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Congo bars are the best kind of cookie bars. They’re thick, gooey, and loaded with chocolate, like the chewiest, meltiest chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever eaten. I love the contrast of crunchy nuts throughout!
Cookie bars are the perfect anytime treat with a glass of milk or cup of coffee. If you love these Congo bars, try my brookies (chocolate chip brownie bars) and these magic cookie bars, next!
Congo bars, or Congo squares, are dense, chewy cookie bars packed with chocolate, nuts, and sometimes coconut. My recipe skips the coconut and keeps everything else I love about these classic, retro bars: a soft and thick slab of blondie dough loaded with two kinds of melted chocolate and irresistible walnut crunch.
What Makes These Congo Bars So Good
- Chewy and chocolatey. I can’t resist a cookie bar. These Congo bars are gooey and chewy, delicious alone or topped with a scoop of ice cream for a sweet treat after dinner.
- Perfect for parties. As with most brownies and dessert bars, Congo bars are perfect for sharing. I make them for potlucks, parties, gatherings, and even school bake sales (it’s easy enough to leave the nuts out to cater to nut allergies). They’re always a hit with kids and adults.
- One bowl. With just 7 pantry ingredients and one mixing bowl, making a big batch of Congo bars honestly couldn’t be easier. Mix up the dough in minutes!
Why Are They Called Congo Bars?
It’s not exactly certain where the name comes from. Some believe that Congo bars are named after Congregational “Congo” churches in the US, where the recipe frequently appeared in church cookbooks. Some say they’re named after the Congo in Africa due to the (optional) “exotic” ingredient, shredded coconut. It’s a bit of a mystery, but a delicious one at that!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s start with some quick notes on your bar ingredients. You’ll find a printable ingredients list with the full recipe details in the recipe card below the post.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, softened to room temperature.
- Sugar – Like chocolate chip cookies, this recipe uses granulated sugar and brown sugar for an extra-chewy texture.
- Eggs and Vanilla – Bring the eggs to room temperature if you think of it.
- Baking Soda – Make sure that your baking soda isn’t expired.
- Chocolate – I like a combination of semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate chips in these bars. You can use any type of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips you’d like, including dark or white chocolate.
- Nuts – I opt for walnuts, but you can use chopped pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, or another kind of nut for extra crunch. Feel free to skip the nuts to make these bars nut-free.
How to Make Congo Bars
I make these chewy homemade chocolate chip cookie bars in three easy steps. Follow along below, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by creaming together the butter with both sugars. Then, add the egg and vanilla, beating until that’s well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, mix in the flour and baking soda until it forms a dough. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Bake. Spread the cookie dough into a greased (or parchment-lined) 13×9” baking pan. Bake your Congo bars at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes until they’re lightly browned and set at the edges.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t overmix. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until the dough comes together, and don’t overdo it. Overmixing leads to tough bars.
- Don’t overbake. Soft-baked Congo bars should be set at the edges and lightly golden when they come out of the oven. They’ll continue to set up as they cool. The bars will be dry and crumbly if you leave them in for too long.
- Add toppings. Drizzle the tops of these Congo bars with melted chocolate, caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce.
- Different add-ins. Swap semisweet and milk chocolate for any kind you prefer. Even peanut butter chips or butterscotch morsels would taste delicious in these bars.
