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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter Cups and M&M's

    Published: Feb 8, 2022 · Updated: Feb 8, 2022 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A cookie bar with a bite taken out on parchment paper.
    A cookie bar with melted peanut butter cup and pink m&m embedded in the top.
    Gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars with red and pink m&ms on top cut into squares. Also topped with melty peanut butter cups.

    Gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars loaded with peanut butter cups and M&M's, too! So quick and easy to make and irresistibly good. Use holiday M&M's for a festive look.

    Gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars with red and pink m&ms on top cut into squares. Also topped with melty peanut butter cups.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Top Tips
    • Recipe
    • Comments and Ratings

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    You really can't go wrong with these gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars! Especially if you love chocolate chip cookies but you just don't love all the scooping. This recipe is so quick and easy to make. Just whip up the dough, spread them in a pan, and bake!

    This smaller batch recipe fits perfectly in a 9-inch pan, but you can easily double the recipe to fit in a 9x13 pan if you need a larger batch.

    These thick and chewy gluten free cookie bars are loaded with not only chocolate chips but peanut butter cups and M&M's, too! Sure you could leave one or the other out, but I promise you'll love the extra goodies loaded into these bars!

    The M&M's make it easy to create a festive treat, just grab a bag of the current holiday M&M's and you can change these up for every holiday, from Valentine's Day to Christmas and everything in between!

    Cookie bars are perfect for super bowl parties, birthday parties, and road trips since they are so easily portable. This easy recipe is great for kid helpers too! Be sure to check out these reader favorite cookie recipes while you're here: gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip bars, double chocolate chip cookies, and gluten-free toll-house dupe chocolate chip cookies!

    A cookie bar with a bite taken out on parchment paper.

    Ingredients

    Grab a few pantry ingredients and some festive M&M's and you're ready to make these delicious cookie bars!

    Ingredients for gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars measured out in bowls on white wooden surface.
    • Gluten-free Flour Blend: I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Cup4Cup Multipurpose blend. Both worked great and I am confident other 1:1 blends for gluten-free baking will work as well, as long as it contains Xanthan Gum or another binder.
    • Dairy-Free: I am confident you could replace the butter with Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks to make these dairy-free. Also be sure to swap your chocolate chips, chocolate candies, and peanut butter cups for dairy-free alternatives as well.
    • Eggs: Be sure to use one whole egg and one egg yolk as the recipe indicates. The extra yolk is needed for the chewy texture of these bars and makes them less crumbly.
    • Chocolate Chips: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can use milk or dark chocolate if that is what you prefer.
    • M&M's: are not specifically labeled gluten-free but do not contain gluten-ingredients and are generally considered safe to eat.
    • Peanut butter cups: I used miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, check the back of the bag for a gluten-free label as Hershey's will label verified products.

    Instructions

    Collage: Butter and sugars in a bowl, eggs and vanilla added to creamed mixture, flour poured into wet ingredients, blending with hand mixer.
    1. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
    2. Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Blend again until light and fluffy.
    3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, then add to the creamed mixture.
    4. Blend until well combined.
    5. Add in chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter cups.
    6. Stir to combine with a spoon, breaking up peanut butter cups.
    7. Spread into a 9-inch square pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
    8. Press extra chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter cups on top.
    9. Bake!
    Collage: Addin in candies, stirring into batter, spreading dough into parchment lined square pan, extra candy pressed on top.

    Storage

    These bars are best eaten fresh while still warm and gooey! They will keep well for several days though, in an airtight container or wrapped tightly, and left at room temperature.

    These bars also hold up well for freezing. Just slice them and place in an airtight container. It helps to keep them tightly wrapped and remove any excess air. They will last for 3 months or so in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.

    Top Tips

    • Press extra chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter cups into the top of the bars before baking! This is what gives them their show stopping appearance and you can see exactly what's inside!
    • Measure the flour using the spoon and level technique. This is where you fluff up our flour, spoon it gently into the measuring cup, and then level off the top with a straight edged knife or spatula.
    Gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars scattered on parchment paper with m&m's and peanut butter cups on top.

    Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Find even more great gluten-free recipes here!

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    If you made this recipe, leave a comment and add a star-rating below!
    Thank you for your support! ♡

    Recipe

    Gluten free chocolate chip cookie bars with peanut butter cups and M&M's on top cut into squares on parchment paper.

    Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter Cups and M&M's

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
    These gluten-free chocolate chip cookie bars are also loaded with peanut butter cups and M&M's, too. So quick and easy to make and irresistibly good. Use holiday M&M's for a festive look.
    5 from 2 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Dessert
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 16 bars
    Calories 269 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 2 cups gluten-free flour blend
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for top
    • ¼ cup plain M&M's chocolate candies, plus extra for top
    • 8 miniature peanut butter cups, plus extra for top

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper.
    • Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
    • Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Blend again until light and fluffy.
    • Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt.
    • Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and blend until well combined.
    • Add in chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter cups. Stir to combine, breaking up peanut butter cups slightly.
    • Spread into a 9-inch square pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
    • Press extra chocolate chips, M&M's, and peanut butter cups on top.
    • Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

    Notes

    • Measure the flour using the spoon and level technique. This is where you fluff up our flour, spoon it gently into the measuring cup, and then level off the top with a straight edged knife or spatula.
    • For measurements in grams, click the metric tab at the top of the ingredients list.
    • Store at room temperature in airtight container. 
    • Bars can be frozen for up to 3 months if tightly wrapped. 
    • Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch pan.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1barCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 197mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 232IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

    More Gluten-free Cookie Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies
    • Chewy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Raisins
    • Gluten-Free Crumbl Oreo Dirt Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
    • Gluten-Free Crumbl Galaxy Brownie Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

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    1. Kathy

      November 01, 2022 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      These are so good! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

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    Katie Olesen headshot.

    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

    More about me →

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