These Congo Squares are among my favorite bar-cookies ever! My mom used to make chocolate chip cookies in a pan (or “Congo Squares”) to bring to every potluck function we attended, and they always flew out of their container. I’ve changed things up a bit to make these extra chewy, extra soft, and extra irresistible!
If there’s one thing that I think my little sugarspun baking space here might ever be known for, it will be for its excessive use of the words “soft and chewy”.
While I haven’t done the math myself, I have a hunch that if I had a dime for every time I used the words “soft and chewy” on this website… let’s just say all my Christmas shopping would be done and paid for, and Zach would no longer have any cause to complain when I fidget up the thermostat a few extra degrees.
Soft and chewy are my strict preference when it comes to cookies and dessert bars. I’m not a baker, I’m more of an underbaker; I like my chocolate molten and gooey, my cookies barely safe from the grips of E.Coli. It’s something in my blood, I think.
So, when I went to re-visit this old favorite recipe for Congo Squares, the primary goal that I had in mind was to make them… you guessed it… super soft, and super chewy.
And while I mentioned struggling with my last recipe and having to test it over and over, this recipe came out perfectly on the first try (of course, multiple re-trials were run, just to be safe). They were chewy with slightly golden, but not tough, edges, melt-in-your-mouth centers with copious pops of chocolate in each bite.
But let’s take a step back before we go any further: Are you familiar with Congo Squares?
If you don’t know them by name, I’m sure you can recognize them for what they are, which is essentially, simply, chocolate chip cookies bars — chocolate chip cookies baked into a pan. I suppose I could have just called them that, but my mom has been making Congo Squares my whole life, and while I don’t know where exactly the name came from, far be it from me to change a good thing.
While the name is a bit unusual, the recipe is as simple and as unfussy as they come.
Since we’re making Congo Squares and not cookies here, we don’t have to worry about spreading thanks to the confines of a 13×9 (or 9×9, see recipe notes!) pan, we can play with and reduce our leavening agents, reduce our flour, melt our butter, and make a whole number of adjustments that wouldn’t make for very stable cookies, but make for delectable squares.
If you’ve made any of my other recipes, you probably will also recognize that I love using corn starch (cornflour for UK), so of course two spoonfuls go into this batter as well — All of these changes culminate to make these Congo Squares pillowy soft and utterly irresistible (& I mean utterly, too… Zach –Mr. Notmuchofasweettooth himself — cut the first row of these bars to test, took a small corner, and then came back for the entire rest of the row).
Traditionally I’ve always made Congo Squares in a 13×9 pan, but I’ve included instructions in the recipe so that you can make them in a 9×9 pan for extra thick squares.
You really can’t go wrong either way, but after having made them both ways multiple times (research, you know) I think I like them best with the extra thickness (more congo square per bite!).
Enjoy!
Congo Squares (Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes (226g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar tightly packed (200g)
- 3/4 cup sugar (150g)
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 285g
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (340g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and prepare either a 13x9 or 9x9 pan (13x9 for more servings, 9x9 for thicker, chewier congo squares) by lining with parchment paper (or lightly grease and flour).
- Combine melted (cooled) butter and sugars in a large bowl, stir well.
- Add eggs, and egg yolk one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake on 350F (177C) until edges just begin to turn golden brown (30 minutes for 13x9 pan; 35 minutes for 9x9 pan).
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving (don't cool too long, though -- these are amazing when served still slightly warm!)
Nutrition
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Chanda says
Have made these three times now, but added peppermint bark pieces along with the chips for a holiday flair. They turn out great every time! I was wondering… if I were to add 1c of peanut butter to the batter, do you think they would still turn out the same? I was considering making choco chip peanut butter bars with this recipe, but wasn’t sure if the PB would ruin the texture (otherwise will just use PB chips). Or reserving some of the batter, adding PB to it, choco chips to the rest, and drop spoonfuls of the PB mixture into the choco chip mixture? (If that makes sense… lol).
Thanks for the improved twist on my childhood classic favorite!
Sam says
Hi Chanda! Honestly it’s hard to say exactly how the peanut butter will affect the texture without having tried it. If you do feel like experimenting I’d definitely love to hear how adding the peanut butter turns out for you! It definitely sounds like it would be worth a shot, but if you’d like to be safe I’d recommend just adding the peanut butter chips. I do like the idea of reserving some of the batter and dropping spoonfuls in, but again without having tried it’s hard for me to advise.
Alternatively I do have a peanut butter bar recipe that you could add chocolate chips to.
Sarah says
Made these as a dessert for dinner guests and were devoured! Made in a 9×9 pan and were thick and so good. Milk might be a must to drink with these :-). Excited to try in a 13×9 pan!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! 🙂
Kathy says
Can they be frozen
Sam says
Hi Kathy! I have not tried it personally, but you shouldn’t have any issues freezing these. Make sure they are wrapped tightly and stored in an air tight container. 🙂
DaveyBoy says
Delicious!
Only changes my son and I made were dark brown sugar vs light and a 50/50 mix of dark chocolate/semisweet milk chocolate chips
Sam says
I am so glad you liked them! ☺️
Jessica says
I am so happy to have discovered your recipe! I grew up with Congo Squares and when the opportunity came up to bake for my children’s school’s bake sale, these came to mind! I made them last night for the sale today, and although I wasn’t able to serve them warm like your recipe suggests, they were a HUGE hit – even at room temp! I received so many compliments and now I can’t wait to make them again for other occasions. I made these in a 13×9 pan for exactly 30 minutes and the thickness & texture was absolutely perfect. I would have never thought to use cornstarch but now there’s no going back :). Thank you so much!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them Jessica! Thank you for the feedback. I really appreciate it! Happy baking! 😃
Jessica M. says
Hi Sam. I meant to ask you, what type of salt did you use (kosher, iodized, etc)? Thanks in advance!
Sam says
Iodized! 🙂
Linda says
I LOVE the small batch/big batch option! TY!
Mary says
Since I didn’t make Christmas cookies this year, I just made these and the kids and hubby love them!! We had them slightly warm and they are DELICIOUS!!! These will definitely be in our dessert rotation from now on.
Sam says
That’s awesome! So glad to hear that you enjoyed them so much!!
Sylvia says
How long should i wait b4 serving? 🙂
Sam says
I would let them cool about 20 minutes or so but use your best judgement as the centers can be really hot. Enjoy!! 🙂
Jen says
These are AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made them in a 9×13 pan and everybody LOVED them! And everyone loved the name Congo Bars, too!!
Sam says
So glad you enjoyed them, Jen! 🙂
Jess @ Sweetest Menu says
I’ve never had a congo square but these look amazing!!! And totally soft and chewy! 😉 Pinning!
Carrie says
I had to make these right away, they are still warm right now and they are AMAZING!
Kelly says
Yumm! Thinking about adding to Christmas cookie gift plates. Questions, could I add pumpkin to these? Thanks! Love all your recipes:) Merry Christmas
Sam says
Pumpkin sounds like a delicious add-in, but since I haven’t tried it myself it’s hard to say for sure. I think you could get away with adding a cup or so (and maybe a little pumpkin spice, too) for some nice pumpkin flavor. I think I’d recommend omitting one of the eggs as well, just so things don’t get too cakey. If you do try with pumpkin, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Merry Christmas to you, too! 🙂