Description
Santa’s Trash Cookie Bars are a festive, easy recipe loaded with chocolate, crunchy cereal, marshmallows, and holiday candy for the ultimate Christmas dessert. Perfect for cookie trays, party treats, holiday baking, and sweet food ideas, these chewy bars are a fun make-ahead dessert, easy recipe, and crowd-pleasing snack for every holiday table.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup red and green chocolate candies
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup golden graham cereal or chopped graham crackers
1/2 cup chopped chocolate pieces or chocolate-coated candies
1/3 cup white icing or melted white chocolate
2 tablespoons holiday sprinkles
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips, chocolate candies, mini marshmallows, graham cereal, and chopped chocolate pieces, reserving a little for the top.
7. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan and scatter the reserved toppings over the surface.
8. Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is just set.
9. Cool completely in the pan, then drizzle with white icing and finish with holiday sprinkles before slicing into bars.
Notes
Use room temperature butter and eggs so the dough mixes evenly and bakes into soft, chewy bars.
Do not overbake the bars or they can lose their gooey center and tender texture.
Let the bars cool fully before slicing so the chocolate and marshmallow set properly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 43mg