Description
These Brown Butter Christmas M&M Cookie Bars combine the rich nuttiness of browned butter with festive Christmas M&M’s and melty chocolate chips for a fun and delicious holiday treat. Soft and chewy with a slight crunch from flaky sea salt on top, these bars are perfect for sharing during the holidays or as a sweet gift. The layered dough approach adds extra texture and chocolatey goodness, making these cookie bars a standout dessert for Christmas celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter and Sugars
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Add-ins and Toppings
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup Christmas M&M’s (or more!)
- 10-12 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses, halved
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to cool but not harden.
- Prepare Baking Dish and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal of the cookie bars.
- Combine Sugars and Butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cooled browned butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until completely combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt to the wet mixture. Fold the mixture gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the bars tender.
- Incorporate M&M’s and Chocolate Chips: Stir in the Christmas M&M’s into the dough. Reserve 1 cup of this dough separately. To the remaining dough, fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Layer the Dough in the Pan: Press the dough with chocolate chips evenly into the prepared baking pan. Then, take the reserved dough and press it gently over the top to mostly cover the bottom layer. Add extra M&M’s on top if desired for extra color and crunch.
- Bake the Cookie Bars: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, but the center remains slightly doughy for a soft chew.
- Add Chocolate Kisses and Melt: Remove the pan from the oven and immediately arrange the halved Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses across the top. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to gently melt the chocolate.
- Finish and Serve: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the warm cookie bars for a perfect sweet-and-salty finish. Serve warm or allow to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Do not overbake the cookie bars; they should be golden but still slightly soft in the center for the best texture.
- Chilling the browned butter briefly helps to prevent cooking the eggs in the batter when mixing.
- For extra festive flair, add more Christmas M&M’s on top before baking.
- Flaky sea salt enhances the flavor by balancing the sweetness with a salty crunch.
- These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
