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    Home » Bars & Brownies

    One-Bowl Chewy M&M Cookie Bars (in 30 minutes)

    5 from 2 votes
    2 Comments

    Oct 14, 2023

    by Kimberlee Ho

    Jump to Recipe

    Make these chewy M&M cookie bars in 30 minutes using just one bowl and 8 simple ingredients. No mixer and no chilling required. These cookie bars use a basic cookie dough without any baking soda or baking powder, keeping them ultra chewy instead of cakey with perfectly crisp edges. This M&M bars recipe is made in a square 8x8 inch pan and yields 16 squares.

    Easy M&M cookie bars are guaranteed to be a family favorite. They are quicker and easier to make than individual cookies, making this a recipe perfect for beginners.

    Also try Chocolate Chip Blondies and White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies for easy dessert treats.

    Stack of M&M cookie bars with M&Ms scattered around.

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Golden baked M&M cookie bars in a baking dish.

    Ingredients needed to make M&M chocolate chip cookie bars

    • Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe. If you only have salted butter, decrease the amount of salt by half. No need to bring the butter to room temperature before baking, as the butter will be melted.
    • Brown sugar: Using brown sugar instead of white sugar helps keep these easy m&m cookie bars moist. Use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this recipe. I like to use dark brown sugar because it is what I usually have available and the extra molasses in the brown sugar gives the bar cookies a more caramely flavor. Be sure to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup to get the correct amount. Do not substitute for granulated white sugar.
    • Egg: You will need one large egg at room temperature. Be sure to remove the egg from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking. It is important to bring the egg to room temperature because cold eggs do not incorporate as well into the cookie dough.
    • Vanilla extract: I recommend using a high quality vanilla extract rather than imitation vanilla extract. Imitation extracts tend to have an artificial flavor or aftertaste that can alter the flavor of your baking.
    • Salt
    • All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure your flour using the scoop and level technique; scoop the flour from the container into the measuring cup without packing it in. Level off the top of the measuring cup with the handle of the spoon or a butter knife. This helps ensure your baking will not be overly dry or dense due to improperly measured or too much flour.
    • M&Ms chocolate candies: I like to use plain m&ms / classic milk chocolate m&m candies here. Substitute with peanut butter m&m, christmas m&m or mini m&ms. This is a great recipe to use up leftover m&ms from Halloween or the holiday season.
    • Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Using semisweet chocolate chips here helps balance the sweetness of the milk chocolate in the m&ms. I would not recommend substituting for milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, as these will make your cookie bars too sweet, even for the biggest sweet tooth.

    Cookie bars are not just chocolate chip cookie dough in bar form. Therefore, you will notice there is no leavener such as baking soda or baking powder in this M&M cookie bar recipe, like there is in chocolate chip cookies.

    This is because adding those ingredients will make the cookie bars more cakey than chewy. We want cookie bars with chewy centers, therefore no leavener is needed.

    Ingredients shown are used to prepare M&M Cookie Bars.

    How to make chewy m&m cookie bars

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a square 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Square baking pans can be tricky to line with parchment paper.

    I like to first spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray (or coconut oil spray). Then, lay a sheet of parchment paper over top of the baking pan.

    Using scissors, cut in diagonally from each corner until the cut is about 1 inch past the corner of the pan.

    Hands spraying cooking spray into an 8x8 baking dish.
    Spray pan with nonstick spray.
    Hand cutting parchment paper to fit an 8x8 baking dish.
    Cut each corner diagonally about 1 inch past the corner of the pan.
    Hands arranging parchment paper into an 8x8 baking dish.
    Repeat for all 4 corners.

    After all corners have been cut, press down on the center of the parchment paper to fit the parchment into the pan. Tuck the flaps (the ones that look like triangles) behind so the parchment sits flat in the pan and along the edges.

    You can use small binder clips to clip the parchment to the pan along the top of the pan, if desired. I find the parchment sticks well enough to the pan with the nonstick spray, so this is not always necessary.

    Set the parchment-lined pan aside.

    Hands smoothing parchment paper in an 8x8 baking dish.
    Press parchment into the pan.
    Hands arranging parchment paper in an 8x8 baking dish.
    Tuck the flaps behind.
    Parchment paper in a baking spray coated baking dish.
    Set aside prepared pan while you make the dough.

    Step 2

    Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl. Be sure to cover the top of the bowl with a paper towel or wax paper before microwaving to prevent the butter from popping and exploding all over the microwave.

    Step 3

    In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and pour the melted butter over top. Whisk until well blended; the mixture will resemble wet sand.

    Brown sugar being added to a mixing bowl.
    Add brown sugar to mixing bowl.
    Melted butter being poured over brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
    Pour melted butter over top.
    Brown sugar and melted butter being whisked in a mixing bowl until it resembles wet sand.
    Whisk until mixture looks like wet sand.

    Step 4

    Add in the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.

    Egg being poured into a mixing bowl with melted butter and brown sugar being combined.
    Add egg.
    Vanilla being added to M&M cookie dough in a mixing bowl with eggs, melted butter and brown sugar.
    Add vanilla.
    Whisk in egg and vanilla.
    Whisk in egg and vanilla.

    Step 5

    Add in the dry ingredients (flour and salt), stirring with a wooden spoon until just blended and no dry flour spots appear.

    Flour being poured into a mixing bowl with other cookie dough ingredients.
    Add flour.
    Flour being added to a brown sugar mixture in a mixing bowl.
    Add salt.
    M&M cookie bars dough being stirred in a a mixing bowl.
    Stir with a wooden spoon.

    Step 6

    Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.

    Bowl of m&m's and chocolate chips being poured into a bowl with cookie bar dough being mixed.
    Add M&Ms and chocolate chips.
    M&Ms being combined into the M&M cookie bars dough in a mixing bowl.
    Stir until evenly mixed.

    Step 7

    Scoop dough into the prepared baking pan and press gently into the corners of the pan using a spatula or clean hands to form an even layer.

    If the dough is thinner in some areas and thicker in others, you will have uneven cookie bars. And, the thinner sections will bake faster thn the thicker sections leaving you with overbaked bars in spots and underbaked bars in other spots.

    Sprinkle additional m&ms on top of the bars.

    M&M cookie bar dough being added to a parchment paper coated baking dish.
    Scoop dough into prepared pan.
    Hands spreading M&M cookie bars dough being added to the top of parchment paper in an 8x8 baking dish.
    Press into an even layer using a spatula.
    Hand sprinkling m&m's over cookie bar dough in an 8x8 baking dish.
    Sprinkle top with additional M&Ms.

    Step 8

    Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden brown

    M&M cookie bars dough laying on top of parchment paper in a baking dish, ready to bake.
    Bake for 20-25 minutes.
    Freshly baked M&M cookie bars in a parchment paper topped baking dish.
    Once edges are golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.

    Step 9

    Cool bar cookies in the pan then lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares by cutting down the middle, then rotating the bars 45º and cutting down the middle again.

    Wipe the knife clean in between cuts to get clean cuts. Now cut each of the halves in half again, rotating the cookie bars 45º and repeating. You will end up with 16 evenly sized squares.

    Hands using a chef knife to cut into M&M cookie bars over parchment paper.
    Cut into 16 squares.

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    M&M cookie bars removed from the baking dish and cut into small squares, ready to serve.

    How to store m&m chocolate chip cookie bars

    Once the cookie bars have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You may also place the cookie bars back into the metal pan and wrap the top in plastic wrap.

    To freeze, place the cut squares on a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer, spacing them apart so they are not touching. Place in the freezer for at least an hour then transfer frozen bar cookies to a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

    FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

    Close up of square cut M&M cookie bars.

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    Stack of M&M cookie bars with M&Ms scattered around.

    One-Bowl Chewy M&M Cookie Bars (in 30 minutes)

    Make these chewy m&m cookie bars in 30 minutes using one bowl and 8 simple ingredients. No mixer or chilling required. Yields 16 squares.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: chewy cookie bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, Dessert Bars, leftover halloween candy recipe, leftover m&ms recipe, M&M Cookie Bars
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 210kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho

    Equipment

    • 8x8 inch square baking pan
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
    • 1 large egg room temperature
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup M&Ms chocolate candies plus more for sprinkling on top
    • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a square 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Square baking pans can be tricky to line with parchment paper. I like to first spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray (or coconut oil spray). Then, lay a sheet of parchment paper over top of the baking pan. Using scissors, cut in diagonally from each corner until the cut is about 1 inch past the corner of the pan. After all corners have been cut, press down on the center of the parchment paper to fit the parchment into the pan. Tuck the flaps (the ones that look like triangles) behind so the parchment sits flat in the pan and along the edges. You can use small binder clips to clip the parchment to the pan along the top of the pan, if desired. I find the parchment sticks well enough to the pan with the nonstick spray, so this is not always necessary. Set the parchment-lined pan aside.
    • Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl. Be sure to cover the top of the bowl with a paper towel or wax paper before microwaving to prevent the butter from popping and exploding all over the microwave. Alternately, melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan, removing once the butter has completely melted.
      ½ cup unsalted butter
    • In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and pour the melted butter over top. Whisk until well blended; the mixture will resemble wet sand.
      1 cup dark brown sugar packed
    • Add in the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
      1 large egg room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Add in the flour and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon until just blended and no dry flour spots appear.
      1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
      ½ cup M&Ms chocolate candies, ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • Scoop batter into prepared baking dish and press gently into the corners of the pan using a spatula or clean hands to form an even layer. If the dough is thinner in some areas and thicker in others, you will have uneven cookie bars. And, the thinner sections will bake faster than the thicker sections leaving you with overbaked bars in spots and underbaked bars in other spots. Sprinkle additional m&ms on top of the bars.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden brown
    • Cool bar cookies in the pan then lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares by cutting down the middle, then rotating the bars 45º and cutting down the middle again. Wipe the knife clean in between cuts to get clean cuts. Now cut each of the halves in half again, rotating the cookie bars 45º and repeating. You will end up with 16 evenly sized squares.

    Notes

    • Store cooled cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Alternately, place the cookie bars back into the metal pan and wrap the top in plastic wrap.
    • To freeze, place the cut squares on a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer, spacing them apart so they are not touching. Place in the freezer for at least an hour then transfer frozen bar cookies to a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!

    ​​

    Filed Under

    Bars & BrowniesChocolate ChipUnder 30 MinutesBeginnerChocolate
    « Moist & Fluffy Banana Bread (without baking soda)
    Quick M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies (Chewy + No Chilling!) »

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      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Comments

    1. Kim Huetteman

      July 17, 2024 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      Made them twice now- love them! They do stay soft! Turned out just like picture. LOVE that you put the measurements under each direction so you don’t have to keep going back up to the ingredients list!!!! =D

      Reply
      • Kimberlee Ho

        July 19, 2024 at 4:37 pm

        So glad you loved them!

        Reply

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