Easter Cookie Bars Recipe

This irresistible Easter Cookie Bars recipe transforms classic chocolate chip cookie dough into a festive, eye-catching treat that’s perfect for your holiday celebrations. Loaded with colorful Easter M&Ms, adorable chocolate bunnies, and candy-coated chocolate eggs, these bars bring all the joy of Easter to your dessert table in less than 30 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and Simple: These cookie bars come together in just 10 minutes of prep time and 18 minutes in the oven – perfect for last-minute Easter gatherings or when you need a dessert in a hurry!
• Kid-Friendly Fun: Kids will absolutely adore helping decorate these bars with colorful candies and sprinkles. It’s a great way to get them involved in the kitchen during Easter celebrations.
• No Scooping Required: Unlike traditional cookies, this recipe skips the tedious process of scooping individual cookies. Just press the dough into a pan, bake, and you’re done!
• Festive and Beautiful: The colorful candies and decorations make these bars instantly festive without requiring any special baking skills or complicated techniques.

this Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

• All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cookie bars, providing structure and that classic cookie texture.
• Baking soda: Helps the bars rise slightly while baking, creating the perfect chewy-yet-soft texture.
• Butter: Use softened butter for the best results – it creates that rich, buttery flavor that makes these bars irresistible. The room temperature butter mixes much more evenly with the sugars.
• Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a caramel-like depth of flavor that makes these bars distinctly cookie-like.
• Granulated sugar: Works with the brown sugar to create the perfect sweetness and helps create those slightly crisp edges.
• Eggs: Binds everything together and adds richness to the dough.
• Vanilla extract: Don’t skip this! It enhances all the other flavors and adds that classic cookie taste.
• Easter M&M’s: These colorful candies add festive pops of color throughout the bars. The pastel colors make them perfect for Easter.
• Hershey’s chocolate Easter bunnies: These adorable chocolate bunnies serve as the perfect decorative topper and add extra chocolate goodness.
• Mini Robin Eggs: These candy-coated chocolate eggs add both visual appeal and a nice crunch to contrast the soft cookie base.
• Pastel sprinkles: For that extra festive touch that makes these bars truly celebration-worthy.

Variations

Switch Up the Candy

Try using different Easter-themed candies like mini chocolate eggs, pastel chocolate chips, or even chopped up Cadbury eggs for a unique twist.

Add Some Nuts

Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture and flavor if you’re serving to a crowd that enjoys nuts.

White Chocolate Version

Replace the M&Ms with white chocolate chips and add dried cranberries for a completely different but equally festive look.

Chocolate Lovers’ Edition

Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the flour mixture for a chocolate cookie base that pairs beautifully with all the Easter toppings.

How to Make Easter Cookie Bars

Step 1: Prepare Your Equipment

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9 baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal after baking.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda until well combined. Set this aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugars

In a separate mixing bowl, add the softened butter along with both brown and granulated sugars. Using either a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Add Eggs and Vanilla

Add the eggs and vanilla extract to your butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until everything is fully incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and consistent.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Scrape down the sides of your bowl thoroughly. Add half of your flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour and mix again, being careful not to overmix.

Step 6: Add M&Ms

Gently fold in 1/2 cup of the Easter M&Ms using a spatula. This gentle folding prevents the candies from breaking and maintains those beautiful pops of color.

Step 7: Transfer to Pan

Spread the cookie dough evenly in your prepared baking pan. Since the dough is sticky, you might find it helpful to lightly spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray before pressing the dough into place.

Step 8: Add Toppings

Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms and pastel sprinkles over the top of the dough, pressing them in slightly so they stick during baking.

Step 9: Bake

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set. Remember, they’ll continue cooking slightly as they cool.

Step 10: Final Decorations

Immediately after removing the pan from the oven, gently place the chocolate Easter bunnies and mini Robin Eggs on top of the warm bars. Press them in just slightly so they adhere as the bars cool.

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Don’t Overbake: The key to perfectly chewy cookie bars is taking them out when they still look slightly underdone in the center. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature for the best mixing results and texture.
• Line Your Pan: Don’t skip lining your pan with foil or parchment paper. This makes removal and cutting so much easier!
• Cool Completely: Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to get clean, sharp edges. A slightly chilled bar cuts even better.
• Add the Decorative Candies Last: Adding the chocolate bunnies and eggs after baking prevents them from melting or sinking into the dough during baking.

How to Serve

Casual Gatherings

Cut into generous squares and arrange on a colorful platter for a festive Easter dessert table. These bars are perfectly portable for Easter egg hunts or spring picnics.

Easter Brunch

Serve alongside coffee or tea for a sweet finish to your Easter brunch. The colorful presentation makes them a natural centerpiece.

Dessert Buffet

Pair these bars with other Easter desserts like carrot cake or lemon bars for a varied dessert spread that offers something for everyone.

A La Mode

For an extra special treat, serve a warm cookie bar with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The combination of warm cookie and cold ice cream is absolutely divine!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store your Easter Cookie Bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Place pieces of parchment paper between layers if you need to stack them to prevent sticking.

Freezing

These bars freeze beautifully! Wrap individual bars or the entire uncut slab tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. This is a great way to prepare ahead for Easter gatherings.

Reheating

To enjoy a warm cookie bar after freezing or refrigeration, simply microwave an individual bar for about 15-20 seconds. This brings back that fresh-baked taste and slightly melts the candies for an extra delicious treat.

FAQs

Can I make these bars without Easter candy?
Absolutely! You can use regular M&Ms, chocolate chips, or any mix-ins you prefer. The base cookie bar recipe works perfectly year-round – just change the decorations to suit the season or occasion.

Why did my bars turn out too dry?
If your bars seem dry, they were likely overbaked. Remember that cookie bars continue cooking slightly as they cool in the pan. Take them out when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly underdone for that perfect chewy texture.

Can I use a different size pan?
Yes, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time. An 8×8 pan will create thicker bars that need a longer baking time (about 25-28 minutes). A larger pan will create thinner bars that bake faster, so check them around the 15-minute mark.

Is there a way to make these gluten-free?
Definitely! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour with your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend. The rest of the recipe remains exactly the same, and most people won’t even notice the difference.

Final Thoughts

These Easter Cookie Bars bring together the best of both worlds – the ease of a bar cookie with the festive charm of Easter decorations. They’re the perfect blend of convenience and celebration, allowing you to create a memorable Easter treat without spending hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a big family gathering or just wanting to add a touch of spring to your dessert table, these colorful, candy-topped bars are sure to bring smiles all around!

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