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Colorful M&M Easter Cookie Bars – Holiday Dessert For Kids

These M&M Easter cookie bars are the perfect combination of sweetness and crunch. I love how a cookie bar can be soft and chewy and still have a bite! The perfect mix.

M&M Easter Cookie Bars

And since we are creating an Easter dessert, we decided to use the special holiday M&Ms – the Easter colored ones which means that the light pink, blue, and green pastels soften up the palette and scream Spring. Don’t you just love that?!

Take this dessert recipe and recreate it all year long using colors that match whatever holiday is around the corner. I love recipes that can work for you like that! Versatile! I’m telling you – this M&M cookie bar recipe will become your new favorite holiday dessert once you make your first batch.

Easter Dessert bars

I mean… honestly… what’s better than a colorful cookie bar? Not much! They are FULL of sweetness and mine are filled with M&Ms. Just a heads up – one, 11.4 ounce bag of Easter M&Ms will be plenty to make this recipe and you will have a few handfuls left to enjoy yourself (or share with the kids).

FULL DISCLOSURE: I added a few candies on top after I baked these bars and I suggest you do the same to ensure that the colors POP! Just smush a few right on TOP before serving.

cookie bar dessert idea
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick, 1/2 cup butter, softened (not melted butter)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup Easter M&M candies, plus extra for topping
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Preheat oven to 375 and line a square 8×8 baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.

how to make an easter dessert for kids

Beat butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Stir in flour just until combined. Fold in 1 cup of candies.

add dough to pan

Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are brown and center is set. Remove from oven and press additional candies into the cookie.

Let cool completely before lifting foil from pan. Remove foil from cookies and cut into 16 bars.

m&ms cookie bars

This is such an easy way to create layers of flavors with little to no effort. If you’d like, you can consider adding chocolate chips or pecans to these Easter Magic Bars if you want to have a little more flavor in your bite. That is up to you.

Personally, I like this recipe just the way it is. But I know a lot of people LOVE chocolate – so I won’t tell you how to live. LOL!

You can bring these M&M Easter cookie bars as a hostess gift or you can reserve them for a celebration at school with your children. Better yet – make a few batches and spread the love around.

M&m dessert bars

Cooking Tips For Easter Magic Bars

  • When you line your pan, make sure you also spray the foil with a nonstick cooking spray. This will make it easier for you to pull the bars apart.
  • As noted above, before serving, I push in NEW M&Ms onto the top of my bars. When you bake, you will notice that the M&Ms will settle and lose a bit of color. I like to make sure that each bar POPS with color and so I “cheat” a bit and add brand new M&Ms to the top before serving guests. I suggest you do the same. That way your Easter Magic Bars will really shine.
  • Leftovers can get frozen. You just have to make sure that you wrap them up tightly and properly. I like to wrap my cookie bars in tin foil and then place them in a freezer bag. Plan on storing them for about 6 weeks.
Easter Magic Bars

Looking For Other Easy Easter Dessert Ideas?

If you are looking for other easy Easter dessert ideas, be sure to check out the following fun recipes:

Are you a NYC local or planning a trip during the holiday? Make sure you read my post about NYC Easter brunch restaurant favorites! And don’t forget to read my Easter in New York things to do list!

Be Sure To Print This Easy Easy Dessert Idea

Easter Cookie Bars

Easter Cookie Bars

Yield: 16

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick, 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup Easter M&M candies, plus extra for topping

Instructions

  1. Directions: Preheat oven to 375 and line a square 8×8 baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Beat butter and sugars together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Stir in flour just until combined. Fold in 1 cup of candies.
  4. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are brown and center is set. Remove from oven and press additional candies into the cookie.
  5. Let cool completely before lifting foil from pan. Remove foil from cookies and cut into 16 bars.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram (@VeraSweeney) so I can see your wonderful creation! I would love to see your dish.

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