20 Easy Christmas Bar Cookie Recipes to Celebrate the Holidays in the Sweetest Way
From decadent chocolate to dried fruits and nuts, these festive treats are a must!
Sweet, buttery cookies are a holiday MVP. From Christmas treats like homemade Linzers to chocolate crinkles and sprinkled Italian cookies, there’s nothing we love quite as much as baking traditional Christmas cookies to swap with family and friends. But sometimes we just don’t have a ton of time (or energy) to devote to cutting out and decorating a million individual cookies. In these times, we turn instead to Christmas bar cookies.
Here, we’re defining bar cookies as any non-cake dessert that gets baked in a pan or sheet tray before being cut into individual squares or rectangles. While brownies and blondies technically fall into this category, we also wanted to shine a light on some of our other favorite examples, like a buttery caramel- and chocolate-topped Millionaire Shortbread and some super-easy Pecan Pie Bars. These sweet treats — which incorporate plenty of seasonal ingredients like cinnamon, peppermint and cranberry — are every bit as delicious as holiday desserts like pie and frosted sugar cookies, but with a little less work involved (what do you say to pumpkin pie minus the rolling, crimping and chilling?). Plus, they’re extra forgiving, and easy to make a ton of — perfect for a Christmas party dessert.
Luckily, we’ve rounded up the best Christmas bar cookie recipes for holiday baking without all the added stress, since that’s one thing you definitely don’t need more of. However, if you do find yourself with a bit more time on your hands, maybe take a crack at one of these homemade Christmas candy recipes as well.
Shortbread Squares
One buttery shortbread dough, three festive cookie toppings? Yes, please.
Get the Shortbread Squares recipe.
Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
These tart and decadent bars with a touch of chocolate look almost as good as they taste.
Brown Sugar–Hazelnut Bars
These bars are as easy as whipping up a cookie base and topping it with chocolate-hazelnut spread (like Nutella!).
Get the Brown Sugar–Hazelnut Bars recipe.
Pecan Pie Bars
These gooey nut bars are the Christmas party version of your favorite pecan pie.
Get the Pecan Pie Bars recipe.
Pistachio Thins
A large rimmed baking sheet means you can make these cookies extra-slim for easy snacking!
Get the Pistachio Thins recipe.
Oreo Brownies
Double the chocolate, double the deliciousness in this kid-approved dessert.
Get the Oreo Brownies recipe.
Apricot Crumb Bars
Apricot jam adds instant flavor to baked goods. For these tasty bars, we spread it on a brown sugar cookie base and sprinkle with a buttery crumb topping.
Get the Apricot Crumb Bars recipe.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
The gingersnap crust on these rich cookie bars makes them the perfect holiday dessert.
Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars recipe.
RELATED: 22 Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes to Make This Fall
PB&J Bars
A PB&J is halfway to a dessert already, so why not close the gap with these super kid-friendly cookie bars? We swap in peanut butter chips for peanut butter to make them extra decadent.
Get the PB&J Bars recipe.
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Blondies are a great brownie alternative, but throwing in a little chocolate never hurts.
Get the Chocolate Chip Blondies recipe.
"Candy" Bars
All of your favorite candy flavors come together atop this classic brown sugar hazelnut cookie bar crust.
Get the "Candy" Bars recipe.
Kitchen Sink Layer Bars
Pretzels, butterscotch, coconut, chocolate — what's not to like?
Get the Kitchen Sink Layer Bars recipe.
Pumpkin Pie Bars
These bars have the same custardy, perfectly spiced filling and buttery crust you crave in a holiday pumpkin pie, but with one added bonus: the dough gets pressed right into the pan, no rolling or crimping required.
Get the Pumpkin Pie Bars recipe from Delish.
Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
We love the Cranberry Bliss Bars from Starbucks, but a buttery blondie base pushes these homemade versions just over the top. With a drizzle of white chocolate, these make a perfectly festive dessert for your Christmas party (or a super decadent snack or breakfast the next day).
Get the Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars recipe from Delish.
Millionaire Shortbread
Make this buttery shortbread topped with homemade caramel and a layer of chocolate, and you’ll be feeling richer than George Bailey at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life.
Get the Millionaire Shortbread recipe from Delish.
Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
What if we told you there’s a recipe that combines churros and cheesecake into one flaky, crispy-creamy bar? Plus, there’s absolutely no frying required: this recipe uses cans of crescent dough for the crust.
Get the Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars recipe from Muy Bueno.
Nanaimo Bars
If you grew up south of the Canadian border, you’ve probably never eaten (let alone heard of) these bars before. Loaded with everything from coconut to graham crackers, your holiday guests won’t hesitate a minute before grabbing one. Bonus: these are a completely no-bake recipe.
Get the Nanaimo Bars recipe from Delish.
Grasshopper Bars
Nothing screams Christmas like the beautiful medley of peppermint and chocolate.
Get the Grasshopper Bars recipe from Woman's Day.
Cherry-Ginger Hermit Bars
If you prefer spiced and fruity flavors in your holiday dessert, the citrus, dried cherries and candied ginger in these bars will make your mouth water.
Get the Cherry-Ginger Hermit Bars recipe from Woman's Day.
Nancy's Brown Butter-Hazelnut Blondies
If you're bored with plain old brownies, give these rich and nutty blondies a whirl as your Christmas dessert.
Get the Nancy's Brown Butter-Hazelnut Blondies recipe from Country Living.
Kate Merker (she/her) is the Chief Food Director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, overseeing the team that produces food content for several Hearst titles, including Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Prevention, Woman’s Day and Country Living. She has clocked nearly 20 years of experience in food media and before that, worked at some of New York City’s finest restaurants.
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