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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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!