Jump to Recipe

Whip up festive Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Easy to make, packed with red, white, and blue fun, they’re the perfect 4th of July crowd-pleaser.

Closeup on a batch of Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars on a white dessert platter sitting on an American Flag Kitchen towel.

What’s better than chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookie bars, of course! These Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are going to be a guaranteed crowdpleaser at your 4th of July party. We’ve combined everything you love about these classic cookies (soft and chocolatey on the inside, crunchy on the outside) with festive red, white, and blue M&M’s to create an easy to make, easy to eat patriotic dessert that will wow your friends and family. Cookie bars are a great party food – easy to grab and go, no plates or utensils required and you can cut them big or small to suit your crowd. Plus, you can bake an entire batch in one go, saving you time (and keeping your kitchen cooler on those hot summer days). This is a go-to 4th of July dessert for us and we hope you enjoy them as much as our family does!

Red White and Blue M&M’s

A bag of Red White and Blue M&M's sitting on a white table next to a ramekin filled with M&M's.

You will need one “Sharing Size” bag of this special mix of M&M’s that is available in stores in the early summer and features Red, White and Blue M&M’s.  You’ll find them in the candy section in your grocery store from Mid-May to Mid-July.  You can also pull the Red and Blue M&M’s out of a regular bag of M&M’s.  A bag of White M&M’s can be purchased straight from the M&M website or on Amazon. 

How to Make the Cookie Dough

Collage image showing the steps for creaming the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.

Step 1: Cream the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixer for 3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Eggs and the Vanilla and continue mixing for 3 more minutes.

Collage image showing the steps for adding the dry ingredients to the Cookie Dough.

Step 3: Add the Baking Soda, Salt and Corn Starch.  Mix until just combined.
Step 4: Add the flour.

Large white bowl filled with chocolate chip cookie dough and a spatula.

Step 5: Mix the flour until it is completely incorporated in the cookie dough but do not over-mix.

Collage image showing the steps for adding the Mini Chocolate Chips and the Red White and Blue M&M's to the cookie dough.

Steps 6-7: Add 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips and 1 cup Red, White and Blue M&M’s and fold until just combined.

Baking Instructions

Collage image showing the steps for Baking the Patriotic Cookie Bars.

Step 8: Line a 9×13” baking pan with parchment paper and spoon the cookie dough into the pan.
Steps 9-10: Smooth out the cookie dough.
Step 11: Sprinkle the extra 1/4 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips and 1/4 cup of Red White and Blue M&M’s on the top of the dough.

Collage image showing the steps for baking the cookie bars and cutting them into individual pieces.

Steps 12-14: Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Storage Instructions

These cookie bars should be stored in an airtight container.  And they will stay fresh longer if they are completely cool before you pack them up.  We usually add a layer of parchment paper between each row of bars in our plastic container.  They will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days if you store them correctly in an air-tight container. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

Overhead shot of a batch of Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars laying on a cooling rack over an American Flag Kitchen Towel.

Other 4th of July Desserts You Will Love

Closeup on a batch of Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars laying on a baking cooling rack and an American Flag Kitchen Towel.Print

Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Yield 12-18 cookie bars
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Whip up festive Patriotic M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Easy to make, packed with red, white, and blue fun, they’re the perfect 4th of July crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Softened Butter (Sweet Cream, Salted)
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 teaspoons Corn Starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/4 cups Nestle Mini Chocolate Chips
  • 1 1/4 cups Red, White and Blue M&M’s

Instructions

  1. Cream the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixer for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the Eggs and the Vanilla and continue mixing for 3 more minutes.
  3. Add the Baking Soda, Salt and Corn Starch.  Mix until just combined.
  4. Add the flour and mix until it is completely incorporated but do not over-mix.
  5. Add 1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips and 1 cup Red, White and Blue M&M’s and fold until just combined.
  6. Line a 9x13” baking pan with parchment paper.
  7. Spoon the cookie dough into the pan.
  8. Smooth out the cookie dough in the pan.
  9. Sprinkle the extra 1/4 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips and 1/4 cup of Red White and Blue M&M’s on the top of the dough.
  10. Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
  11. Cool and cut into squares.

Notes

Storage Instructions
These cookie bars should be stored in an airtight container.  And they will stay fresh longer if they are completely cool before you pack them up.  We usually add a layer of parchment paper between each row of bars in our plastic container.  They will stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days if you store them correctly in an air-tight container. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies