Description
Congo Bars are a decadent and chewy chocolate chip cookie bar made with a rich brown sugar and butter base, loaded with semi-sweet and milk chocolate chunks. These bars bake to a gooey-centered perfection with slightly crisp edges, making them a perfect treat to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease it with nonstick spray. Set aside to prepare the batter.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the room temperature butter and packed brown sugar together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Add the eggs, vanilla extract, Kosher salt, and baking powder to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix everything together until combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Incorporate Flour: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the all-purpose flour. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the batter, which keeps the bars tender.
- Fold in Chocolate: Gently stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chunks and milk chocolate chips to evenly distribute them throughout the batter.
- Transfer and Bake: Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish using a rubber spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center remains slightly underbaked and gooey.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before lifting them out using the parchment paper. Let them cool completely on a wire rack, then slice into bars and serve. Enjoy your delicious Congo Bars!
Notes
- Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature for proper mixing and texture.
- The center of the bars should remain slightly underbaked and gooey for the best chewy texture.
- You can substitute chocolate chunks and chips with your preferred chocolate varieties for different flavors.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Congo Bars, chocolate chip bars, cookie bars, chocolate chunks, easy dessert, chewy bars, baked bars
