Three different layers together for one delicious cookie bar.

This recipe is my Dad’s favorite. Three Layer Party bars! With a name like that, you can’t go wrong. They have a cookie layer on bottom, melted chocolate in the middle and a meringue top. They are sort of like a chocolate chip cookie with the chocolate in the middle and a crunchy (or chewy) meringue top.

Here’s the line up of all the ingredients. Because there are three layers to these bars, there are two measured out bowls of sugar. One for the bottom layer, and one for the top.

What you need to make the cookie layer for Party Bars:

flour
sugar
butter
eggs
vanilla
salt

For the Chocolate Layer:

chocolate chips

For the Meringue Layer:

sugar
egg whites

How to make Three Layer Dessert Bars:

Preheat: Preheat oven to 375 F.
Bottom Layer: With a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, mixing well. Blend in 2 unbeaten egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add the flour, blending thoroughly. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 (or I used a square 8×8). Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Middle Layer: Take the baking dish out of the oven and sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips. Gently cover the glass baking dish with a clean hand towel over the top and let stand 5 minutes. The chocolate chips will melt from the heat of the bottom layer and you can now easily spread them over the bottom layer.
Top Layer: Beat the 2 egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2/3 C. sugar, beating well after each addition.
Add meringue: Spread the meringue over the chocolate layer.
Bake: Bake again at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.
Cool: Allow to cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

How to store/freeze Three Layer Party Bars:

You can keep these bars sealed with plastic wrap at room temperature for about a week. You can also freeze them! To freeze, place them in an airtight container, it’s helpful to cut them into small squares before freezing so that they thaw quicker. They can keep in the freezer up to 3 months.

Shortbread bottom Layer:

When assembling, you will start with the cookie layer. Here it is pressed into the bottom of a 8×8 pan before baking.

Chocolate Layer:

For this layer, you will just add your chocolate chips on top of the short bread and spread as they melt.

Meringue Layer:

The top layer is a meringue top. Here’s the deal…I made this recipe last night, and I was literally racing the sun. I wanted to take good pictures of this recipe, and I may have undercooked the meringue a little. oops! Sometime’s “a blogger’s gotta do what a blogger’s”. SO…if you prefer meringue to be more crispy and crunchy than the pictures here show, go ahead and leave it in the oven a little longer, watching it as it goes.

More names these bars go by:

You may have seen these bars or something similar, but don’t call them Three Layer Party Bars. They have a few different names like:

Chocolate chip meringue bars
Halfway cookies
Triple layer cookie bars
Three layer dessert bars

Tips and Tricks:

For the best shortbread cookie layer, really allow the butter and sugar to cream together for a good few minutes. Once you add the flour, only mix until the flour is not visible, you don’t want to over mix once the flour is added to avoid developing the gluten in the flour.
We love Guittard brand chocolate chips in both semisweet or milk chocolate chips. They’re the best!
When making meringue, start with room temp egg whites. To help get them to room temp quicker, you can drop the whole eggs into a glass jar with warm water to help bring them to room temp.

More dessert bar recipes to feed a crowd: