One of the best and prettiest holiday cookies around is this M&M candies Christmas cookie bars recipe. The tender cream cheese dough and the triple chocolate flavors make this a crave-able combination. Chocolate chips and red & green M&M candies ensure every chocolate lover has a very merry Christmas with these home-baked cookies.
These cookies are easy to make like most bar cookies. Plus they are so festive that once you cut them and display them, they are in the shape of a Christmas wreath. This is the best cookie bar recipe to make for Christmas and other holidays too. They are also not overly sweet cookies so a nice balance compared to all the other Xmas sugar cookies, candies, & treats.
If you love colorful Christmas cookies you may also love Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies with a yummy glaze and sprinkles. Then make some Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls. Christmas sweets have never been better.
Jump to:
- What Makes This Cookie Special
- Ingredients for Christmas Bar Cookies
- How to Make M&M Candy Cookie Bars
- How to Bake Cookies in a Tart Pan
- How Long to Bake Cookies in a Tart Pan
- Wreath-Shaped Christmas Cookies
- How to Store Christmas Cookies
- Can You Freeze Christmas Cookies?
- Other Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Christmas Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookie Bars
What Makes This Cookie Special
- Simple Recipe - mix, get in the pan, bake, and slice
- Bakes Fast - only 15 minutes in the oven, so you can get other things baking too
- Beautiful Christmas Colors - red, white, and green
- Fancy Shapes - the crinkled edge and the wedges are not your typical cookie-shape
- Cornstarch & Cream Cheese Dough - these two together result in a tender dough
- Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate - need I say more?
- Sea salt flakes - add so much flavor and make this feel a bit more sophisticated.
BONUS - this bar cookie is can be made for almost any holiday. Just switch out the M&M colors. The pastel colors for Easter are so cute in this easy cookie recipe. My kids love all green for St. Patrick's day too. You can also use all pink or blue for a baby reveal cookie party!
There a no limits on how you can create with this easy cookie bar recipe to decorate for any party, event, or holiday. Similar to my recipe for Chocolate Peanut Clusters, any holiday you want something homemade & special - this is a go-to recipe!
Ingredients for Christmas Bar Cookies
The cookie bars are full of chocolate so you will need white chocolate chips, mini semisweet chocolate chips, and green/red m&m candies. The rest of the ingredients are your typical pantry items that go into most cookies. The cornstarch is important since it ensures these Christma cookies are soft.
Three kinds of chocolate in these bar cookies is what makes them more than yummy, triple yummy, and pretty too! If you buy cream cheese in bulk at times, especially for all the holiday baking, that is a great idea. Also know that if you ever wondered CAN YOU FREEZE CREAM CHEESE, I have all you need to know on the blog.
How to Make M&M Candy Cookie Bars
The beauty of bar cookies is how easy they are to make. There is no scooping and portioning the dough onto several rounds of trays in the oven over a long period of time.
For this easy holiday cookie recipe, mix the ingredients, get it in the fun-shaped tart pan, cook, and then slice. During Christmas, a time-saving cookie recipe like this one is like your own present.
To start, in a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, add both sugars and beat until creamy.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; just until it all comes together. Use a rubber spatula to incorporate any small pieces and fold in the mini chips and the white chocolate chips.
How to Bake Cookies in a Tart Pan
Spray a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray and press dough evenly into the pan. with your hands and a sprayed offset spatula. Once smooth and even thick all around, top with remaining white chocolate chips and M&M candies. Gently press into the dough; cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
How Long to Bake Cookies in a Tart Pan
For these M&M bar cookies, you will cook them all in one batch in the tart pan. Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about 15 minutes. The toothpick will not be 100% clean like a cake would be and the cookie will continue to cook a bit in the pan once removed from the oven.
Cool in a pan on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes. Press the bottom insert of the tart pan up to release the cookie and slide it onto a plate or cutting board.
Wreath-Shaped Christmas Cookies
It is easy to get the festive and distinctive wreathe shape for these cookies. By baking this recipe in the tart pan the edges are scalloped and the shape is round. Once cool, simply slice it into 12 equal wedges.
Check out these gorgeous slices of Christmas Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookie Bars. The red & green M&M candies and the white chocolate chips almost look like lights and decorations on your cookie wreath and they are almost too pretty to eat. But dig in, they are soft, chewy, and chocolatey for the best Christmas dessert.
How to Store Christmas Cookies
If you are like me and do a lot of baking at Christmas, you may want to bake cookies ahead of time. Some love to bake and freeze them months in advance. Then when the holidays roll around they defrost them and have wonderful cookies ready for any gathering.
These M&M bar cookies are easy to store & keep fresh for day. If you bake them a few days before handing out cookie trays or a party, they will be great for up to 3 days. Store them in an air-tight container in your pantry or a cool dry location.
Can You Freeze Christmas Cookies?
These Christmas cookies can also be frozen. They freeze well if stored in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag. The baked and sliced cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.
When ready to enjoy, place them in the refrigerator for 2 days and they will then be defrosted. So go ahead and bake these cookies ahead of time and enjoy them later for Christmas Eve or Day.
Other Christmas Dessert Recipes
To fill up your holiday dessert menu, try some of these other ideas. All these recipes are great sweets for Christmas. And if M&Ms are your favorite, you can never go wrong with making a batch of Rice Krispie Treats with M&Ms.
This includes candies, cookies, & more perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges, trays, platters, parties, & meals. If you want something red for example, the Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Chips Recipe is so easy & amazing!
Product Recommendations for this Recipe:
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Christmas Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookie Bars
Equipment
- tart pan
Ingredients
- 1 & ⅔ C all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon salted butter softened at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ⅓ C granulated white sugar
- ½ C brown sugar packed
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ C white chocolate chips
Toppings
- 1 tablespoon white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon red & green M&Ms candies
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, add both sugars and beat until creamy.
- Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture just until it all comes together.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.
- Spray a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray and press dough evenly into the pan with your hands and a sprayed offset spatula.
- Once smooth and even thickness all around, top with remaining white chocolate chips and m&m candies. Gently press them into the dough. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about 15 minutes. The toothpick will not be 100% clean like a cake would be and the cookie will continue to cook a bit in the pan once removed from the oven.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes. Press the bottom insert of the tart pan up to release the cookie and slide it onto a plate or cutting board.
- Slice into 12 equal wedges.
- The cookies can be stored on a plate wrapped in foil or another air-tight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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I would love to see your latest creations and kitchen adventures
Caroline Parrott says
Yum! I usually only make 1 or 2 treats for the holiday and maybe this will be the new one to try. Looks so good. Think the kids will go for it instead of frosted decorated ? ha!!!
Angela says
You could always also drizzle on more white chocolate over the top if "frosting" is a must.
Christa says
These are so festive! I need to try them for my Christmas cookie trays that I make every year.
Angela says
Oh these would be perfect for that!
Kristin says
I need these in my life! I love baking and I don't think I can wait for Christmas to get here; these might just have to be part of Thanksgiving.
Angela says
Absolutely, you can use any colored M&Ms - that is the beauty of this. For Easter, the pastel colors are so cute. You can do orange, yellow and brown for Thanksgiving!
Teresa says
These look amazing and I can't wait to make them for my family!! Thank you for sharing!!
Angela says
You are welcome and I hope you all love them.
Leslie Carbone says
These look so festive and yummy! I love cookie bars. Thanks!
Angela says
Aren't cookie bars the best - saves time and can be so fun and pretty like this.
Jeanne Cameron says
They are almost too pretty to eat...almost. But I'm sure I could force myself to do so. hahaha. I will have to try them this year.
Angela says
They are pretty and festive for sure. I hope you love them.
Brianna says
These look so delicious and perfect for christmas! I bet my kids and my parents would love this recipe!
Angela says
It is a great one to cook with your kids, just make sure they do not eat all the m&m candies first!
Lisa says
Oh my goodness if only I made sweets or anything. My daughter is the baker and cook, I’m going to have to share this with her.
Ellen Mika Zelasko says
Pinned for the holidays. My grandchildren will love them, and I love the idea of how quick and easy they are to bake!
Karen says
These look delicious! I love making bar cookies because they are so much faster than other types of cookies. I will save this recipe for my list this year.
Angela says
Yes, love the time saving and these are so festive looking!
Lauren Sparks says
Yum! Definitely saving this. Visiting from the hearth and soul link party. laurensparks.net
Angela says
Great thank you!
Theresa says
Your cookies look delicious! I pinned the recipe to try it soon. Thank you!
Tiffany says
These look so tasty!! I can't wait for holiday treats!
Mother of 3 says
That looks so pretty and I bet it tastes great. Pinned.
Erica says
These look yummy and just a little fancy! Thanks for sharing to Creative Muster. I am pinning this recipe for later.
Angela says
Great, thank you.
Susan says
Ok... I am printing out this recipe because they look so delicious and my mouth can't stop watering. I want to eat them NOW....lol Thanks. I know what I'm doing later this afternoon 🙂
Angela says
Great, I would love to see how they turn out. Tag me in any of my social media accounts so we can all "ooh" and "ahh" how pretty they turn out.
Kristen Allred says
I love the festiveness the Christmas colored M&M's add! Beautiful pics too.
Angela says
Thank you so much. They are so beautiful and colored for Christmas perfectly.
Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots says
What fun cookies! Thanks for sharing!
April J Harris says
I love how these Christmas Cream Cheese Bars looks, and I can just imagine how good they taste! What a great idea to use the tart pan! Thank you for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I’m featuring this post at the party this week. Hope to ‘see’ you there! Happy Thanksgiving to your and yours!
Angela says
Great, thank you so much for featuring the recipe. I hope you try them out and share with family and friends for the holiday!
Christella says
These look delicious! I can't wait to try these with my kiddos!
Juliasdailytips says
Looks inviting, need some bite.
Will give it during the yuletide season
Sarina Kinnunen says
These look soo yummy! Love the festive M & M's you added!
Nisha says
So perfect for the holidays and sounds so yum!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Oh, that looks fun and tasty! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 34 for All Things Christmas. Shared.
Mary fricker says
Could I bake these in a different pan? What adjustments would I need to make?
Angela says
If you use a similar-sized pan, like a round or square pan with the cookies about the same thickness it would work. If you have a larger pan like an 11x7 and the cookie is thinner you may need to start checking it early for doneness.
Sara says
Do these freeze well?
Angela says
Yes, they freeze well. I have only frozen individual cookies after sliced. Once thawed in the refrigerator they are soft and yummy. I have not tired of freezing the entire pan to thaw and cut later.