instance, white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips would be amazing! And if you’re a peppermint fan like me, adding peppermint candies into this mixture along with white chocolate chips sounds incredible.

That variation is for another day. For now, let’s get to this version:

Ingredients for M&M Christmas Cookie Bars

• 15 oz box yellow cake mix
• 2 large eggs
• 3.4 oz vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup Christmas M&Ms (or any red and green chocolate candies)

Directions for Holiday M&M Bars

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×9 baking pan or use non-stick parchment paper to line the pan.

2. Pour cake mix & pudding mix into a large mixing bowl.

3. Crack open two large eggs, and add to cake and pudding mixture. You can beat the eggs together first if you’d like, but it’s not necessary.

4. Pour in the butter and milk. Make sure the butter is not too hot. If it is, wait a few before adding it in with the milk to prevent butter globules in the mixture.

5. Mix wet and dry ingredients well.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips and red and green M&Ms.

7. Transfer mixture into the 9×9 baking dish and cook at 300 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Cool before slicing so the heated chocolate does not spread.

9. Serve and enjoy!

FAQ for M&M Christmas Cookie Bars

Can I double this recipe?

Of course you can! If you want to double this recipe, bake the ingredients in a 9×13 or larger pan. They’ll come out a bit thicker, and you’ll need to adjust the cooking time by about 10 minutes or more.

Do I need to use a mixer?

Nope. These are best when they’re not over-mixed, actually. Just fold in the ingredients with a mixing spatula.

Do I use salted or unsalted butter?

While you can technically use either one, I always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s easier to control the amount of salt in your recipes that way. If you find that something is a little to sweet for you, you can always add a pinch of salt yourself.

How do I know when the M&M Christmas cookie bars are done?

They’re done when they’re golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Don’t bake them until the toothpick is totally dry. You want the cookies to come out soft and chewy. Over-baking them will make them dry and brittle on the edges.

How do I store these cookie bars?

You should store them in an airtight container. They’re good for about 5-7 days, but they may start to get hard after a few days. They do not need to be refrigerated.