Description
Whipping up m&m sugar cookie bars brings pure joy to your kitchen, turning a simple afternoon into a colorful sweet celebration. Chocolate candies scattered through buttery, tender cookie dough create the perfect treat that everyone will absolutely adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup M&M candies
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat your oven to precisely 350°F and prepare a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Combine 2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly.
- Melt ¾ cup butter completely in a microwave-safe bowl until fully liquid.
- Mix 1 ½ cups granulated sugar into the melted butter until the mixture looks smooth and slightly shiny.
- Incorporate 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, stirring until the ingredients blend seamlessly.
- Gently fold the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined without overmixing.
- Carefully fold ¾ cup M&M candies into the batter, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Transfer the batter into the lined pan, spreading it smoothly and leveling the surface with a spatula.
- Scatter the remaining M&M candies across the top of the batter for extra color and crunch.
- Bake for exactly 22-25 minutes, watching for lightly golden edges and checking with a toothpick for doneness.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan for approximately 1 hour, giving them time to set.
- Lift the entire batch out using the parchment paper edges and slice into 24 uniform squares.
Notes
- Ensure butter is only warm, not hot, when mixing with sugar to prevent a grainy texture.
- Fold dry ingredients gently to keep bars tender and prevent tough, dense results.
- For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain softness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-25 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 285 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg