Soft, chewy and full of chocolate chips, these Congo Bars are an old fashioned, classic dessert recipe that will bring back nostalgic memories!
Why You Will Love Congo Bars
- CLASSIC, NOSTALGIC RECIPE -This is one of those recipes your grandma used to make. Or that you had at a church potluck as a kid. It’s simple, fun and delicious. The perfect definition of comfort food.
- EASY RECIPE – With just a few simple pantry ingredients, this is a great recipe for bakers of any skill level. You can think of it as a great “base recipe” that you can add lots of other fun ingredients to. Read below for more ideas.
- FREEZER FRIENDLY – These Congo Bars freeze great! Make a batch and keep them frozen until you need them!
Congo Bars Recipe
What is a Congo Bar? For the most part, they are a lot like blondies. But Congo bars usually have a more rich, chocolate flavor to them by adding (usually) tons of chocolate chips! For step-by-step instructions, check out the printable recipe card below. But here is what you’ll need to get started.
- FLOUR – Any brand of all-purpose flour will do.
- BAKING POWDER – A leavening agent that helps make these bars so soft.
- SALT – It’s always important to bake with salt to offset the the sweetness of the recipe.
- BUTTER – We used unsalted butter. Softened to room temperature.
- BROWN SUGAR – We recommend light brown sugar for this recipe. But dark can work as well.
- LARGE EGGS – It possible, let your eggs come to room temperature.
- VANILLA EXTRACT – We always recommend using a high quality vanilla extract. It’s worth it! Trust us!
- CHOCOLATE CHIPS – We used a combination of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and Milk Chocolate Chips. But you can use whatever you’d like. I’ve seen some versions using White Chocolate Chips, Sea Salt Caramel Chips or Butterscotch Chips.
- NUTS – Optional. Really anything would work. Walnuts, pecans or almonds would all be great. We used Walnuts.
Storage, Freezing and Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be good for 4-5 days. You do not need to refrigerate Congo Bars.
Congo Bars freeze great! Allow them to cool to room temperature and then put in a freezer safe container or wrap in freezer wrap. You can cut them into individual bars before freezing and freeze them separately if you’d like.
Notes, Tips and FAQs
- ALLOW TO COOL – Make sure the Congo Bars fully cool before you attempt to cut them.
- DON’T OVER BAKE – It make look slightly underdone when you take them out of the oven. That’s ok, they will cook more as they cool and end up being so soft and chewy!
- LOOKING FOR A SHORTCUT? – Try our Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars for a very similar recipe that only takes minutes to prepare!
- ADD INS AND TOPPINGS – Top with sprinkles or coconut flakes. Add in other nuts. Make these “Monster Bars” by adding M&Ms or any other candy. Or serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream.
- USE PARCHMENT PAPER – You can certainly prepare your baking dish with cooking spray or grease. But I like to use parchment paper to make it even easier to get the Congo Bars out.
- DON’T OVERMIX – When making the batter, combine the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed. Over mixing can result in a dry, tough result.
We hope you enjoy this Congo Bars Recipe. We’d love to hear how it turns out in the comments below. Happy Eating!
LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS? CHECK OUT:
- AVALANCH BARS
- CRANBERRY LEMON BARS
- HELLO DOLLY BARS
- OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE
- PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM BARS
- PHILADELPHIA CHEESECAKE BARS
Congo Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter softened
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
- Spread the mixture in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares before serving.
Leave A Reply!