These sugar cookie M&M bars are ready to eat in just 30 minutes, plus they are perfect for feeding a crowd! You can even customize your dessert bars by using colored M&Ms that fit your theme! Best of all, you'll only need a handful of ingredients!
Easy M&M Sugar Cookie Bars
I love baking sugar cookie dessert bars for parties, potlucks, and holidays because they're soft, chewy, and super easy to customize. This classic version featuring mini M&M candies is always a crowd favorite!
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For holiday parties, I highly recommend you try my peppermint sugar cookie bars or Christmas sugar cookie bars! They are just as easy and delicious!
🥘 Sugar Cookie M&M Bars Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutes
I love how some of the best desserts can be made from just a few common baking ingredients! I don't know about you, but these are things I pretty much keep on hand 24/7 (other than the bag of mini M&Ms).
- Butter - ¾ cup of butter at room temperature or a butter substitute.
- Sugar - 1 cup of white granulated sugar.
- Eggs - 2 large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or a vanilla extract substitute.
- Salt - ¾ teaspoons of salt.
- Baking Soda - ½ teaspoon of baking soda or a baking soda substitute.
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled) or an all-purpose flour substitute.
- M&Ms - 1 ¼ cups of mini M&Ms candies.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Sugar Cookie M&M Bars
These sugar cookie bars are a super simple recipe made with super simple ingredients, but they taste amazing! You're going to need your measuring utensils, a stand mixer (or hand mixer), a silicone spatula, and an 8x8 baking dish.
You will get about 20 small squares from an 8x8 sugar cookie bar or 9 larger rectangular pieces.
Step 1: To begin, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2: Using your stand mixer (or a hand mixer), cream together the room-temperature ¾ cup (170.25 grams) of butter and 1 cup (200 grams) of sugar on medium speed until smooth and light.
Step 3: Add in the 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons (9.86 milliliters) of vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon (4.5 grams) of salt, and ½ teaspoon (2 grams) of baking soda. Mix again until smooth.
Step 4: Slowly mix in the 2½ cups (312.15 grams) of all-purpose flour, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, until a dough forms. Then, gently fold in 1 ¼ cups (295.74 grams) of mini M&Ms.
Step 5: Transfer your cookie dough to your prepared 8X8 dish and press it into an even layer, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish.
Step 6: Bake. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) until the edges begin to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 7: Cool. Once done, remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before cutting them into bars and serving.
🍪 How To Serve Sugar Cookie M&M Bars
If you wanted to, you could frost these sugar cookie bars with your favorite buttercream frosting (funfetti frosting would be perfect)! A scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top would be tasty, too! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Using room-temperature ingredients ensures that your dough mixes together really well. Get out your eggs and butter in advance so they have time to warm up.
- Sugar cookie dessert bars can fit any theme by using different colored M&Ms! You can use red, white, and blue for the 4th of July, pink and red for Valentine's Day, red and green for Christmas, and so on and so forth.
- You can use regular-sized M&M's instead of mini M&M's if you prefer.
- If needed for larger gatherings, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan. It will need about 35-40 minutes in the oven.
🥡 Storing
Keep your bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You do not need to refrigerate them.
Freezing Sugar Cookie M&M Bars
Tightly wrap your bars in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place the bars into the fridge to allow them to thaw out before serving.
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❓ FAQ
Nope! These bars can be stored at room temperature, which makes them perfect for plopping on a dessert table at school functions, birthday parties, or at the office.
I like using classic mini M&Ms because you get more candy per bite, but you can really use any M&M variety you like! Peanut M&Ms would give these bars a good crunch, and peanut butter M&Ms would be tasty, too! You could even try out some of the more unique flavors like cookie crunch or caramel cold brew!
In addition to the M&Ms, you could mix in some chopped nuts, chocolate chips (white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, you name it), or other kinds of candy. Sprinkles would also make a fun addition! These sugar cookie bars are incredibly versatile and easy to customize.
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📋 Recipe
Sugar Cookie M&M Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour spoon and leveled
- 1 ¼ cups mini M&Ms
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Using your stand mixer (or a hand mixer), cream together the room-temperature ¾ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth and light.¾ cup butter, 1 cup sugar
- Add in the 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Mix again until smooth.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Slowly mix in the 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, until a dough forms. Then, gently fold in 1 ¼ cups mini M&Ms.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ cups mini M&Ms
- Transfer your cookie dough to your prepared 8X8 dish and press it into an even layer, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) until the edges begin to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Once done, remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before cutting them into bars and serving.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Using room-temperature ingredients ensures that your dough mixes together really well.
- Sugar cookie dessert bars can fit any theme by using different colored M&Ms!
- You can use regular-sized M&M's in place of mini M&M's.
- If needed for larger gatherings, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan. It will need about 35-40 minutes in the oven.
- Keep your bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Tightly wrap your bars in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place the bars into the fridge to allow them to thaw out.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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