No flour Christmas Cookie Bars are loaded with oats, peanut butter, chocolate, and festive green & red mini m&m's. Thick, chewy bars that everyone loves and and even Santa too!
Heat oven to 350°. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper, silpat liner, or spraying with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, or bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. Mix until fluffy and pale in color. About 1-2 minutes.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix together.
Add in the oats and baking soda. Blend until combined.
Add in mini chocolate chips and 1½ cups of the mini m&m's (reserve the rest for the top) and blend together just until combined.
Dump the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet and spread out with a spatula or back of a silverware spoon. If it's too sticky then spray your hands or the back of the spoon with cooking spray.Sprinkle the reserved m&m's and additional chocolate chips on top (if wanted). Press them down slightly into the dough.
Bake for 17-20 minutes.* The edges will be lightly browned and the middle will still look pale and underdone, but it will finish baking as it cools. They will be very soft and loose right out of the oven, but I promise they come together perfectly while cooling.
Let the bars cool in the pan for AT LEAST 1 HOUR so the bars can firm up and come together. You do not want to over-bake these! They will be very soft and loose right out of the oven, but I promise they come together perfectly while cooling.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. These also freeze perfectly too.
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Notes
Peanut Butter : Natural peanut butter does not work well in this recipe. You of course can always try it, but natural peanut butter is thicker and not enough liquid/oil in it, so baked goods tend to turn out dry and crumbly. But again, try it out and maybe you'll like it. Sugar Tip : Many people have reduced the sugar by half or a quarter with great results. Oats : I love the texture of the quick + old fashioned oats together so that's why there are two different oats listed. Many people have used all quick oats with great results. M&M's : If you can't find the mini m&m's then the regular Christmas mix m&m's will work just fine too.