Studded with chocolate chips and topped with a brown sugar meringue, Halfway to Heaven Bars are simply dreamy. Elevate classic cookie bars with this easy homemade recipe!
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Homemade halfway to heaven bars are all I need in this world. When I used to live in Florida and traveled home for Christmas, I would hope and pray these chocolate chip cookie bars would be on the menu for the holidays.
A family-favorite recipe, these cookie bars feature a thin layer of cookie dough topped with chocolate chips and a brown sugar meringue. The combination is truly delightful – heavenly, even!
Simple to prep and quick to bake, keep this cookie bar recipe on hand for whenever you need an incredible from-scratch dessert. I love making these bars for cookie exchanges, potlucks, and parties. The crackly meringue topping always impresses a crowd!
Why You’ll Love this Cookie Bars Recipe:
- SIMPLE: Made with basic baking ingredients, this 2-part recipe comes together quickly and easily.
- LAYERED: These bars are a texture lover’s dream with 3 heavenly layers to love – a chewy cookie base, sweet chocolate chips, and a brown sugar meringue.
- A HIT: Whenever I bring a batch of halfway to heaven bars to parties and cookie exchanges, everyone always asks for the recipe. Be prepared!
Give chocolate chip cookie bars an upgrade with this homemade recipe.
How to Make Halfway to Heaven Bars
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Make the cookie dough.
- Press the cookie dough into a jelly roll pan.
- Top with chocolate chips.
- Make the brown sugar meringue and spread it on top.
- Bake.
- Cool, slice, and serve.
Halfway to heaven bars are part cookie, part meringue, and totally decadent! The base of these bars is a layer of cookie dough topped with chocolate chips and fluffy meringue.
Bake these bars in a 9×13-inch jelly roll pan. If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, a 9×13-inch baking dish works, too.
Yes! Use 12 ounces of your favorite kind of chocolate chips (or a combination) – semisweet, milk, dark, mini, or white chocolate chips are all delicious options.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing these bars as the meringue topping does not freeze and thaw well.
Half Batch
To make a half batch of halfway to heaven bars, simply halve all of the ingredients and follow the recipe as written. Use an 8×8-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until the top is light brown and the meringue is set and cooked.
Serving Halfway to Heaven Bars
A little goes a long way with these bars so even a small serving satisfies a sweet tooth. Typically, I can get about 24 bars out of a single batch – perfect for holiday treats, sharing with neighbors or coworkers, and for family dinners. Easy to make and easy to share!
More Easy Dessert Recipes We Love
Sweeten any day with homemade halfway to heaven bars!
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy!
Halfway to Heaven Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar 107 grams
- 2 egg yolks 28 grams, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water 14 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 340 grams
For the Meringue
- 2 egg whites 70 grams
- 1 cup brown sugar 213 grams
Instructions
For the Cookie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch jelly roll pan or baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Add the egg yolks, water, and vanilla. Beat well and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan. Press the dough into an even layer.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough. Slightly press the chips into the dough. Set aside while you make the meringue.12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
For the Meringue
- Add the egg whites to a clean stand mixer bowl. Beat on high until they are almost stiff.2 egg whites
- With the mixer running on high speed, carefully and gradually add the brown sugar. Beat until the egg whites are stiff.1 cup brown sugar
- Spread the brown sugar meringue on top of the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is light brown and the meringue is set and cooked.
- Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Allow the bars to cool completely, slice, and serve.
Becky’s Tips
- Make sure to beat your meringue in a CLEAN mixing bowl. Even a little oil or other residue could ruin your meringue.
- To make a half batch of halfway to heaven bars, simply halve all of the ingredients and follow the recipe as written. Use an 8×8-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until the top is light brown and the meringue is set and cooked.
- A little goes a long way with these bars so even a small serving satisfies a sweet tooth. Typically, I can get about 24 bars out of a single batch – perfect for holiday treats, sharing with neighbors or coworkers, and for family dinners. Easy to make and easy to share!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
I remember these from my childhood 60 years ago, they were called Cookies Plus and are the best cookie ever. I remember the base being just a little more crumbly, probably somewhat less butter. They also had chopped walnuts, which makes them even better.
My mother made these nearly 70 years ago. The recipe was on the Nestle’s chocolate chip package and they were called halfway chocolatechip cookirs. Thetr was no mention of heaven although they definitely are heavenly
Ghdy’re nust hslfway like a cookie.
Such a fun memory!
I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted something so badly before. These look so amazing, I love anything with meringue in it. Chocolate chip cookies are not my favorite, so I may make another type of cookie (toffee or macadamia?), but I can’t wait to try this idea out. I am so glad I saw this post today. Thanks!
My Mom had the EXACT SAME RECIPE. I thought it was a deep, dark family secret. Apparently, others knew it too. It is also the center of our holiday cookie-fest. We call them “halfway cookies” but never understood it. On my Mom’s cooking Index cards from 1959, it is labelled as “halfway Cookies”. Thanks for filling in the gaps!
My mother just called these chocolate chip squares and of course used sporting instead of butter.😋
Made these last night and they were a huge hit with all 5 of us! This will be a new cookie added to our list of recipes that we bake for 250 clients each Christmas! Thank you and I look forward to trying more new recipes from your site. Merry Christmas!
is there no flour in the cookie base part? seems like there should be? These look so good!
thanks! Can’t wait to try!
What type of flour? All-purp or self rising?
All purpose, hope you enjoy!
These cookie bars are similar to some my Mom used to make called Sea Foam Squares. The cookie base was very similar but had some rolled oats in it. Then we put the brown sugar meringue on followed by sprinkling the chocolate chips on top along with Spanish salted peanuts, then bake. This is the very best version of this cookie bar.
All I can say is YUM!!!!
Can I come to your mom’s for Christmas?? ;P These look delicious!