Loaded M&M’s Oreo Bars — Stuffed to the max with M&M’s and Oreos! These Oreo cookie bars are an easy, no-mixer recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes. Always a hit at parties!
The Best Oreo Cookie Bars
If you like Oreos and M&M’s, these are the bars for you. Is there anyone who doesn’t like Oreos and M&M’s? I hope not. Or you may be reading the wrong blog.
These bars came to be because I was preparing to move and in an effort to clean out my pantry, I started grabbing things that looked like they’d work together.
Half-eaten package of Oreos. Check. A small bag of M&M’s that appear to have most of the reds and browns picked out. Check. A stick of butter, 1 egg, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 cup flour. Check. I always have those items on hand.
And if you do, you can make these Oreo bars in 5 minutes without a mixer and they’re ready in a half hour. Love pans of bars for that reason. Fast, easy, no dough to chill.
I used my easy, no-mixer, go-to blondie recipe that has served me so well over the years, and I adapted it this time by stirring in chopped Oreos and sprinkling on M&M’s. It’ll seem like there are more Oreos than batter, and that’s correct. Such a such a good problem to have.
I used Birthday Cake Oreos, which have birthday cake flavored-filling, but don’t go out of your way for them. They hardly seem different from original Oreos to me.
The Oreo bars are dense, thick, and packed with texture. The Oreos soften slightly while baking, but retain some crunch.
The crunchy shells of the M&M’s, contrasted with Oreos, and the soft, buttery, moist blondie dough is a texture lover’s dream. Shopping in my own pantry and widdling down my ingredients before moving was a packer’s dream.
And my family was pretty happy when they had a taste of my pantry clean-out endeavors. They’re tailor-made for your trashy eating enjoyment. Live a little, it’s fun!
What’s in These Oreo Bars?
To make these Oreo and M&M’s cookie bars, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Oreo cookies
- M&M’s
How to Make Oreo Cookie Bars
Melt the butter, then whisk in the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Then, fold in then crushed Oreos.
Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch pan. Sprinkle with M&M’s just before baking.
Bake these Oreo bars until a toothpick inserted in the center (if you can find a bare patch to test) comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Can I Use Different Flavors of Oreos?
Yes! Use whatever variety of Oreos you have on hand. Different flavors of Oreos will work here, as will Double Stuf.
Can I Use Different Flavors of M&M’s?
Yes again! Any kind of M&M’s can be used in these Oreo and M&M’s cookie bars.
Can I Use Granulated Sugar Instead of Brown Sugar?
No, you must use light brown sugar in this recipe. Granulated sugar isn’t sticky enough, which will result in a different texture.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Most likely, yes. You’d need to bake the Oreo bars in a 9×13-inch baking pan.
How to Store Oreo Cookie Bars
Store these Oreo cookie bars in an air-tight container at room temperature. They’ll last about a week.
Can I Freeze These Oreo Bars?
Yes, but just note that M&Ms can sometimes lose their color and bleed a bit upon freezing.
Tips for Making Oreo Bars
If you don’t have Oreos or M&M’s, shop in your own pantry for what you do have.
Graham crackers, 4-day old leftover chocolate chip cookies that are past their prime, leftover fun-sized candy bars from last Easter, the remains of your last impulse buy at Trader Joe’s like chocolate-covered pretzels or that tub of mini peanut butter cups you’ve been snacking on at midnight, or the nearly empty bag of white chocolate chips that you grab a handful of every time you walk past the cupboard.
You get the point. Don’t buy anything if you don’t have to. Sure, the Oreos and M&M’s are great but so are a lot of other things. Use the recipe as an opportunity to use up your odds and ends.
Edited to add: This recipe, and my name, appeared on the COVER of Taste of Home Magazine, September 2014. They used their in-house photographer rather than using mine. Facebook post about it here.
Pin This Recipe
Loaded M&M's Oreo Cookie Bars
Stuffed to the max with M&M's and Oreos! These Oreo bars are an easy, no-mixer recipe that's ready in 30 minutes. Always a hit at parties!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 18 Oreo Cookies, coarsely chopped*
- about 1/2 cup M&M’s (I used plain, use your favorite flavor or other chopped candy)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Stir in the Oreos.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle the M&M's over the top, lightly pressing them down with your finger or a spatula.
- Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, or until done based on add-ins used. Top should be set and edges slightly firm. A toothpick inserted in the center (if you can find a bare patch to test) should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- *Note: I used Oreo Chocolate Birthday Cake Sandwich Cookies; another type of chocolate sandwich cookie may substituted, or about 2 heaping cups of coarsely chopped add-ins including leftover cookies, graham crackers, chocolate-covered pretzels, etc.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 394Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 3g
More Cookie Bar Recipes:
Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — A FAST and EASY dessert that is on the HEALTHIER side with only 1/4 cup butter and no oil!! Bold banana flavor, chewiness from the oats, and plenty of chocolate in every bite!!
Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars – Peanut butter is use 3 different ways. Great for pantry odds-and-ends clean-out!
Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — Chewy oatmeal cookie bars with a thick layer of fudge in the middle! Whoa, hello chocolate overload!!
Tagalong Cookie Bars — Say hello to year-round Girl Scout cookie season with these delish bars! All the flavors of the classic cookies in easy bar form!!
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars – Sugar cookie bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making sugar cookies!! The sprinkles and tangy cream cheese frosting help to make the bars a PERFECT treat!!
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Bars — The bars are dense, soft, chewy, buttery, have plenty of peanut butter flavor, and each is topped with a Kiss!
Snickerdoodle Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – Snickerdoodle bars are so much FASTER AND EASIER than making snickerdoodle cookies!!
Hello! I’m wondering if the dough could be made in advance and refrigerated for 2-3 days and then brought to rooms temp, add Oreos and then bake?
No I would not do that. Honestly this is a VERY FAST recipe to make, you melt butter, stir in an egg, brown sugar, then add the add-in’s. Not worth it to try to make in advance IMO and I don’t know if they batter would safely keep well.
Love this recipe! They turn out great every time! Sometimes I don’t add the m&m candies and it is just as good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you love it and they turn out great every time!
I only have salted butter. Is it ok if I use that?
Yes that’s fine. They will just be saltier tasting. Omit the extra salt called for the recipe.
You and your recipes are so wonderful. When people ask me where I get these ideas from, I always point them to your website. You are a ray of sunshine in my life! Thank you for being who you are and giving so much!Â
Thanks for the lovely comment and compliments! I really truly appreciate kind comments like yours (not everyone is quite as nice) and I am glad my recipes working great for you and thanks for telling other about my site as well. Thank you for your support and kindness!
I’ve made these a million times now and everyone loves them!! They’re so yummy and I love that it’s one bowl, no mixer, so easy and quick and they come out perfect every time!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they’re a big hit and come out perfectly every time!
hello,
I was wondering if i can use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar?
I have never tried but my gut says brown is the way to go here.
What an easy, delicious recipe. These were a hit! Everyone LOVED them. I made one batch with Reese’s Pieces instead of M&M’s and those were even more popular than the M&M’s.Â
Thanks for the five star review and glad these were a hit with everyone!
My go to bake sale recipe! People are drawn to m&ms.
I totally agree! I think that’s why this recipe ended up on the cover of a magazine – people are just drawn to M&Ms!
Have you made these in a larger pan? What is a recommended cooking time in a 9×13?
No
Not sure since I haven’t tried, but probably fairly similar to the time in a 8×8 pan, but keep an eye on it.
Love this recipe. Latest experiment on it was with white chocolate chips and then I swirled salted caramel sauce through the batter – amazing!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that these turned out amazing for you!
OMGosh, made these today with leftover Rice Krispies and crushed Cinnamon Toast Cereal. Doubled recipe to share and also added a bag of maple chips (was all I had). What a hit, husband is like don’t give all those away, lol. Thank you for a recipe you can play with and still be successful.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this came out great for you with the modifications and you were able to use what you had on hand!
I’ve baked these numerous times with success but today I could NOT get these to cook through. I baked them for 20 min longer than suggested to no avail. Today is an especially humid day. Could that be the problem? I’m baffled as I never have any trouble with these.
YES for sure, 100% it is the humidity. Baking in very humid climates/days makes it much harder for things to cook through. If at all possible, don’t bake when it’s especially humid. I realize in some climates that’s not realistic but humidity is evil for baking.
In general, I would say add more flour to the dough by about 10% if it’s very humid. Not an exact science. Or just bake longer if that’s realistic and if top is getting too done, you can always cover with foil to shield it.
These look awesome! Anybody tried cutting back the sugar and seeing how that turns out?
Just made these for a work party tomorrow. Always a hit and perfect every time. Thank you!
I’m glad that these are always a hit for you!
Unsalted butter works better than salted. I’ve made it using both ways, and the cookies don’t “cook” all the way with salted.
Oh i see i clicked on 3 stars, but i haven’t made the recipe yet, Sorry!
I use aluminum rather than parchment because I can seal it into the corners of the pan better but use what you prefer.
LOve love all of your recipes. They always turn out lovely. 2 questions 1. Can I use salted butter and just omit the salt? 2. How do you measure your flour? Scoop and level? Or spoon, scoop And level? Thanks
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love my recipes!
1. yes
2. Scoop and level but with a light hand and first I fluff up the flour bag so the flour is more light and airy rather than packed.
I made these today and mine do not look like yours! I don’t see any of the creme from the cookie, just the chocolate part. Any advice for the next time I try them? Thank you!!
Possibly use bigger cookie chunks next time and don’t get too carried away with crushing them beforehand. I’m sure they taste the same and it’s more cosmetic rather than taste.
These are the BEST! I first tried them two years ago when someone brought them to my holiday cookie exchange. There were so many great cookies, but my family voted these bars as the best (we ate them all within a day or so!). My kids especially love them. Thankfully all of the guests left recipes, so I was able to make these awesome bars again. This week I sent my daughter a college care package for Valentine’s Day. I included these bars (with Valentine’s M&Ms), and she loved them! Thanks for a great recipe. It’s so easy (and fun) to make, and everybody loves these bars!
So glad that these are a big with your family and that you even made them for your daughter in a care package for Valentine’s Day!
Can you bake in a spring form pan? 9 inch?
I have only baked in an 8-inch square. 9-inch round springform would probably be fine but I haven’t tested it.
Hi!
I have coconut palm sugar in my pantry and I heard it is a good substitute for brown sugar. Do you think it might work? And would the measurement be the same?
I really can’t say since I’ve only made the recipe as written. I personally would just stick with regular brown sugar.
Should I double the recipe if I have a 8 x 11 pan?
No that would be too much batter for that sized pan. I would make the recipe as indicated and bake for less time since the bars will be thinner.
I made these over the weekend and they’re delicious! So easy to make too.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hey! I’m making these and I wanted to know can I use white sugar instead of ‘brown?
No, they won’t turn out properly.
I’m having the same problem a few others have mentioned above where I can’t get it to cook enough. I’m hopeful after it cools it will harden enough. I’ve cooked it as long as I can, the edges are burning but the center is still doughy. :(
It will firm up as it cools. You could always cover the pan wit foil if you feel the edges are browning up quickly nearing the end of the baking time.
I doubled these and baked for 27 minutes, using slight browning on top, cooked appearance, and a clean toothpick as a guide to doneness. Thank you for the recipe, I made them for a marching band party, I think they’ll be a big hit with the teens.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I know the teens will love them!
Definately making these for my daughters birthday on ThursdayÂ
Hi! I want to make these, and how can i make it so when I cut it its perfectly in squares. I am trying to make this as perfect as I can for my family coming over! Would square cookie cutters work??
I actually get asked this pretty often https://www.averiecooks.com/faq #30 Don’t use a cookie cutter, just do it like I recommend and you’ll be set.
These were great…I did use salted butter though, as well as the ¼ tsp. salt that Smitten Kitchen uses in her blondie recipe. I also used a graham cracker crust/fudge layer like in some Pillsbury bars that have been around the internet…just used this for the cookie dough topping instead of the packaged dough the recipe called for. They turned out really good. I’m sure the bars would be great without the crust/fudge layer…I was just looking for something nice and heavy for our Sunday dessert. :-)
The Oreos in your bars look beautiful in your photos of your sliced bars…cream layer still distinguishable, etc. I’m thinking I chopped mine too much. My standby technique is to put them in a bag and give them each one whack with the back of an ice cream scoop. This was apparently too much—and my dough even darkened a bit from the crumbs. When you say “coarsely chopped”, can you give me some more info as to how much you are chopping them? Do you typically go in quarters or just in half, etc. I’m sure you don’t have a set-in-stone method, but just wondering how far off I am.
Thanks!
I put about 6 Oreos on a cutting board, and slice those 6 into about 6 to 9 pieces, each. Then repeat with another 6 or so. If you do the banging method you describe, you end up with way to much ‘Oreo dust’ which will cloudy the dough. Tastes the same but cosmetically I know what you mean. Sounds like these were a winner for you and the fudge/graham layer sounds great!
Thank you for responding! That is honestly more cutting than I thought you would have done—but you are right, it is the whacking that is leading to the excess crumbs and cloudy dough. Good point!
nice flavor combination of oreo, you are great. inspired me.
I love cake recipe, I’m from Indonesia, and I am inspired by your writing. :) thank you Averie
Just made these and they look amazing!! Posted a pictured on instagram, and I was wondering if you had an instagram (mine is hardinclaire) so that I could tag you in it or hashtag you in it. These look so good!!! Thank you for posting this!!!
Sure do, thanks! https://www.instagram.com/averiesunshine/
Glad you loved them! Thanks for wanting to tag me!
Can the M&m oreo bars be frozen. I need to make them this week for an event in 2 weeks.
Laura Nettles
Joeandlauranettles@yahoo.com
Sometimes upon freezing M&Ms can lose their color and bleed a bit. It just depends. You may want to make a trial test batch and freeze just to see if the results upon thawing will work for you. Taste will be fine, it’s just cosmetic.
Followed the directions to a T and they are completely under baked at the bottom. I put in for an extra 10 mins – bottom is still not cooked through. Even flipped them over and put the oven on broil – and they finally cooked. Anyone else have this issue? I think next time I will skip the foil and cook longerÂ
No one has mentioned this before you. Maybe your oven is running cooler or maybe you live in a more humid climate. So many variables with baking. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I had the same problem. In the middle it was under baked at the bottom. Although it was delicious i couldn’t slice the bar because it was falling apart.
All ovens bake differently. Maybe a few more minutes in your oven would have cooked it through better. Glad it tasted delicious!
Could the recipe be doubled for a 13×9 pan? Â
Probably yes but I haven’t personally tried doubling the recipe so can’t speak from experience.
I am so glad that I was browsing for recipes including Oreos one day, and I came across your website (thanks Pinterest) I’ve made two kinds of cookie bars in the last week, and they are just fabulous. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you!!Â
Thanks for trying two recipes of mine in the last week (and finding me) and glad they turned out great for you! Keep me posted what else you try!
I should start by saying I have made these bars multiple times and people always go crazy for them! Thank you for a great recipe. You may already know this but I thought you would want to know an etsy seller is using your photos for her bake shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/250983657/loaded-mm-oreo-cookies-oreo-cookies
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And thanks for the heads up on the Etsy situation…grrr!!
I made a test batch of these tonight (planning to take them to a party on Thursday) and followed the directions exactly (8×8 pan, lined with foil, sprayed with PAM. etc. ) and ended up baking them for 40 minutes and they STILL weren’t baked. We ate them with a spoon…they were delicious, but I can’t take them anywhere since I couldn’t cut them into squares. :(
I’m not sure why they weren’t cooked after 40 minutes. It’s one of my most popular recipes and hundreds of people have written in to say everything is fine when they make them.
And Taste of Home Magazine featured them on their cover last year, and in order to do so, they remade them umpteen times in their test kitchen. Maybe your oven is running on the cool side? Not sure what to say…Thanks for trying the recipe.
These look great, but I have worked on them all day, and they have not turned out. ? they have taken hours to cool and still are not set, so they just fall apart and are still doughy. Don’t know what I did wrong. ?Yes the directions were followed.
Doughy, falling apart, taking forever to cool and not set? = Classic signs of underbaked (raw). All climates and ovens vary and in your situation, a few more minutes in the oven is likely all you would have needed for success. Now you know for next time.
wow…. it’s look heavenly delicious <3Â
I was wondering about the absence of baking powder and or baking soda? Â Mine just came out of the oven and they look fine and smell amazing. Â I can’t wait to taste them!
There’s neither in this recipe. Glad they smell amazing!
I was worried that the bars wouldn’t rise without a leavening agent. Â It wasn’t needed, they came out great. Â My husband loved them! Â Thank you. Â I love your recipes, they are so unique. Â I love to bake and make different recipes other than the regular ordinary cookies, quick breads, etc.
Baking these right now for a Bake Sale tomorrow! They smell heavenly!
Enjoy!! Hope they’re a hit at the bake sale!
1 Tablespoon vanilla?????
That’s 3 teaspoons, but if you want to use less, use less. I love very vanilla things so I go heavy-handed.
These look so good, and are some of my dad’s favorite things. His birthday is coming up…Do you think this recipe could be doubled for a 9×13 cake pan?
Yes, pretty sure you’ll be just fine like that. Enjoy!
Wondering if these can be baked then frozen? I offered to make cookies for my nieces grad party next month but wanted to get it done now instead of at the last minute. :-)Â
Thanks!Â
(This question is regarding all of the bar recipes I saw here)
For the most part, yes, you can make, cool, wrap well, then freeze. Being that you are serving them at a party, well, if it were me I would make them 24-36 hrs ahead of time if possible b/c it is a special event, rather than taking something out of the freezer but totally your call. You can freeze most of my bars, they’ll be fine upon thawing, but just have to throw that fresh is always best caveat in there.
These look so good i think I’m gonna try them tomorrow! but i have one question, instead of m&m’s could i use like 1-2 cup mini marshmallows in the batter? so it would be a loaded oreo & marshmallow bar? I’m wondering cuz maybe marshmallow might burn faster? i hope not cuz i already made a bar using m&m’s the other week so now i wanna try something different and i think those two would be  good combo! – pls let me know -thanks ! :)
I haven’t tried with marshmallows so can’t say for sure how they’ll hold up while baking. Let me know how it goes!
Just wanted to chime in, great recipe, though when the dough was finished I worried I’d done it wrong, it seemed so syrupy. Â One caveat, I found a type of oreo that unfortunately doesn’t work well. Â The absolutely delicious reeses peanut butter oreos they came out with in 2015. Â They just don’t solidify enough to work in the bars, so some parts seem undercooked even when they aren’t. Â This still tastes delicious, just means that they aren’t really presentable for serving to anyone other than immediate family :-) Â It’s a shame, that flavor of oreo is super tasty and gives an interesting additional depth to the bars. Â It just doesn’t hold together with them. Â I’ll have to use regular next time :-)
The reason the Reeses peanut butter oreos likely don’t work is because of all the peanut butter/oils found in them, that’s just inherent to PB. You really want that classic Oreo, chocolate or even the vanilla-based versions, just nothing with PB. After writing a cookbook about PB, trust me there’s so much I learned :)
If you’re looking for an AMAZING Pb dessert that uses PB cookies, make these! Just posted them https://www.averiecooks.com/2015/05/chocolate-peanut-butter-dream-bars.html and made with Nutter Butters. Crazy.crazy.good.
Always a winner, made two batches last weekend, one just as you suggested here, the other loaded with Do-Si-Dos, peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips – YUM!! Â Love the versatility of this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I totally want to make with Do-Si-Dos, peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips now too! I just made a recipe for next week with Nutter Butters, Pb chips and choc chips :)
I’ve made these bars a dozen times probably and never commented on here. Just wanted to say I love this recipe, thanks for posting it!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it comes out great for you every time! I love that you’re so loyal to these bars :)
Hi, Averie! I tried your recipe tonight and I’m not sure what I did wrong. I used a 9×13 and doubled the recipe. I left them in a little longer to get the batter to cook, but all the Oreos seemed to have melted. They were just goo at the bottom if the dish, without any crunch. Mine also weren’t as sweet as I was hoping they’d be. I was wondering if I could use less Oreos and put more m&ms directly into the mix? Maybe even sugar? In a beginner baker so I don’t know, I just wanted to sweeten it up a little. My friends liked it regardless! I made these for a bake sale. THanks for sharing!
I have never personally doubled this recipe so I am thinking there’s an issue there. Also make sure you’re not chopping the Oreos too finely; you really want a rough chop. Like each Oreo maybe just quartered and that will keep the pieces from being so small they just disappear and melt. I really don’t think if you just make the recipe as written and keep the pieces bigger that you’ll find it not sweet enough. If you do bake them and you still think they’re not sweet enough, I’d just do a hot fudge drizzle over the top but I doubt you’ll need it. LMK how things go!
I was getting everything ready to make these when I realized that I used up the last of my m&m’s with the last cookie recipe, so I substituted chocolate chips instead. I stirred them into the batter and also used 14 instead of 18 oreos (14 was all I had on hand). They were incredibly delicious – almost sinful! My new favorite from your blog – and I love so many of your recipes. They were dangerously easy and quick to make – I guess I will spend more time at the gym!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you, and a few minor tweaks and swaps, in bars like this…totally fine! I often run into that whoops not quite enough Oreos issue because of midnight snacking issues :)
Glad to hear this is your fave, too, from my blog!
These look amazing!!! Perfect combination of Oreos and M&M’s!Â
Have made these twice now – first, following the recipe exactly and second batch, adding a splash of milk and a spoon of golden syrup. Both went down very well but the second batch were moister and sweeter (but not over-sweet). Great, simple and very effective recipe though! Dead quick to make too!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it was a success!
So I just made these and they came out amazing taste wise but when i cut the bars they started to fall apart, just wondering what went wrong?
Possibly over-baked them slightly and they became a bit too crumbly upon slicing them? Or possibly chopped the Oreos too finely and they acted more like ‘flour’ and a dry ingredient rather than just chunks of cookies? I would say reduce baking time a bit, chunkier Oreos, and maybe in your case a tbsp or two less flour next time…these are just my hunches.
Glad they tasted great though and thanks for trying the recipe!
Made these for my family and boyfriend & they turned out delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that your family and boyfriend got to enjoy them, too!
I liked your pictures better :-)!
Thanks! (I do too!) :)
Hey there! This is by far the best cookie recipe I’ve seen on the internet. I have a question though. Could I use tge same recipe to make the regular round cookies? And if so, will this change the time spent in the oven? I’m just dying to gift my friends wrapped cookies as we’re all M&M’s and Oreo lovers and this is just beyond perfection!!
Hey there! This is by far the best cookie recipe I’ve seen on the internet. I have a question though. Could I use tge same recipe to make the regular round cookies? And if so, will this change the time spent in the oven? I’m just dying to gift my friends wrapped cookies as we’re all M&M’s and Oreo lovers and this is just beyond perfection!!
Make these https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/12/soft-chewy-mm-chocolate-chip-cookies.html OR within the post there are recipes to many other M&M cookie versions I’ve created over the years.
This is my go to dessert! Do you think it could easily be doubled?
Yes and just bake in a 9×13 pan. Glad it’s your go-to! :)
I made these this weekend per the request of my best friend’s boyfriend. (I’m not really sure how he came across the recipe – pinterest, perhaps?) I set them out at brunch yesterday and everyone LOVED them. I’m seriously obsessed with all your blondie recipes. They never fail – crowd pleasers 100% of the time!
I love that your boyf is maybe trolling recipes on Pinterest :) Now that’s a foodie! So glad that these were a hit (along with the others you’ve tried)! Thanks, Jenna!!
I made 2 separate batches, one with Nutter Butter cookies and one with Oreos. I followed your recipe to the letter and each batch came out underdone. I used an 8×8″ Pyrex dish, lined with foil & sprayed. I baked them 22 minutes and they tested done in the center. When cool, I cut them and the middle & bottom of the bars were like raw cookie dough consistency. Do I need to bake them longer (even though they tested done) or possibly add more flour? Your bars look brown on the top & bottom and fudgy in the middle. Please help!
Things baked in glass (Pyrex) generally take longer to bake than in an aluminum pan. I called for an aluminum pan. So if you used glass, you’ll probably have to bake a bit longer. And yes, bake til DONE, whatever that means in your oven/pan, not based on what the clock says.
Averie your recipes are so good, I really want to get this one right. The recipe says “line an 8×8 baking pan with aluminum foil & spray”, doesn’t say to use an aluminum pan. Do you use an aluminum pan & line with aluminum foil or just use an aluminum pan sprayed with cooking spray? Thanks again!
In cookbooks/recipes, baking pans are generally presumed to be aluminum unless a recipe specifically says use a glass baking dish. So yes, this is an aluminum pan lined with foil (saves time and I recommend it but if you don’t want to you could skip the foil). Enjoy!
I know the beauty of the recipe is how east and fast it is, but can you chill this dough?
I would say you are FINE with chilling it. I would press it into the pan, cover the pan and/or place into a big ziplock bag, refrigerate, and you could probably leave it in the fridge chilling for up to 5 days. That’s what I do with my regular cookie dough. Don’t just chill the dough in the mixing bowl though. It will turn into a ROCK. Get it in the pan, then chill.
So I made the oreo m&m cookie bars and the cookie part has a veryyyy strange taste. Almost like too much vanilla or too much brown sugar. I followed it correctly! I dont know what went wrong but they do not taste like normal cookies at all!!!
Not sure what to tell you…are you sure all your ingredients were fresh and nothing had gone bad? I’ve literally had thousands of people write to me in emails saying they’ve made these and everyone loves them. They don’t taste like a normal cookie, per se, because they’re doctored up with M&Ms and Oreos but they should taste similar, but in an enhanced way, to what an M&M Cookie would taste like. I am thinking you maybe mis-measured or something went bad and you didn’t know. That’s all I can think of?
Made them tonight. Really loved them. Delicious and chewy and…..
Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely try more of the things you publish.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe & glad you’re loving them!
I’ve made these quite a few times now, and they never get old. It’s ridiculous how easy they are, especially when you consider how good they are, and how happy they make everyone who tries them. I’m not a big fan of store bought, simply because I enjoy baking, but sometimes I don’t have the time/patience for a more complicated and/or time consuming recipe. With this recipe I have no excuse but to make my own baked goods!
I love that you can just sort of throw in whatever leftover candy and cookies you have. Tonight’s version involved Oreos, Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips, and Whoppers. One of my coworkers calls them “trash bars” because of all the random add ins. But she uses this term lovingly, she’s the biggest fan of these I know :)
I’ve also made your peanut butter version. Equally easy and delicious!! Thank you!
I am so glad you love them and keep on making them! This recipe is actually on the COVER of Taste of Home magazine this month!
https://www.facebook.com/AverieCooks/photos/pb.157127551002785.-2207520000.1409199900./692648667450668/?type=1&theater
Glad you and your coworkers love the trash bars :) and your version tonight sounds great! Glad you like the PB version of these, too!
on the COVER?! nbd. congrats!! and thanks again for this wonderful recipe. got another batch in the oven as I type this!
Thanks, Christa :) And glad you have another batch in the oven!!
I’m an oreo and M&M lover and these bars are calling my name!
Hi….so as an absolute amateur baker I made these for the first time yesterday and cannot tell you how easy they are to make and how delicious they are. I used chocolate chips instead.
I was a little scared when I prepared the batter as it was way to dark in colour but while baking the brownies came out perfect.
Thanks for this simpls recipe
Glad they came out perfect and you love them!
I made the recipe and followed every step but the dough keeps very wet on the bottom… And I mean VERY wet. After two hours of letting it rest and cooling down I put it twice on 100degr for 10min extra but stil nothing. A little bit disappointed but I’ll just take the chops with me to competition tomorrow and let my testpanel judge… ;-)
Sounds like you maybe needed to bake a bit longer during the originial baking time. After you let something cool, then putting it back into the oven for 10 mins or so, doesn’t always work. Bake a bit longer next time perhaps given your oven, climate, pan, etc. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I just want to say that I have made this twice in two days… I LOVE them!! Absolutely love them!
It’s not the ordinary kind of baked goods one see here in Denmark. So I sure am glad that I found this recipe.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for trying them (twice in two days!) That’s wonderful that they’re a success and thanks for reading all the way from Denmark!
I made the left overs bars for our camping trip tomorrow I used gram cereal, peanuts, snickers, butterfinger, chocolate bars and heath chips I cant wait to try them :D
Now THAT’S some great camping food – hope you enjoy them!
Do you think i could use whole wheat flour to make these?
You could, yes, but I don’t know if it would taste quite the same or with the same texture. I recommend maybe half the amount as whole wheat so the taste/texture doesn’t change too much.
Finally unpacked and settled enough to bake – whew! I’m making a double batch of these (I used an entire oreo bag plus an entire m&m bag) to impress my hubby’s classmates tomorrow. Your recipes never let me down. :-)
Thanks for trying this recipe and for saying that my recipes never let you down. This is one of my most popular recipes ever and people seem to love these things so hopefully your hub’s classmates do, too! With a whole pkg of Oreos and bag of M&Ms, it would be hard for them to resist these I’d imagine :)
You have just made half of my family happy! I want to thank you for your wonderful recipe, I made it for a baby shower and now its being requested so much I am making “just because” gifts! Thanks for making me think I can truly bake!
Thanks for trying the recipe and yes, you CAN bake! :) Glad you’re happy with these!
I just made these and they are GREAT! So quick and easy! Thanks!!
Thanks for trying them & thanks for the great feedback!
And I did double the recipe and used a 9X13 pan -worked great.
First of all, your photography is to. die. for. amazing. Anyway, if I wanted to make extra and do it in a 9×13, I’m assuming I should just double the recipe?
I haven’t ever doubled this recipe but yes, usually 8×8 doubles very well in a 9×13. Thanks for the compliments on my photography!
These bars look so good! I can’t believe it was as simple as just wanting to clean out your cupboards to come up with the idea! I should try that to see what fun creations I could come up with. They sound very simple to make and like there isn’t too many ingredients. For those of us who are learning to cook and bake, simple and few ingredients is the best way to learn, at least for me it is. I can’t wait to try these bars. I was also surprised that the total cook time was only 30 minutes. It seemed like it should have been longer, but the shorter the cook time the sooner you get to eat. There were many other bars you posted pictures of on this blog that look like they would be very good to try as well. I think that they would be extremely delicious with ice cream! The smore brownie looked especially good since I am a big fan of smores in the first place. Well looking at this site it made me very hungry! Keep posting your delicious looking desserts so we can enjoy making them because they look amazing and good!
Thanks for the sweet comment, Amber!
I threw in mini M&Ms, Cookie Crisp cereal, and chocolate chips in the batter. They’re in the oven now! I’m a little nervous though… the consistency came out more like cookie dough than brownie batter.
It IS more like cookie dough. There’s nothing brownie batter about it. It’s very thick! You’re fine :) Enjoy!
I made these yesterday and gave them to my friends- everyone loved them! They’re so delicious and they were really simple to make which is great considering I mess up everything in the kitchen. They looked beautiful too.
Glad they came out perfectly & everyone loved them! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi, I just mde these for my hubbys work. I tested a piece. They’re gonna love it. Really yummy stuff!!
He has a lucky office :) Thanks for trying the recipe!
Would you be able to use pre made cookie dough?
Yes you probably could but this dough is so easy, literally takes about 3 mins to stir together, and bite for bite, it’s so much cheaper than storebought, you know what’s in it, i.e. real ingredients, and the recipe was tested using scratch dough in terms of baking time and add-ins it’ll hold.
These look amazing! I want to make this for a big group though; can this recipe be doubled for a 9X13 pan?
Yes I’m sure that will be fine although I haven’t personally tried. Enjoy!
OMG!!!! Love love love thoughts brownies! My To Do List has all these recipes on it for me to make! The Loaded M&M Cookie Bars made it through a successful 1 hour! My family ate them to fast.
That’s awesome they were devoured in 1 hour! Now that’s success! Glad you guys loved them and keep me posted with the other recipes you try!
Just tried these out! So good, easy to make with great results :)
Glad to hear that! Thanks Sara!
My brother and I have these in the oven at the moment… except we used oreos and a chopped assortment of our favourite chocolate bars (Cadbury Hazelnut, Cadbury Marvellous Creations, and Milk’n’Cookies white chocolate… mmmmmm) instead of M&M’s! Can’t wait for them to be ready, it’ll be glorious! Thank you for an excellent recipe!
So glad you tried them and your candy assortment sounds great! Glad they’re going to be a hit for you!
I’m dying for sweets and this just nailed the spot! Definitely making it right now!! It looks so good so I’m sure it will taste just as good ;)
Thanks for trying the recipe, Nellie!
Hi! I’ve been dying to make these and I finally made them for my office. Everyone LOVES them! Thank you so much theyre amazing :)
Oh I’m so glad to hear the bars were a hit around the office! :)
Averie, I love, love, love your cookies, they all look so good!!
These look amazing! Pinning to try later! Oh, and I’m so glad I’m not the only one who eats my baking chocolate chips for snacks. =)
Thanks for pinning!
I just made some and took it school to share with my friends and we all loved it! definitely saving this one =) thanks for sharing!
Glad you and your friends all love these. Thanks for trying the recipe & coming back to tell me!
What’s a half-eaten bag of Oreos? I don’t think it’s something I’ve ever come across. :D
I love how you can just throw ingredients together and make something pretty! Now I’m craving M&M’s and baking.
After cookbooks, blog, etc. I have SO MUCH food here at all times it’s nuts. I’ve learned a long time ago the art of self control (usually!) :)
De impresionante belleza vuestras imágenes.
Por suerte, ya tenemos todos los ingredientes preparados.
Si eres de Galicia, o de Vigo, y quieres ver imágenes de platos de Postre de tus restaurantes, sólo tenéis que entrar en https://www.quetecomo.es/restaurantes-en-vigo.php
Un saludo y muchas gracias desde la web de restaurantes y casas rurales https://www.quetecomo.es/
These M&M Oreo Cookie bars look delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
These look incredible! I know my husband will absolutely love them! Oreos and M&Ms are two of his favourite things! Thanks :-)
I love those recipes that just use up a bunch of stuff you have lying around. They usually taste fantastic and you just cleared up a bunch of clutter from your kitchen. Double bonus! These look terrific.
Exactly on everything you said! Thanks Renee!
Averie, it’s official.. your blog is now my new favorite dessert blog. These cookies look like heaven on earth!! I can’t wait to try them out. Might bake them closer to Halloween and bring them in as a Halloween treat for coworkers because I certainly don’t trust myself with these.
You are too sweet, Natalie! Thanks for the kind words. And you can make these AFTER HWeen, too – with all that random candy. Perfect way to recycle it :)
Wow, wow, wow! These look so amazing, Averie!
All you need is a great base and you can mix anything in! This particular combo looks fantastic. Best of luck in the moving process!
Exactly – a great base is such a gift and a blank canvas!
Hi Averie! I made these today and they are sooooo good! I knew it from the beginning, with oreos and m&m’s you can’t go wrong! :) Thanks for the recipe! :)
So glad to hear you tried these and they were a success! As you said, hard to go wrong with Oreos and M&MS :)
Oreos and M&Ms are two of my favorite things! Baking with Oreos is so fun because they can completely change textures sometimes. Crunchy to soft. Love these bars! :)
Loaded, indeed! I love how festive these sweet bars are – perfect for preparing with and serving to hungry little ones!
I really hope there is no one that doesn’t like M & M’s and Oreos! Sheesh! And holy wow are these awesome Averie! Chewy cookie soft-ish baked Oreos, a little candy crunch– LOVE them!!!
Load me up- these look fantastic!!
Oooooh I love how these can just be “clear out your pantry” bars!
But, um, obviously I love Oreo’s and M&M’s, and now I’m thinking how good peanut butter M&M’s would be in theeese
And if you have a stash of them, toss ’em right in! Can’t go wrong!
M&Ms and Oreos that come together in 1 glorious bar?! Hell yes! Love that it comes together so easily too!
Now, this is my kind of dessert (if I could eat it). I love multiple layers of texture and crunch. You have chewy in the bar, hard crunch in the m&ms and oreo and altogether it is mouthwateringly delicious!! Wow. I don’t have any of those ingredients, but I am tempted to buy them just so I can smell them when they are done! LOL! I still day dream over those white chocolate, frosted bars of yours. Oy! Day 11 tomorrow of the cleanse…cannot wait to be done!!! Watermelon never sounded so good! :-)
I used to stand in Dairy Queen paralyzed with indecision about m&m or oreo blizzards (before the days of the cookie dough, at which point things got even worse!) It would usually take me so long the cashier would take pity on me and offer to make me one with both!
Chewy center! Awesome. I think I know what my kids will be making on the weekend. Thanks for this.
Awww that’s great! Hope the kiddos enjoy!
I love cookie bars (so much faster than cookies!). These look fab, my Wednesday needs a couple!
Oh how I love loaded cookie bars!!!! These are amazing with the Oreos. I hope the move is going good!
There is something about M&Ms that just make me happy. I love seeing all those bright colors on top of this incredible bar. This one I have no choice but to make for my hubby – this is like his dream bar!
M&Ms put smiles on faces, I am convinced :)
I seriously believe some greater force gravitates me toward anything involving Oreos. Needless to say, then, these caught my eye! The M&Ms just take them to the next level. I love bar recipes like this, just throwing together what you’ve got – baking simplicity at its best!
throwing together and baking simplicity – amen!
Gah! These bars look absolutely perfect! Love that chewy centre!
This cookie looks like a rainbow! It consists of my favorite cookies and candies. And the recipe is rather easy, which makes it more available to bake in any day of a week. I think that my kids will enjoy such cakes!
Kids are going to love them for sure!
Oh me gosh! M&M’s and oreos are finally married!!! Heavenly! And I absolutely LOVE your oreo to batter ratio!!! :-D
Well, now I want these. Right now.
So somehow I didn’t know about you till right now. Where the hell have I been? These photos are GORGEOUS!
LOL well welcome! Thanks for the compliments! Yeah I’ve been at this for 4.5 years. Photo quality improves annually:)
Oreos are a total guilty pleasure. I can’t stop eating then, I even would pick them over most of the girl scout cookies.
These bars look fantastic, perfect “bake sale” treat.
Perfect bake sale treat or de-junking your pantry after Halloween, Easter candy, kiddie bday parties, pretty much throw the whole hodge podge right in!
These look fabulous! Just so packed full of amazing stuff :D And I have half a bag of M&M’s and 3/4 pack of Oreo’s right in my kitchen cupboard now, they’re telling me to make these!
Well what are the odds of that. It’s called baking serendipity! Meant to be!
Definitely a fan of recipes that use up random pantry ingredients… especially when the result is something as decadent and delicious-looking as these bars!
Thanks, Megan! I love clearing out my hodge podge of stuff as often as I can :)
These are low fat and calorie free right? Humor me and say yes.
YES for sure! :)
Yum. You always make everything look so delicious. Like seriously perfection. Oreos and m&ms and blondies? I’m sold. I recently made peanut butter blondies and I think adding oreos and m&ms to them would be genius!
I’ve made PB& J blondies, Nutella swirled with PB chips, and so many others. Yours sound great – there’s so many ways to go with the dough which is why I love them so much!
These are a DREAM! You know that I love making your recipes for my class, and I’m sure that they would go absolutely insane over these!
Omg you’ll be the most popular teacher EVER!
Ok, you got me with this one Averie…anything with M&Ms I go a little crazy!!
Looks like I need to clean out my pantry and make these! I probably have some old Halloween candy from last year (!) that I could throw in there too.
Oh I most def have old HWeen candy, Easter candy, kiddie bday party candy, etc. It goes on and on. Enjoy your cleanout session!
M&M’s get me every time. I need these :)
I think I need to get back on the treadmill before I look at those again lol And the cookies calling my name from the kitchen.
And things like these are why I run, daily :)
These look amazing and moist and dense and full of goodness–the best kind of bar that a bar can be! :) I have a feeling that if you opened your own bakery, you would be wildly successful! One can dream, right? :)
I was just telling a friend/reader a couple days ago that I have no plans to ever open one – the stress, overhead, etc. But if I did have one, I know this would be a good seller :)
These bars look fantastic! Plus I love the photos you took of them great lighting and color! :)
Thanks, Shelby. I appreciate that!
Just wanted to comment on your photos – they are stunning – bright, beautiful, and clear as always. It’s so frustrating to find out someone has stolen your work (it hasn’t happened to me in that severe of a way yet but knock on wood) good thing your photos are so easily recognizable as yours!
Thanks for your support & for saying my photos are stunning and recognizable. People tell me that all the time and so when people steal, it’s only a matter of time before a fan/reader emails to say, I think this photo looks like yours and so-and-so is using it. And sure enough, it’s mine! Thieves aren’t always the brightest bunch.
I love you odds and ends bars! Actually, I love all your bars!! I think I like bars just a little better than individual cookies. They are so much easier to work with and allow for lots and lost of add ins! Plus, they always turn out perfect when just a little under baked. Soft, doughy and chewy! YUM! These look like perfection!
SO much easier and faster to make than cookies and no dough to chill. Cannot beat a quickie pan of bars!
The amount of add ins in these bars looks perfect. Just enough of the bar and just enough of the goodies. Great idea to use up leftovers.
They were nicely stuffed, that’s for sure! Thanks, Laura!
LOVE clean out your pantry recipes, and I happen to have some half eaten oreos (that I hid from my husband–true story) and M&Ms…with the greens and oranges picked out. Is it just me or do they short some colors in the pack, so you have to pick for well-balanced M&M cookie pics?
Too funny you have half eaten oreos and that you had to hide from your hubs. And yes I swear to god they do shortchange certain colors. And I hate that! But they do. It’s not a balanced ratio, or at least never feels that way to me! Glad I’m not the only one!
I had a friend talking about the birthday cake Oreos last night and how she can’t put them down. I might need to try these Oreos soon. And then I’ll have an excuse to bake these bars. Yum.
They’re fine, but I mean, it’s not like that much of a difference from the originals and in a bar like this, their faint flavor gets buried and they just taste like reg oreos to me!
First of all, these look amazing! And secondly, I love the short, easy list of ingredients – that’s my kind of recipe!! And I love making recipes like this to clean out the pantry :)
Short and sweet, and cleanout in the process. That’s the best kind, right!
Oh my gosh, loaded is right! I’m not complaining, these look unreal!
Oh my gosh, Averie! These bars are so packed and amazing and well… I’m blushing just looking at them!
Cookies, candy, and blondies all in 1 pan. I immediately thought that these could be on one of those “life is good” t-shirts! I don’t have oreos or m&m’s on hand but would have no qualms about buying some mini packs just to make these! I love “clean out-use up” type recipes (and also remember some of your baked veggie recipes which served that purpose too). My latest concoction along that line was more of a coconut oil fudge with the last of some coconut flakes, dried cherries, PB, honey and a couple of chopped dates I forgot about. That freed up a little pantry space!
Your coc oil fudge creation sounds excellent! I actually want to make that! Dried cherries, pb, honey, coc oil, dates. YES! God that sounds so good to me!
baked veggie recipes which served that purpose too <--- Yes, I have those. But they're not nearly as fun as the sweeter recipes that serve the same purpose :)
Forgot to mention that I also added cocoa powder to my fudge..I guess it’s somewhat loaded up too. I’m flattered that it sounds good enough to make–thanks!
I love all the add in’s on these amazing blondies. You have the best blondie base! The gooey factor is out on control and I love it!
thanks Madison! I love it for that reason!
Yum! These look fantastic — love that they’re versatile enough to work with so many different ingredient. This is how I make fried rice — whatever leftovers I have in the fridge are thrown together with a good amount of soy sauce, garlic, and a drizzle of sriracha. Can’t go wrong!
Another reader/friend just reminded me that I have some veggie recipes that serve the same purpose. And like you, I bake it all in a cast iron skillet with 2 eggs and a splash of milk and it’s like a fritatta, baked omelete, veggie cleanout adventure!
This is my idea of a dessert when I really can’t decide on what I want. Just have it all! All of your cookie bar recipes are incredible – just when I think your dessert bar recipes can’t get any better, they do! Crunchy, soft, chewy, and buttery – that’s my idea of the perfect dessert. You know, for us texture loving folk. I have about 10000 different kinds of add-ins in my pantry right now. From both the blog and the book. It’s ridiculous, funny, and amazing all at once.
And ohhhh my gosh. I just bought my first package of birthday cake Oreos to bake with. I’ve never baked with them before – crazy, I know.
I have stuff from books, blog, Halloween, kiddie bday parties, my own snacking treats, you name it, hodge podge city! And I didnt want to move it all. Not that these bars made a huge dent but they did clear out an annoying unwieldy blue package of Oreos that you can’t stack things on or you crush them :) Bday cake flavor. A little better? than the original but not that much different. And in baking, kind of disappears. I wish it was much more pronounced, but it’s not.
Epic bar cookie recipe, Averie! They’re kind of like “pantry compost monster bar cookies”, LOL. Well, you were a woman on a mission and accomplished it! Done. And, done. Yes, that blondie recipe of yours has served you well over the years! So many great bar cookie recipes. I hope the bars served as a good carbo load to give you energy for the move! Thanks for sharing, girl. Pinning!
thanks for pinning and my family scarfed these down a few days before we even moved but the one I had was good :)
These bars are definitely for me! I am drooling!
Recipes like this remind me that I am such a candy hoarder…. I have so many packets of coloured M&Ms it is not funny. Mini, mint, crispy, yellow and green mix: all purchased out of impulse… I only got around to using the blue ones in cookies lately!
Great recipe! SO adaptable too. I can imagine a sweet salty version of this; ritz crackers and peanut butter chip bars?
I guess I’m a hoarder too but I don’t view it that way. I view it as, baking is my job and I need supplies for it. Just like if I was a painter, I’d need different brushes, paint, tarps, etc. Same thing. But by virtue, we do end up with a surplus of ‘supplies’ sometimes :) Ritz & PB chip bars. Salty/sweet sounds great. See these too! https://www.averiecooks.com/salted-caramel-pretzel-blondies/
Wow, I only wish I had tasty stuff to clean out of my cabinets! Well, I have a fair amount of dark chocolate but I like to eat that by itself. Actually, I tend to just eat stuff by itself a lot so I’m not good at “recipes” to clean out leftovers. Or I get in the unfortunate habit of buying stuff to make recipes to use up stuff, then I have to find recipes to use up stuff I bought…and on and on.
I guess the moral should probably just be this: make cookies;)
LOL well I wish I didn’t end up with so many extras, bits and pieces, and almost-used up but not quite bags of stuff. Nature of being a baker for your job! I’m always at it, and always replenishing my stash :)