These soft and chewy chocolate filled Congo Bars are a great recipe to make the next time you have company over. Make them and watch them disappear.

All through my high school years, I made these chewy cookie bars of deliciousness for every youth group event that needed food. It was must my sure fire recipe that never failed me and was always asked for.

Every time I showed up with a pan, these Congo Bars got devoured in no time at all.

Then I went to college, got married, had kids, and forgot about these treats. Until a few months ago when I was going through some old recipes I had kept.

Now you may think they are just a blonde brownie, so what is the big deal?

I can’t explain it. These classic cookie bars just have a slightly different taste than these M&M Blonde Brownies.

There is just something about a Congo Bar that I can’t resist.

I just had to whip up a batch right away to see if they were as good as I remembered.  And these bars did not disappoint me!!! 

Soft, chewy, chocolatey goodness in every bite.  Before I knew it, I had eaten quite a few bars.

It’s a good thing I cut the pan into mini bars this time because I just sabotaged the morning workout I did.

How to bake Congo Bars:

The key to these gooey bars is not to over bake them.  I have always baked this recipe for 28-30 minutes. Never more, never less.

This gives the bars a very slightly crunchy top and sides, but the center of the bars stay soft and gooey.

All ovens bake differently though, so this could affect the bars. We have lived in different places over the years, and I have baked them in so many different ovens, but I still stick with 28-30 minutes.

They will look under done when you first pull them out of the oven, but stay with me.  Let them sit on the counter and cool completely before you touch them.

The center will fall slightly, but this is normal.  Just trust me, and do not bake them more.

We usually let them cool completely because they stay in a bar shape better.

But next time scoop out a big bowlful of hot gooey goodness and plop a scoop of ice cream on top.  Holy cow! Cookie dough goodness with melty ice cream is pretty much the bomb!

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More cookie bar recipes that you may like:

• Salted Butterscotch Bars
• M&M’s Brownies
• Funfetti Sugar Cookie Bars
• Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
• Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

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Congo Bars

Yield: 24 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These soft and chewy chocolate filled Congo Bars are a great recipe to make the next time you have company over.

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Ingredients

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and slowly add to the butter mixture until a soft thick dough forms.
4. Stir the chocolate chips in by hand. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Do not over bake!!! Remove and let the bars cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 3g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

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(original photo from August 2010)

*The post and recipe for these Congo Bars was originally published August 24, 2010.  The pictures and post was updated and republished on November 19, 2018.