Growing up, Easter always meant my mom’s cookie bars. She’d make them every year, and they were pretty much gone before the Easter egg hunt even started. My sister and I would sneak pieces while they cooled on the counter, leaving obvious finger marks in the frosting that we’d try to smooth over (Mom always knew).
These cookie bars are basically impossible to mess up, which is exactly why I love making them with my own kids now. No fancy techniques or special equipment needed – just mix, spread, and bake. They’re the kind of treat that makes you wonder why we save them just for Easter.
Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars
- Quick and easy – Unlike individual cookies, these bars go from mixing bowl to oven in one pan – no scooping or multiple batches required!
- Perfect for holidays – The colorful Easter M&Ms and mix of chocolate chips make these bars festive and fun for spring celebrations and Easter gatherings.
- Kid-friendly baking project – Little ones can help mix the dough and sprinkle the extra candies and chips on top – it’s a great way to get the whole family involved in holiday baking.
- Make-ahead friendly – You can bake these bars a day or two before your event, and they’ll stay soft and chewy when stored properly in an airtight container.
What Kind of M&M’s Should I Use?
For these festive cookie bars, you’ll want to grab a bag of Easter M&M’s, which typically come in pretty pastel colors perfect for spring baking. Regular M&M’s will work in a pinch, but the seasonal Easter ones add that special holiday touch to your dessert. You can usually find these special edition M&M’s in stores a few months before Easter, and they come in both milk chocolate and peanut varieties – though for this recipe, stick with the classic milk chocolate ones. If you’re making these bars outside of Easter season, feel free to swap in regular M&M’s or even another seasonal variety like Christmas or Valentine’s Day colors to match whatever holiday you’re celebrating.
Options for Substitutions
These cookie bars are pretty flexible when it comes to swaps! Here are some helpful substitutions:
- Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, that’s fine – just reduce the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon. You can also use margarine, but the texture might be slightly different.
- Brown sugar: Out of light brown sugar? Dark brown sugar works too, though it’ll give a stronger molasses flavor. You can also make your own by mixing 1 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses.
- Easter M&M’s: Any M&M’s will work here! You could also use Smarties, chopped up chocolate bars, or even colorful candy-coated sunflower seeds for a nutty twist.
- Chocolate chips: Feel free to mix and match any chips you like – milk, dark, or butterscotch chips all work great. You can even use chopped nuts or dried fruit for part of the mix-ins.
- Plain flour: All-purpose flour is key for the right texture, but you can use self-rising flour if you reduce the baking soda to 1/4 teaspoon and skip the salt completely.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking
The biggest mistake when making cookie bars is overbaking them – they should come out of the oven when the edges are lightly golden but the center still looks slightly underdone, as they’ll continue to set while cooling. A common error is not properly creaming the butter and sugars together – make sure your butter is truly softened (but not melted) and beat for at least 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. To prevent your candy and chips from sinking to the bottom, gently fold them into the dough rather than using a mixer, and save some for pressing into the top of the bars just before baking. For the perfect texture, let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting – rushing this step can result in messy, crumbly edges and make it harder to achieve clean, sharp squares.
What to Serve With Easter Cookie Bars?
These sweet and festive cookie bars are perfect for serving at Easter gatherings with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee. Since they’re on the rich side, I like to balance them out with some fresh fruit on the side – strawberries and raspberries are especially nice for keeping with the spring theme. For an extra special Easter dessert spread, you can serve these bars alongside some vanilla ice cream and let people add their own toppings like pastel sprinkles or chocolate sauce. If you’re hosting a bigger Easter celebration, these bars work great as part of a dessert platter with some colorful Easter candies and chocolate eggs.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: These Easter cookie bars stay nice and chewy when kept in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep well for up to 5 days – if they last that long! I like to place a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
Freeze: Want to save some for later? These bars freeze really well! Cut them into squares, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and pop them in a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. Perfect for when you need a quick sweet treat!
Make Ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before pressing it into the pan. The M&Ms might bleed their colors a bit if stored too long, so it’s best to add those right before baking.
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Total Time | 45-55 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 3000-3200
- Protein: 30-35 g
- Fat: 150-160 g
- Carbohydrates: 400-420 g
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups plain flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup easter m&m’s, with a few extra for decoration
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips, with some extra for topping
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, with some extra for garnish
Step 1: Prepare the Baking Pan
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 9×13-inch cake pan with foil, ensuring there’s some overhang for easy removal later.
Spray the foil generously with nonstick cooking spray to ensure the cookie bars come out smoothly once baked.
Step 2: Mix the Butter and Sugars
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
Beat them together on a medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients
With the mixer still on, add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture.
Beat until the ingredients are well incorporated, ensuring they are all evenly mixed.
Step 4: Incorporate Dry Ingredients
Lower the speed of the mixer, and gradually add in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
Then, stir in the M&M’s, mini chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips, reserving some of each for topping the cookie bars later.
Step 5: Assemble and Bake the Cookie Bars
Transfer the prepared cookie dough into the foil-lined baking dish.
Evenly press additional M&M’s, mini chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips into the top of the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, watching to ensure the cookie bars are set but not overly browned.
It’s important not to overbake; they should remain soft in the center.
Step 6: Cool and Cut
Once baked, let the cookie bars cool completely in the pan.
Once cool, use the overhang of the foil to lift the bars out of the pan.
Cut them into squares or rectangles to your desired size.
These cookie bars are perfect for serving and enjoying!