30 Christmas Bar Recipes That'll Land You On Santa's Nice List
Put these out alongside some milk this year (and don't forget the reindeer!).
Christmas cookies get all the hype this time of year, but hear us out: Christmas bars are actually where it’s at. They’re easier to make because there’s no scooping or rolling of cookie dough, they’re perfect for sharing at every holiday occasion, from potlucks to cookie swaps, and the layers, oh the layers. Since you assemble them in one pan, there’s SO much opportunity to layer in a ton of flavors (chocolate! caramel! cheesecake!). Check out our 30 Christmas dessert bars for inspiration, then leave a plate out for Santa—he’ll never know what hit him.
First things first, let’s make sure we’ve got our definition straight. For us, it’s about the shape (square, though triangles are welcome if you want to get creative) and the assembly more than what makes up a bar. Cookie bars are classic, so we’ve included our chocolate chip, M&M, caramel-gingerbread, and magic cookie bars. It’s not all about cookie flavors, though:
We think brownies—like our mint chocolate chip brownies, our pecan pie brownies, and our salted caramel brownies—count too. Ditto blondies, like our snickerdoodle blondies, our cookies 'n' cream blondies, and our Christmas blondies. Bars involving cheesecake are also always a hit (and are SO much easier to make than the full-size version). Check out our lemon cranberry cheesecake bars, our hot fudge cheesecake bars, or our snickerdoodle cheesecake bars for ideas. Looking for something super simple? Rice Krispies treats are fun year-round, so for Christmas, we’ve dressed them up with festive extras, like peanut butter and chocolate in our Rice Krispies buckeye bars and edible cookie dough in our cookie dough Rice Krispies treats. Share them with friends and family this year, and no one will care they’re no-bake.
Want even more holiday desserts? Check out our favorite easy holiday desserts, our top Christmas cakes, and our best cute Christmas treats too.
Peppermint Bark Brownies
This recipe can be as fancy or as simple as you want, depending on the type of brownies you make. TBH, this peppermint white chocolate frosting would be amazing on pretty much anything. You could even sub out the brownies for cookies or even... brookies! The delicious options are endless.
Get the Peppermint Bark Brownies recipe.
Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
This is the easiest Starbucks copycat recipe. These chewy blondies are studded with white chocolate chips and cranberries and then get a sweet orange cream cheese frosting and an extra drizzle of white chocolate just for fun.
Christmas Blondies
We can't think of a better way to celebrate the holidays than these festive blondies loaded with M&M's, crushed Oreos, and chocolate chips.
Get the Christmas Blondies recipe.
Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies
These brownies have a secret layer of Andes Mints under all that glorious green frosting and on top for even more minty flavor.
Get the Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies recipe.
Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Tart, tangy, and sweet, these cheesecake bars are sandwiched between a pastry crust that just happens to be super-easy to make (thank you, store-bought crescent roll dough!). Plus, we snuck in one of our favorite spice combos to add a cozy touch: pumpkin spice.
Red Velvet Cookies & Cream Bars
If you love our cookies & cream brownies and red velvet cake, these bars are for you. They'll make a festive, unique addition to any holiday dessert table.
Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars
Snickerdoodle blondies + creamy cheesecake = MAJOR success. Don't worry if the top of the cheesecake isn't perfectly covered with cookie dough. It's meant to be a little bit crumbly. 😉
Get the Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Hot Fudge Cheesecake Bars
These are kind of like if cheesecake and hot chocolate came together in one perfect bar. They're a chocolate lover's dream.
Get the Hot Fudge Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Christmas Tree Brownies
These adorable Christmas trees are perfect for when you don't have a ton of time but still want to make something cute and festive. They're easy to assemble and the kids can even help decorate! Use your favorite brownie recipe or keep it simple and use a boxed brownie mix like we did here.
Get the Christmas Tree Brownies recipe.
M&M Cookie Bars
These have all the comfort of a chocolate chip cookie, with the added crunch of M&M's and the heft of a bar shape, making for a delicious treat that’s impossible to put down. Try them with seasonal M&M's to switch them up for holidays too.
Get the M&M Cookie Bars recipe.
Salted Caramel Brownies
We think this recipe is pretty fudgin' awesome, but if you want to use a boxed brownie mix instead, feel free. Here it's all about the creamy caramel sauce. Maldon sea salt—or any coarse, flaky salt—is crucial for getting that light hit of salt without making the whole dessert taste salty.
Get the Salted Caramel Brownies recipe.
Maple Butter Blondies
Inspired by the cream cheese-maple sauce drizzled on the butter pecan blondies at Applebee's, these easy white chocolate chip blondies highlight a very underutilized baking ingredient: maple syrup. Feel free to use walnuts or pecans here, whichever you prefer.
Get the Maple Butter Blondies recipe.
Magic Cookie Bars
Though dump cakes might be the easiest dessert to make, these bars are a close second. And we'd reckon that these are even more customizable and more delicious. We encourage you to find your ideal flavor and ingredient combinations to discover the true magic of these bars.
Get the Magic Cookie Bars recipe.
Andes Brownie
A brownie that looks and tastes like Andes Mints are a dream come true for chocolate-mint lovers. Feel free to add some crushed peppermints to the top to make these extra festive.
Get the Andes Brownie recipe.
Cookies 'N' Cream Blondies
Blondies do have more fun, especially when they're stuffed with both Oreos and Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme Bars. Life is GOOD.
Get the Cookies 'N' Cream Blondies recipe.
Pecan Pie Brownies
We're not willing to leave pecan pie behind at Thanksgiving, so we're baking these brownies all the way through the holiday season.
Get the Pecan Pie Brownies recipe.
Nanaimo Bars
This easy and delicious dessert bar hails from Canada, and we can't get enough of it (and its gorgeous layers)! Its first layer is chocolate, second is a custard-y buttercream, and the third (the best TBH) is a stellar combo of graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and toasted pecans. You're going to be obsessed.
Get the Nanaimo Bars recipe.
Oreo Cheesecake Bars
With layers of chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreos, and cheesecake, these are EVERYTHING. Did we mention they only have 8 ingredients?!
Get the Oreo Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Oatmeal Fudge Bars
These bars are filled with the creamiest, dreamiest, fudgiest chocolate fudge ever. It's so amazing, we made its layer just as thick as the oatmeal cookie. 😈 You're welcome!
Get the Oatmeal Fudge Bars recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
If you're looking for an easy treat with a nostalgic taste, how about everyone’s all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie, but in bar form? No rolling or scooping little balls, no multiple sheet pans, AND you can store them right in the pan you baked them in. 😍
Get the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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