Name: M&M Bar Cookies (4th of July Cookies)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 17 min
Ingredients: 16.5 oz roll of Tollhouse refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature; 1/2 cup red, white, and blue M&Ms candies

Who doesn’t love sugar cookies? Especially when they’re candy-coated and extra festive? These M&M Bar Cookies are the perfect addition to your 4th of July Desserts.

Made with just two ingredients, they come together in a snap – and they’re sure to be a hit at your next party. Plus, the red, white, and blue M & M’s make them perfect for patriotic celebrations.

What’s great about this recipe is that you don’t have to chill the cookie dough. Just press the dough into the pan and bake right away! It doesn’t get much easier than that.

So grab your M & M’s and get ready to celebrate summer with some delicious 4th of July Cookies!

This blog post contains affiliate links. The opinions are wholly my own from my own experience. I may earn a small commission from clicks through to the websites that end in a purchase.

If you would rather have classic round sugar cookies, instead of these square cookies, I have a great recipe for soft and chewy beginner sugar cookies that you can see HERE.

You can even add M & M’s to them if you like for a more traditional M & M Cookie! Also, try adding white mini chocolate chips.

The chocolate chips and m&m’s combination makes for a rich decadent chocolate chip cookie.

(If you prefer to make these cookie bars the old-fashioned way from scratch; I’m adding the traditional cookie dough recipe at the bottom of this post.)

M&M Cookie Bars

Servings: 15-24
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 17 minutes
Cool time: 15-20 minutes
Storage: airtight container

Ingredients for Tollhouse Cookie Bars

½ cup red, white, and blue M & M’s candies
mini white chocolate chips (optional)
16.5 oz roll of Tollhouse refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature

How to Make 4th of July Cookies

Bar cookies are a type of cookie that is baked in a rectangular casserole pan and then cut into square bars. They are usually made with chocolate, candy, nuts, or fruit. Bar cookies can also be decorated with frosting, icing, or sprinkles.

One of the most popular bar cookie recipes is for Red White and Blue M&M Bar Cookies. These patriotic cookies are perfect for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. They are also a hit at potlucks and picnics.

I love that you can change out the M&M’s to any color to match the coordinating holiday or special occasion!

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch casserole pan or cake pan with parchment paper.

This will provide an easy way to remove the bar cookies without breaking them. It’s less messy, too and that’s always a bonus!

Spread the cookie dough into an even layer on top of the parchment paper pressing down at the bottom of the glass casserole pan.

Step 2.

Top with a little over half of the M & M’s candies reserving the other half.

Sprinkle some mini white chocolate chips on top at this time if you’d like extra sweet bar cookies.

Step 3.

Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 15-17 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven.

Add the rest of the M & M’s, as some will have sunk into the cookie dough during baking.

Allow to cool completely for 15-20 minutes, then cut into square cookie bars.

Notes: You can cut 4 rows by 6 rows, 4 rows by 5 rows, or 3 rows by 5 rows, depending on how big you want your cookie bars to be.

Now just serve and enjoy! Watch how quickly these sugar cookie bars disappear!

While the red white and blue M & M’s are great for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and summer barbecues, you can use this same recipe and change out the color M & M’s for any season or holiday.

These bar cookies are perfect for any summer party!

The colorful M&M’s add a festive touch, and the cookies are always a hit with kids and adults alike.

Give them a try at your next get-together and let me know in the comments below how it goes!

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make these in a larger pan?

Yes! If you want your bars to be thinner you can use a larger baking dish. For a thicker bar, consider a double layer.

Does it matter what brand of sugar cookies I use for the square bars?

No-it really doesn’t. Although, I will say if you have a favorite that you know your family loves stick with that.

How long will bar cookies last in the refrigerator?

Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 to keep them soft and chewy.

Can I freeze bar cookies?

Yes! You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, cut, and serve.

Traditional Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe

This recipe makes soft and chewy cookie bars.

Ingredients Needed

– 1 cup of butter, softened
– 2 cups of granulated sugar (or one cup light brown sugar and one cup white sugar)
– 4 eggs
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
– 3 cups of all-purpose flour
– 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
– 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions for Making Cookie Bars Recipe Dough

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients flour, baking soda and salt.

Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mix until combined.

Chill the dough before making cookie bars.

Do you see the adorable Dollar Tree scarf in these photos? Let me show you how I used it to make a bright and colorful Patriotic Nautical Wreath.

It can be used to decorate your front door or hang it inside by your table for an extra festive touch.

Casserole Dish Glass Etching

Have you ever tried etching the glass on the bottom of your casserole dish? It’s a super fun way to add a sweet saying to a dish, or you could even have the dish be a part of a gift.

Bake a cake in the casserole dish and etch “Happy Birthday” or another customized quote. Here are a few ideas for the 4th of July:

4th of July Quotes

Home of the Free
Land That I Love
Stars and Stripes
God Bless America
Keep Calm and Sparkle On
Sparkle Like it’s the Fourth of July
Family, Freedom, and Fireworks

Read all about glass etching HERE.

You can also download this adorable 4th of July Clipart below:

Print it out in a small tag size and use a skewer to place it in the center of the cookie bars as a banner!

If you are looking for another easy M & M recipe, you don’t want to miss this Peanut Butter Cup M & M Oreo Fudge:

It’s the perfect party fudge that you can add different colors of M & M’s to depending on the occasion.

Enjoy even more summer dessert ideas below: