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.
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Loaded M&M's Oreo Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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 :)