Description
These Gooey Christmas Cookie Bars are festive blondies packed with holiday M&Ms and sprinkles. Soft, sweet, and perfect for gifting or enjoying throughout the holiday season, they bake quickly and are freezer-friendly for convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 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
Mix-Ins
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles (use jimmies for best results)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: 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 to ensure proper baking.
- Mix butter and sugar: Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until the batter becomes smooth and well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Stir in salt, baking powder, and then the all-purpose flour until fully incorporated into the batter.
- Incorporate mix-ins: Gently fold in the Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles to distribute evenly throughout the dough.
- Spread dough in pan: Spray your hands with cooking spray to handle the wet dough, then press and smooth the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle additional M&Ms and sprinkles on top for extra festive decoration.
- Bake bars: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the edges are golden but the center remains slightly underbaked to keep a gooey texture. The bars will finish baking as they cool.
- Cool and slice: Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 24 bars for serving.
- Store properly: Keep the bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to one month to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use jimmies for sprinkles to prevent melting and maintain festive texture.
- Spraying your hands with cooking spray helps handle the sticky dough and achieve an even layer in the pan.
- Do not overbake; the bars should remain slightly soft in the center for gooeyness.
- These bars freeze well and make perfect gifts during the holiday season.
- Use a metal pan as glass pans can cause uneven baking or slower cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- 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
