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Red White and Blue M&M Cookie Bars

Name: Red White and Blue M&M Cookie Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened); 1 & 1/2 cups light brown sugar (packed ); ½ cup granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 tablespoon corn syrup; 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract; 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 cup red white and blue M&Ms (or any variety you like!)

By Chahinez Tabet AoulPublished May 25, 2026

Soft, chewy red white and blue M&M cookie bars baked in one sheet pan. The easy patriotic dessert for July 4th, Memorial Day, and cookouts.

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Servings: 24 servings

35 minutes

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Hand holding a red white and blue M&M cookie bar showing the soft chewy texture

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These red white and blue M&M cookie bars are the easiest patriotic dessert you can make all summer. One bowl, one sheet pan, no scooping individual cookies, and you get thick, soft, chewy bars loaded with chocolate chips and festive M&M’s. They are the dessert I make on repeat for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and every backyard cookout in between.

Since you are here and love cookie recipes, check out this Easy Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe, this Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Bars Recipe, or this Cottage Cheese Edible Cookie Dough.

Hand holding patriotic sheet pan red white and blue M&M's cookie bars

Let’s chit chat about these cookie bars

Here is the thing nobody tells you about sheet pan cookie bars: the first few times I made these, the edges came out dry and crumbly while the center stayed perfect. Classic bar cookie problem. The fix turned out to be two small things. First, I pulled them from the oven when the center still looked slightly underbaked, because the pan keeps cooking them as they cool and the edges firm up fast. Second, I stopped over-baking to “be safe” and started trusting the golden edge as my signal. Now the whole pan is soft and chewy corner to corner, no sad dry edges. If you have ever ended up with crunchy edges on a cookie bar, that one timing change is the whole game.

Ingredients for these Patriotic Sheet Pan Red White and Blue M&M’s cookie bars
How to make these Patriotic Sheet pan red white and blue m&m’s cookie bars
Recipe Tips
Why do you need to make this recipe?
Frequently Asked Questions About red white and blue M&M cookie bars
Red White and Blue M&M Cookie Bars Recipe

Ingredients for these Patriotic Sheet Pan Red White and Blue M&M’s cookie bars

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this patriotic dessert. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements.

Unsalted Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter so that we can add the salt separately later. You will also want the butter to be softened, so pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
Light Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: sweeten the dough.
Large Eggs : make the cookies chewy and act as the binding agent.
Corn syrup: helps keep the cookie dough insanely chewy.
Pure Vanilla Extract: add a touch of vanilla and help enhance the other flavors as well.
All-purpose Flour: is the base of the cookie dough and combines with the wet ingredients to create the dough.
Cornstarch: helps make the cookie dough more tender.
Baking Soda and Baking Powder: help the cookie rise and become airy.
Salt: balances out the sweetness while making the other flavors stronger as well.
Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips: are the perfect addition. I used semi-sweet but feel free to use dark or milk chocolate if you want.
Red, White, and Blue M&M candies: or any variety you like!

Sliced red white and blue cookie bars showing the soft chewy center

How to make these Patriotic Sheet pan red white and blue m&m’s cookie bars

This is how you can make patriotic chocolate chip cookies. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the oven temp, bake time, and full step-by-step instructions!

Preheat your oven, then line a half-sheet pan (around 12×17 inches) with parchment paper for easy removal and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step incorporates air and helps the cookies spread for even baking.

Creaming butter and sugar in a bowl for sheet pan cookie bars

Cookie bar dough with eggs added before mixing in the M&M's

Beat in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until combined.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Be careful not to over mix!
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms using a rubber spatula.

Red, white, and blue M&M's and chocolate chips ready to fold into the cookie dough

Patriotic cookie bar dough loaded with chocolate chips and M&M candies

Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is just set (it may look a little soft, but it will firm up as it cools).
- Optional – halfway through the baking pull out the sheet pan and sprinkel with chocolate chips and m&M’s then continue baking. This will ensure that the chocolate chips and m&m’s don’t sink into the cookie.
Let the bars cool completely to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

Cookie bar dough pressed evenly into a parchment-lined sheet pan

Close up of baked 4th of July M&M cookie bars with golden edges

Recipe Tips

Use a kitchen scale instead of a measuring cup to measure the flour. This will give you a much more accurate reading and ensure the best end results.
Use a flat-bottomed cup or a bench scraper to gently press the dough into the pan, making sure it reaches the corners and has a consistent height throughout.

Why do you need to make this recipe?

This easy patriotic m&m cookie recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients that you can easily find at the grocery store.
It’s the perfect treat for Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July, or any patriotic party.
This festive dessert recipe can be customized or altered to fit whatever flavor you’re craving.
These patriotic cookie bars are the easiest red white and blue dessert on the table, and they travel beautifully to any cookout or party.

Texture of homemade red white and blue M&M cookie bars

Can I add other mix-ins to these chewy cookie bars?

Of course! There are plenty of options to spruce up these festive treats!

Add cocoa powder to the dough to make loaded patriotic chocolate cookies.
Use white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips instead of regular.
Add chopped nuts like peanuts or almonds.

Why are my cookie bars dry on the edges?

Overbaking is almost always the culprit. Pull the pan when the center still looks slightly soft and the edges are just golden. The bars keep cooking in the hot pan as they cool, which sets the edges to perfectly chewy instead of dry. Cutting them only after they have fully cooled also helps them hold that soft texture.

How do i store leftover patriotic sheet pan red white and blue M&M’s cookie bars?

Store the cooled cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze the bars for up to three months. Just make sure you wrap them in plastic wrap first to prevent freezer burn.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. When ready to bake, allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as directed.

Can i use a sugar cookie dough instead?

This is a chocolate chip cookie dough recipe but if you want to use the sugar cookie dough from the store please do. It will not taste the same as this recipe, so instead, I would go with the chocolate chip cookie dough log. You can add the m&m’s in there to decorate it as you please.

About Chahinez Tabet Aoul

Chahinez Tabet Aoul is the recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind Lifestyle of a Foodie and Simple Copycat Recipes. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chahinez is known for creating approachable, high-reward recipes that feel like they came straight from your favorite restaurant. Only easier, more fun, and made right a thome!