Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Holiday Cake Mix Cookie Bars are soft, chewy, and packed with festive M&M’s and chocolate chips. Perfect for Christmas parties and potlucks!
At least once a week I like to bake something new or create a new recipe for my family to enjoy. As much as I love baking a homemade sweet, it can sometimes be a lot of work. My Cake Mix Cookie Bars is a great recipe to pull out this time of year. It’s an easy way to create a delicious dessert without a lot of hassle. All you need is 6 simple ingredients, and only 30 minutes of your day, to complete this yummy Christmas-inspired treat. If your kids are savvy in the kitchen, you may even entrust them to bake these on their own!
CAKE MIX COOKIE BARS
These sweet cookie bars start off with a boxed yellow cake mix. Everything you need for a great base to a recipe is right in there. Instant vanilla pudding mix is added to provide more flavor and a softness to the end product. It makes these bars irresistible! Water, vegetable oil, and eggs hold everything together so when they bake they come out fluffy and perfect. The addition of chocolate chips and M&M’s are what make this treat worthwhile. When I make these bars around the holidays I love to use holiday themed M&M’s. The beautiful color combination of red and green makes every piece pop with festive cheer.
Find my expert tips on how to make cake mix cookie bars from scratch below! Don’t forget to tag me in all of your creations @lifeinthelofthouse on Instagram and Facebook. Let’s stay connected. ❤️
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Holiday Cake Mix Cookie Bars Recipe:
- Quick & Easy-To-Make Treat: Made with a simple cake mix and instant pudding, these bars come together in minutes, perfect for busy holiday baking.
- Soft & Chewy Cookie Bars: The combination of cake mix and pudding creates a moist, tender texture that melts in your mouth.
- Festive & Colorful: Packed with chocolate chips and colorful holiday M&M’s for a fun, seasonal twist.
- Single-Pan Baking: No complicated steps or multiple pans, just bake everything in one 9×13-inch dish for easy cleanup.
- Ideal Holiday Dessert: Ideal for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or gifting, these bars are as festive as they are delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
- 1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup holiday M&M’s
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs. Mix together well. Stir in chocolate chips and M&M’s. Batter will be thick.
Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Carefully remove from the hot oven and let bars cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Servings
This easy-to-make treat creates 12 equal-sized cookie mix cake bars. If you want to make these bars for a holiday event, you may want to double the recipe so that you can get 24 servings out of the finished product. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy to double up, and you can still get everything done in just 30 minutes!
Storage
Cake Mix Cookie Bars can be covered and stored on the countertop for up to 3 days, or covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Holly’s Tips for The Best Holiday Cake Mix Cookie Bars:
- Use Chocolate or Vanilla Cake Mix: I use yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding to balance the chocolate chips and M&M’s, but chocolate cake and pudding work well, too.
- Customizable Mix-Ins: Swap M&M’s for seasonal colors, try milk, dark, or white chocolate chips, or even use peanut M&M’s for extra crunch. While festive holiday versions are fun, you can make these colorful, sweet bars anytime of year with your favorite mix-ins.
- Don’t Overmix: Stir ingredients just until combined to keep the bars tender and soft.
- Use A Thick Batter: The batter will be thick; this is normal and helps the bars hold their shape.
- Even Spreading: Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan so they bake uniformly.
- Check for Doneness: Bars are ready when edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cool Completely Before Cutting: Let the bars cool fully in the pan to prevent crumbling when slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! These cookie bars can be baked a day or two in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Absolutely! You can use chocolate cake mix with chocolate pudding for a richer flavor, or any other flavor combination you like.
The edges should be golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
To make Cake Mix Cookie Bars dairy-free, start with a cake mix that doesn’t contain milk (most Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker mixes are already dairy-free). Replace the butter with a vegan alternative like Earth Balance or Country Crock Plant Butter, or use a neutral oil if needed. Swap any milk for a non-dairy option such as almond, oat, or soy milk, and be sure to choose dairy-free mix-ins like Enjoy Life chocolate chips. If the bars include a glaze or frosting, use a simple powdered sugar and non-dairy milk mixture or a store-bought vegan frosting.
To make Cake Mix Cookie Bars gluten-free, simply swap the regular yellow cake mix for a certified gluten-free yellow cake mix (brands like King Arthur or Betty Crocker GF work well). Check that the instant pudding mix is gluten-free; most vanilla varieties are, but always confirm labels for hidden wheat ingredients. Use gluten-free chocolate chips and M&M-style candies if needed, and prepare the recipe as written. The texture will be slightly softer with gluten-free mix, but the bars will still bake up chewy and delicious.
Similar Recipes
Craving something similar? Try my Sugar Cookie Bars.
Wanting something even more festive? My Candy Cane Kiss Sugar Cookie Bars are perfect for any holiday party and potluck.
Huge cookie lover? My Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are amazing, layered with a chocolate chip cookie and cheesecake filling in every bite.
Looking for something to make in the fall? My Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are piled high with a golden buttery crust, pumpkin filling, and a cheesecake mixture.
In the mood for something different? My S’mores Cookie Bars are a campfire favorite, layered with a graham cracker crust, melted marshmallows, and rich, creamy chocolate.
Have you made this Cake Mix Cookie Bars recipe? 💚
Leave a review, and don’t forget to tag me in your creations on Instagram and Facebook! @lifeinthelofthouse! #CakeMixCookieBars #HolidayRecipes #LifeInTheLofthouse
Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
- 1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup holiday M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs. Mix together well. Stir in chocolate chips and M&M’s. Batter will be thick.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake 24 to 26 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Carefully remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
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These look DELICIOUS! I am going to add it to my December baking list! Thank you!
My nieces will love this when they come visit. They love to bake with me.
I love how easy these are to make! I too like to crank up the Christmas music and bake away!
I have used this recipe over and over again for so many things! Cookie exchanges, potlucks, cookie gifts, etc. it’s easy, quick and yummy! Thanks so much for experimenting in your kitchen so that I can be faster in mine 😉 !!
Going to try out this recipe for our family Christmas Eve. I’m gonna use peanut butter m&ms in one batch & mint m&ms in the other 🙂
Made these for our family holiday party. I added white chocolate chips too. There were only 2 left and I ate those for breakfast the next day.
Very good. Simple but yummy/
Can you use cook and serve pudding mix???
I suggest the instant. I have never used the cook and serve in this recipe.
I love how quick and easy these are to make. And the taste is so good!
Can you make this recipe with orange cake mix and chocolate chips ? Would anything change in the recipe ?
You really could make these with any cake mix or chocolate chips! I tried it with Red velvet cake mix and white chocolate chips and they were so good! 🙂
I made these and they are amazing! I don’t just make them for holidays,.
So easy and so good! My kids beg for these for all school dessert exchanges or sports potluck dinners they always sign me up for dessert. The possibilities are endless. Favorites are red velvet cake mix, cheesecake pudding and white chips.. Also soooo good with lemon or strawberry cake mix. Fudge chocolate cake with chocolate pudding and dark chips is also great!
You did it again posted another great recipe. I made these yesterday and followed the recipe how easy these were to put together. I could not wait for them to bake, cool and try one and boy they were awesome. I will be making these again real soon. Thanks for sharing.