Looking for a way to save time this holiday season? These sheet pan cookie bars offer a brilliant approach to making six classic holiday cookies at once – and they all use the same cookie mix or dough. Not only does this fantastic baking tip make whipping up a variety of holiday sweets easier than ever, but since they use the same base and bake in a single pan, cleanup is a breeze, too!

Holiday Cookie Bars: Which Cookie Flavors to Use?

Let’s face it: not everyone likes the same things, and that’s okay! If your friends, family or whoever you’re baking for all have different flavor preferences (and they probably do), this is a great way to ensure everyone gets their favorite holiday selection.

When the season rolls around, these are my six go-to options:

• Chocolate Chip with Holiday M&M’s
• Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip with Sea Salt
• Snickerdoodle
• Holiday Sprinkles
• Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss

You might be wondering if all of those varieties can be made on the same pan and the answer is: yes, they can! Even though th ey’re different, each flavor bakes perfectly, yielding delicious cookies that are crisp on the outside and chewy within.

With this recipe, the options are truly endless – so feel free to make it your own! If you want to make a different number of flavors, simply split the dough into the appropriate number of sections. If you have another flavor idea, don’t hesitate to try it! It’s such a fun recipe to experiment with.

How to Make Cookie Bars from Cookie Mix or Dough

To start, using an electric stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, mix together a very simple cookie dough recipe (skip this step if using pre-made dough). Divide the dough into six different mixing bowls, about 3/4 cups of cookie dough in each. Then, add the mix -ins for each flavor and stir until they’re well-incorporated into the dough. (If you like cookies with flair, reserve some mix-ins to add over top before baking.) Roll the dough into a ball so it’s easy to transfer to the pan.

Using an 18”x13” sheet pan, arrange the cookie dough balls evenly so that the pan has six equal sections. Using your hands, press each cookie dough ball down to fill the space on the sheet pan. Each cookie dough section should be pressed up against those beside it, filling the entire sheet pan.

I love to garnish my cookies before I bake them, so this is when I top each square of cookie dough with the mix -in ingredients I saved from earlier. This is one of my favorite tricks for making cookies look their absolute best!

Once the pan is ready, you can put it in the oven and let your cookies bake. Set the timer for 15 minutes, and a separate timer to remind you to rotate the pan halfway through. Once the cookie bars are baked, immediately press in any toppings, such as Hershey’s Kisses for the Peanut Butter Squares and a sprinkle of sea salt for the Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chunk section.

Let the pan cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting the cookies. We like to cut each flavor into nine squares, but they c an be cut to whatever size you please. For the full directions, check out the recipe on this page.

This recipe is just too easy, too fun and too delicious to be true! It’s a family favorite that we all love baking just as much as eating throughout the holidays. It’s perfect for a cookie exchange, holiday party, for Santa’s special plate or just to have on the kitchen counter as a treat for everyone to enjoy.