When I tell you these are the perfect holiday cookie bars, just take my word for it. These Holiday Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Bars are soft, chocolatey and just downright delicious. Plus, the perfect recipe for kids to help with! I can guarantee, there will never be a crumb left anytime you make this recipe.
Ah, December. The ultimate month where cookies get their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. I’m forever on the hunt for the perfect Christmas cookie, and I think I’ve finally found my match. These cookie bars are not only incredibly delicious, but super easy to make as well.
If you’re looking for more holiday cookie recipes, these Chocolate Orange Snaps, Eggnog Sugar Cookies, or Peppermint Brookies are sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit. Perfect for any holiday cookie jamboree or just to make at home with your family.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Festive and Customizable: These bars are perfect for any occasion! Swap the sprinkles for blue and white for Hanukkah, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, or green and gold for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Kid-Friendly Fun: If you’re lucky enough to not lose half of the ingredients in the process, involving your little ones making these cookies makes it even sweeter. Measuring and adding sprinkles is easy, fun, and creates lasting memories. If you’re looking, here are another 10 Ways to Get Kids Involved During the Holidays!
- Sprinkle Saver: Use up leftover sprinkles from other recipes while adding color and sweetness, just like my Cake Mix Sprinkle Cookies.
The Ingredients
- Flour: I prefer to use an organic, unbleached option. You will have nice, tender cookie bars when you use all-purpose flour.
- Butter: Unsalted is best for baking, and we then add salt into the dough. Start with it at room temperature.
- Sugar: A combination of brown and white sugar gives you the perfect cookie dough!
- Eggs: Adding eggs is the perfect opportunity for kids to practice cracking.
- Candy: Here’s where you get to be creative! Sprinkles, small candy, chocolate chips. Anything goes!
Substitutions and Variations
- Fancy Mix Ins: There is such a huge variety of dye-free sprinkles out there now for every holiday. Feel free to select any color and shape you like.
- Chocolate Options: Mix up your chocolate. I love to use something larger like chunks or discs to really contrast the colorful sprinkles. Who doesn’t love chocolate?
- Favorite Candy: Like peanut butter? Use mini peanut butter cups from the baking aisle in place of your m&ms.
How to Make Holiday Cookie Bars
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugars with a mixer.
Step 3: Mix dry ingredients together.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Combine dough until smooth.
Step 5: Stir in half of mix-ins/candy.
Step 6: Spread dough in pan and top with remaining candy and sprinkles.
Step 7: Bake for 30 minutes or until the top just starts to turn golden. Allow the bars to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
Tips and Tricks
- Make it Pretty: I save half of the chocolate candy, sprinkles and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top for the visual impact.
- Room Temperature: Don’t start mixing your dough until the butter and eggs are room temperature. This will ensure your dough is smooth and comes together easily.
- Kids Can Help: I love using a stand mixer because it feels safer for younger helpers. They aren’t in control of where the mixer goes and can be warned to stay away from the beater.
FAQs
This is one of my favorite ways to help cut baked goods! Lining and greasing the pan with parchment, leaving an overhang known as a “sling,” will help you remove the bars from the pan in one go. In this way, you can easily slice straight, even bars on a cutting board.
A mixer is your friend when making cookie dough! You can either use a hand mixer or stand mixer here, but I think a stand mixer does a better job as it is sturdier. Cookies can be made by hand, but it can be tiring to try and cream the butter and sugar. If you plan to make these by hand, it is essential that your butter be at room temp so you don’t end up with lumps in your sugar.
I think treats are a great way to introduce the idea of moderation. I don’t like to give my kids added sugar on a daily basis, but the memories and fun of holidays shows them that food isn’t bad in and of itself. You can certainly reduce the amount of candy stirred into the dough – I would leave most of the candy on top for that visual impact, which will make your brain think there is candy all through the dough. You can also customize this to your preference, such as using dye-free options or whatever you prefer to serve your kids.`
More Christmas Baking Recipes
As soon as you make these holiday cookie bars, I have no doubt they’ll be a recipe you make year after year! What are your favorite holiday cookie recipes? Let me know in the comments below and leave a rating for this recipe if you make it!
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Holiday Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup red and green chocolate covered candies
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips, chunks or discs
- 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving an over hang for ease in removing the bars.
- In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a standing mixer or in a separate large bowl beat the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for 3-5 minutes or until creamy and light in color.
- Add the flour into the butter mixture and beat for 1 minute or until all of the ingredients come together.
- Fold or beat in 1 1/4 cup of the chocolate candies and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Place in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with the remaining chocolate candies, chocolate chips and holiday sprinkles.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top just starts to turn golden.
- Allow the bars to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Don’t start mixing your dough until the butter and eggs are room temperature. This will ensure your dough is smooth and comes together easily.
- Kids Can Help: I love using a stand mixer because it feels safer for younger helpers. They aren’t in control of where the mixer goes and can be warned to stay away from the beater.
- Make it Pretty: I save half of the chocolate candy, sprinkles and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top for the visual impact.
Hi! What is the serving size for the nutrition information? Thank you 😊
This makes about 16 bars, so the nutrition facts are for 1 bar. Feel free to adjust the amounts of chocolate chips, candies or sprinkles if you’d like. 🙂
I have baked these cookie bars for work events, baby showers, birthdays, and church gatherings and truly not a crumb is left every time. I love changing up the chocolate candies and sprinkles to match the holiday/event; this makes it even more fun and a feast for the eyes too! They have the most delicious flavor and perfect soft crumb plus a delightful crunch from the sprinkles. Thank you for this *Gem*ma of a recipe!!
I’m SO happy to hear this!! Thanks for the kind comment. Great idea switching up the candies and sprinkles to match the event!
Loved by all at Christmas dinner! My home economist mom asked for the recipe, and she’s baked a lot of bars!
These were yummy! Not too overly sweet! After 30 minutes in the oven though they were still seriously gooey! So I turned the oven off and let them sit in with foil covered for another 15 minutes and they were done. A delicious treat for our snow day!
How fun! My kids will love these! What type of chocolate covered candy did you use?