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Christmas Cookie Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 82 reviews

These festive Christmas Cookie Bars are a delightful holiday treat, combining a buttery, tender base with rich chocolate chips and optional nuts. Perfectly spiced with vanilla and baked to golden perfection, these bars are easy to make and ideal for sharing during the holiday season.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add-Ins

  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Decoration

  • 1/2 cup festive sprinkles (for decoration)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the perfect temperature for baking your cookie bars.
  2. Prepare the Baking Pan: Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the sides. This helps in removing the bars easily once baked.
  3. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.
  4. Combine the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
  6. Add the Mix-Ins: Fold in the chocolate chips and optional chopped nuts evenly throughout the batter to ensure every bite is flavorful.
  7. Spread the Batter in the Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a spatula for uniform thickness.
  8. Bake the Cookie Bars: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool the Cookie Bars: Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Cut and Serve: Once cooled, cut into squares or rectangles. Optionally, decorate with festive sprinkles on top before cutting. Serve and enjoy these delicious holiday cookie bars!

Notes

  • For extra festive appeal, sprinkle the bars with colorful holiday sprinkles immediately after baking while still warm.
  • Store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
  • You can substitute nuts with dried cranberries or white chocolate chips for different holiday flavors.
  • Allow bars to cool completely for clean and easy cutting.

Keywords: Christmas cookie bars, holiday dessert, chocolate chip cookie bars, festive treats, easy holiday baking

Find it online: https://bitesizedbenny.com/christmas-cookie-bars-recipe/