Valentine’s Day M&M Bars

Valentine's Day sugar cookie bars cut and arranged on parchment.

5 from 1 vote

These tasty sugar cookie bars are soft, chewy, and filled with plenty of pretty red, pink, and white M&Ms! They are a delicious Valentine’s Day treat. They use an 8”x8” baking pan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookie bars recipe, sugar cookie bars recipe, Valentine's Day bars, Valentine's Day cookie bars

Servings: bars

Calories: 198kcal

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
2 tablespoons neutral oil (like vegetable or canola)
¾ cup granulated sugar 5.25 ounces
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract (replace with vanilla if preferred)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 7.5 ounces
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Valentine’s M&Ms about 5.5 ounces
extra M&Ms to press into the top optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8”x8” pan with a parchment paper "sling". To do this: cut parchment to fit the sides of the pan and leave a few inches of excess on the top and bottom so the bars can be lifted out once cool.
Add oil and sugar to melted and cooled butter and whisk until the mixture is totally combined. It should be thick and shiny. Whisk in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until combined and smooth, about 60 seconds.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl with the other ingredients and use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup of M&Ms. Dough will be soft and a bit sticky.
Spread cookie dough into the 8”x8” lined pan. Press in more M&Ms if desired.
Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes until center is set and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Edges will be lightly golden brown. Bars may dry out if overbaked. Cool completely.
Once cool, carefully remove bars from pan using the parchment sling to lift them out. Trim the edges off and cut the bars into 16 squares.

Notes

How to Store: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Or, freeze in freezer safe packaging for 1-2 months.

Nutrition