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4.90 from 38 votes

Soft Sugar M&M Cookie Bars

M&M Cookie Bars!! One of my favorite desserts of all times. And also be warned – one is NOT to be left alone with a pan of these!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 bars
Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter melted
  • 2 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 cup Milk Chocolate M&M’s plus extra for garnish
  • Maldon sea salt optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar and mix with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until combined. Add the vanilla and eggs, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until fully incorporated.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and slowly mix until just combined. The batter will be a bit stiff, but that's normal. Fold in 1 cup of the Milk Chocolate M&M’s.
  • Spray a 9x9 metal baking pan (see note above) with baking spray and line it with parchment paper. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining Milk Chocolate M&M’s and Maldon sea salt if desired and transfer it into the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Once the bars have baked, remove them from the oven and let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

Notes

  • Use a 9×9 pan. Don’t try and do it in a 9×13 or an 8×8… it won’t be the same. Trust me – there’s a reason I developed it this way! And a glass baking dish doesn’t retain heat the same way a metal baking dish does… so use a metal baking dish!
  • Don’t skimp on the M&M’s and the sprinkle of salt on top. It really makes all the flavors sing! If you want to add more M&M’s mid bake, that will ensure they don’t fall to the bottom of the pan.
  • After the baking time – LET THESE SET FOR 2 HOURS. They might look a little under-baked but they need time to finish residual baking once they come out of the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg