Congo Bars Recipe
These congo bars are a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars made using one bowl and a sheet pan. They are so easy to make and are perfect for a crowd!
These congo bars are a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars made using one bowl and a sheet pan. They are so easy to make and are perfect for a crowd!
- Carbohydrate 63.2537389707674 g
- Cholesterol 1.1024999992544 mg
- Fat 0.242730333169302 g
- Fiber 0.000441666666666667 g
- Protein 0.965427249450294 g
- Saturated Fat 0.151079833231186 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (91g)
- Sodium 41.2802583294594 mg
- Sugar 63.2532973041008 g
- Trans Fat 0.0124810583249453 g
- Calories 251 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12x14 pan (9x13 will work too) and lightly dust with flour.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Then add in eggs and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Next mix the baking powder and salt with 1 cup of flour. Pour into the butter mixture and stir in the rest of the flour. Then fold in chocolate chips.
- Press dough into pan with flour on your hands. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean. The cookie bars should be soft in the center.
- Allow bars to cool and then top with ice cream and hot fudge, if desired. Enjoy!
Pulling the pan from the oven right at the twenty-five minute mark prevents these bars from losing their soft center. Congo bars trace their roots to mid-century American home baking, evolving from traditional blondies by heavily incorporating brown sugar and chocolate chips into a single-pan method. Dark brown sugar contains molasses, which introduces extra moisture and creates a distinct butterscotch profile compared to plain white granulated sugar. Chemical leavening agents like baking powder react with the moisture in the eggs and butter, producing carbon dioxide gas that lifts the dense batter as it bakes at 325 degrees.
- Softened salted butter incorporates air more efficiently during creaming than melted butter, building structure.
- Dusting hands with flour stops the sticky dough from adhering to skin when pressing it into the pan.
- Cooling the pan completely on a wire rack allows the interior starches to set fully before slicing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream contrasts nicely with the dense, sweet crumb.
