Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
This recipe for Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars has been around since the 1930s. They’re often called Chocolate Halfway Bars and are a close relative to Mud Hen Bars, which have the addition of marshmallows. When I saw them on the American Heritage Cooking blog, I knew I must give them a whirl.
Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
The original recipe calls for shortening in the base, but I swapped this out for butter, plus upped the original chocolate. Duh. The crackly meringue topping isn’t the easiest to cut. Scoring while warm may give a better presentation, but we were running out the door when these came out of the oven.
The family didn’t seem to mind that their bars weren’t perfectly square or covered with an unmarred brown sugar meringue topping. I have a feeling you’ll be just as intrigued by these as I was…enough to give them a try.
For another unique meringue dessert, check out these lovely Tropical Napoleons. And these Simple Meringue Cookies are consistently my most popular recipe! Plus, peruse all these Bar Cookies!
Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars
A unique, old-fashioned chocolate chip bar topped with meringue.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, separated
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons water
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and line 8 x 8 inch baking dish with non-stick foil or foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder and set aside.
- In a larger bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter with the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, water, vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture.
- Pat into baking dish and top with chocolate chips.
- Beat egg white until stiff; gradually beat in ½ cup brown sugar. Spread over chocolate. Bake in for 25 minutes or until top is golden. Cut into bars while warm. Cool completely.
Notes
Total time does not include cooling time.
Recipe adapted from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1955 Edition, via American Heritage Cooking Blog
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 182Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
47 Comments on “Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars”
These remind me of something my mother use to make that I had forgotten all about. I loved the crunchy meringue and the sweet goodness below. Even though I try not to bake much, I’m going to have make these. They are irresistible!
WHAAAAT?! Why have I never heard of these? Tasted these? Ugh… gimme gimme!!
I giggled when I read “mud hen bars!” These are lovely meringue-topped chocolate chip bars, Liz. They look special.
Love cookie bars but would never have thought to top them with meringue – that sounds incredible Liz! Love how pretty they look with the crackled topping too.
I’m super curious to find out how it tastes and feels with the meringue on top, chocolate in the middle and then the crust on the bottom! These bars are beautiful. I love them just as they are.
First, these look amazing. Second, I’m giggling because I can’t even make a meringue cookie properly yet – let alone top a cookie bar and bake it into awesomeness. Your skills inspire me ;D
My mom used to make a dessert that was similar in style, except that she made it with raspberries. She’d serve it warm, which kept the meringue tender, and topped it with ice cream and raspberry sauce.
Okay I’ve always said you were the bar queen, you just proved me SO VERY right. This is amazing. One of these days I’m going to drive over there for a weekend visit so we can bake together. How fun would that be. xx
yes! very intriguing! I love mud hen bars, so I think these would be great. I think they look just picture perfect!
Meringue on top is a pretty good idea.
so crunchy, tasty, delightful dessert bars, a great way to have something quick and delicious 🙂
Fabulous! I always think that some of the best recipes come from the 50s and 60s – or maybe it is nostalgia. I love the layers of this and the meringue topping.
This sounds like a very fun recipe and I bet the crackly top is so delicious. This sounds like an oldie but a goodie .
Definitely intrigued. You know a recipe is good when it has survived since the 1930s! So glad you shared the recipe, Liz. Thank you =)
Liz, you have some really amazing bar recipes in your blog. These chocolate bars with meringue top look fabulous.
These look brilliant! I can’t wait to make them!
All those different textures in one bite… Fabulous bars! 🙂 ela
Meringue takes these bars from good to sublime! Perfect ,even if the meringue is marred and the square not quite perfect. Just send the imperfect ones my way! I’ll be happy to oblige.
I imagine these bars would be as delightful as they look!
I make a slice with a meringue topping! I should put the recipe on the blog. There’s a shortbread base and then you spread raspberry jam, coconut then the meringue. Yes, there’s no such thing as cutting meringue neatly; we call it ‘rustic’ here in Oz. Chocolate and meringue is a winning combination xx