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Red, White, and Blue Bars Recipe – 4th of July Peanut Butter Slices

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Are you looking for a patriotic dessert for the 4th of July this year? These red, white, and blue bars are perfect for your Independence Day party table.

The 4th of July bars are soft-baked and chewy. They have loads of peanut butter M&Ms throughout the batter and colorful sprinkles on the top of the bars.

This cookie bar recipe is easy to prepare. Just combine everything in a mixer and then press the ingredients into a baking dish.

Keep reading to learn how to make these easy Fourth of July dessert bars.

A red plate with cookie bars sitting on flag napkins near a red, white and blue candle. Red text box reads Fourth of July dessert recipe.

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Ingredients for the red, white, and blue bars recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this patriotic peanut butter cookie bars recipe.

Bowls on a marble countertop with sugar, eggs, flour, M&Ms, chocolate chips, butter, sprinkles, vanilla, and baking soda, baking powder and salt.

  • 1 ½ cups of light brown sugar
  • ½ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 ½ cups of red, white, and blue peanut butter M&Ms, divided
  • ¾ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup of red, white, and blue sprinkles

You’ll also need a mixer and a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

How to make this Fourth of July dessert recipe

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F (176°C). Spray a 13 x 9-inch ovenproof baking dish with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set this bowl aside.

Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the pure vanilla extract and eggs, and beat until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined. The batter will be smooth and stiff.

A collage showing pictures of a 4th of July dessert recipe.

Reduce the speed to low and fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 cups of the peanut butter M&Ms, beating the mixture for about 15 seconds.

Remove the mixing bowl and use a spatula to finish stirring the batter. Make sure that the peanut butter M&Ms and chocolate chips are well dispersed throughout the batter.

Press the cookie bar batter into the prepared pan and smooth it with a spatula.

A collage showing cookie bar batter on the left and decorating batter with patriotic sprinkles and M&Ms on the right.

Sprinkle the remainder of the red, white, and blue peanut butter M&Ms and the sprinkles over the top of the batter. Lightly press the M&Ms into the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the peanut butter cookie bars are cooked in the center and the edges are golden brown.

Remove the pan, place it on a wire rack, and cool for an hour before cutting into 24 bars.

Patriotic cookie bars on parchment paper near a flag napkin and M&M candies.

Serving the red, white, and blue cookie bars

These cookie bars are soft-baked and chewy. They have a sweet, peanut butter chocolate taste that is sure to be a hit on your summer dessert table.

A woman's hand holding peanut butter cookie bars above a flag napkin and red plate with more bars.

Share this patriotic dessert recipe on X

If you enjoyed making this 4th of July dessert, why not share the recipe with a friend? Here is a post to get you started:

These red, white & blue cookie bars are the perfect dessert for your Independence Day celebration. The soft-baked bars are flavored with peanut butter M&Ms and chocolate chips.🎆 #PeanutButterBars #4thOfJulyDessert… Share on X

More Fourth of July party ideas

Looking for more inspiration for your 4th of July party? Check out these recipes:

Pin this Fourth of July dessert recipe

Would you like a reminder of this recipe for red, white, and blue bars? Just pin this image to one of your dessert boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

You can also watch this YouTube slideshow video that shows how to make these 4th of July cookie bars!

Two plates of cookie bars sitting on red and blue checked napkins, and a 4th of July candle. A patriotic text box reads Red, white, and blue bars recipe.

Yield: 24 Red, white & blue cookie bars

Red, White & Blue Bars - Fourth of July Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe

Red, white and blue cookie bars on parchment paper near a flag napkin and loose MM candies.

These red, white & blue cookie bars are the perfect dessert for your 4th of July party.

The bars are soft-baked and chewy with loads of peanut butter M&Ms, chocolate chips, and sprinkles which give the dessert a patriotic look.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups of light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 ½ cups of red, white and blue peanut butter M&Ms, divided
  • ¾ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup of red, white and blue sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
  2. Spray a 13 x 9-inch ovenproof baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
  4. Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  5. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  6. Add the pure vanilla extract and eggs. Mix well.
  7. Slowly add the flour mixture.
  8. Reduce the speed to low and fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 cups of the peanut butter M&Ms, beating the mixture for about 15 seconds.
  9. Remove the mixing bowl and continue stirring with a spatula, to make sure the M&Ms and chocolate chips are dispersed through the mixture.
  10. Press the cookie bar batter into a prepared pan with a spatula.
  11. Sprinkle the rest of the M&Ms and the sprinkles over the top of the batter. Lightly press the M&Ms into the batter.
  12. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the 4th of July bars are cooked in the center and the edges are golden brown.
  13. Remove the pan, place it on a wire rack, and cool for at least an hour before cutting the bars.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 183mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 5g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Carol
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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