Cadbury Egg Cookie Bars

My neighbor brought these to a spring potluck three years ago, and I watched them disappear faster than anything else on the table—even before the salads were touched. I asked for the recipe on the spot, made them the next weekend, and suddenly understood why. There's something about biting into that soft, buttery cookie and hitting a chunk of creamy Cadbury egg that just feels like a small celebration, no matter what time of year it is.

I made a double batch last Easter morning while my kids decorated eggs in the living room, and the smell of melted butter and vanilla drifting through the house somehow made the whole day feel warmer. My youngest came into the kitchen mid-bake, saw the M&Ms studding the top of the pan, and declared it the 'fancy dessert'—which was hilarious and also true.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: The foundation that keeps these bars tender rather than cake-like, and 280 grams is precise enough to matter.
• Baking soda: Just enough to give you that gentle rise without making them fluffy or airy.
• Salt: A half teaspoon that you absolutely cannot skip—it makes the sweetness sing and the chocolate taste deeper.
• Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled: Melted butter creates that chewy texture; cooling it slightly prevents the eggs from scrambling when you whisk them in.
• Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: The combination of both gives you moisture from the molasses in brown sugar plus the structure from white sugar.
• Eggs at room temperature: They incorporate more smoothly and create a better crumb than cold eggs straight from the fridge.
• Pure vanilla extract: Two teaspoons is not an accident—it cuts through the sweetness and adds complexity.
• Cadbury mini eggs, chopped: The creamy, slightly waxy chocolate of these is different from regular chocolate chips, and chopping them lets them distribute throughout instead of sinking.
• Pastel M&Ms: A full cup ensures you get color and chocolate in almost every bite, and the candy shell provides that satisfying contrast to the soft bar.

Instructions

Heat your oven and prepare the pan:

Set the oven to 350°F and line your 9x13-inch pan with parchment, letting the edges hang over the sides so you can lift the whole slab out later. This takes one minute and saves you from chiseling bars out of a sticky pan.

Mix your dry team:

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, making sure there are no lumps hiding in the corners. Set it aside and try not to peek at what's happening in the other bowl.

Combine butter and sugars:

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until the mixture looks smooth and slightly glossy. This should take about a minute of steady whisking.

Add eggs and vanilla:

Crack your eggs into the butter mixture and add the vanilla, then whisk everything together until it's pale and fully combined. You're looking for no streaks of egg white showing.

Fold in the dry ingredients gently:

Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in two or three additions, stirring just until you don't see dry flour anymore. Overmixing here is the enemy of chewiness.

Fold in the chocolate and candy:

Gently fold in the chopped Cadbury eggs and half of the M&Ms, distributing them as evenly as you can. The dough will look studded and festive.

Spread and top:

Pour the dough into your prepared pan and spread it to the corners with a spatula, then scatter the remaining M&Ms and a few extra egg chunks across the top. This is where the bars get their cheerful, decorated look.

Bake until just set:

Bake for 23 to 26 minutes—you want the edges golden and the center looking set but still very slightly underbaked in the middle. A toothpick should come out with a few crumbs, not wet batter.

Cool completely before cutting:

Let the pan sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature, then lift the whole slab out using the parchment and cut into 16 bars with a sharp, clean knife. Warm bars will fall apart; cooled bars will hold together beautifully.

Save

A friend's daughter came home from school talking about how she'd traded three different snacks for just one of these bars—which says everything about how much kids (and honestly, adults) lose their minds over them. That moment of realizing food could be valuable currency in a six-year-old's world made me laugh for hours.

When to Make These

Spring celebrations are the obvious time, but I've found these work year-round because the Cadbury eggs and M&Ms feel special without screaming 'holiday only.' They're soft enough to pack for a picnic, sturdy enough to survive being stacked in a lunchbox, and festive enough that even a regular Tuesday afternoon suddenly feels like something to celebrate.

Storage and Make-Ahead Magic

These keep beautifully at room temperature in an airtight container for up to four days, which means you can make them on a lazy Sunday and have treats ready without any thought. If you want to go further, you can freeze the baked bars for up to two months—just thaw them on the counter for an hour and they're as good as fresh.

Smart Swaps and Variations

If you can't find Cadbury mini eggs or pastel M&Ms (which happens, especially outside of spring season), regular M&Ms work beautifully, or try chopped Easter-themed chocolate bars, white chocolate chips mixed with colored sprinkles, or even crushed malted milk balls for a completely different vibe. The beauty of this recipe is that the soft, chewy base is so good that what you fold in is really just decoration and flavor layering.

• Use a cookie scoop if you're making these into individual cookies instead of bars—bake for 12 to 14 minutes instead.
• For extra gooey centers, pull them out at 22 minutes and let them set in the pan for five extra minutes before cutting.
• Chop your Cadbury eggs roughly so you get those satisfying chocolate chunks distributed throughout every bite.

Save

These bars are the kind of recipe that reminds you why baking matters—not because it's complicated, but because something this joyful and simple can actually bring people together. Make them, share them, and watch someone's face light up when they bite into that soft cookie and hit a pocket of creamy chocolate egg.

Recipe FAQs

→ How can I make the cookie bars softer?

To achieve a softer texture, bake the bars slightly less time, removing them when the edges are golden but the center is still a bit soft.

→ Can I substitute Cadbury mini eggs with other candies?

Yes, you can replace Cadbury mini eggs with mini chocolate eggs or regular M&Ms for a similar texture and flavor.

→ What is the best way to store these bars?

Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to four days.

→ Should I mix the dry ingredients all at once?

Yes, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together before folding them gradually into the wet ingredients to ensure even distribution without overmixing.

→ How do pastel M&Ms affect the bars?

Pastel M&Ms add colorful pops and a sweet crunch that complements the creamy Cadbury mini eggs for a festive appearance and flavor contrast.

→ Is parchment paper necessary for baking?

Using parchment paper helps with easy removal of the bars and prevents sticking, making cleanup simpler.