Congo Bars

Congo Bars are blondies taken up a delicious notch. The base of blondie with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and toasted coconut!!! Delicious cookie bar, chocolate and coconut goodness!

I found the recipe in The America’s Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook. Their blondies recipe looked absolutely delicious. But when I turned to the next page and read that adding toasted coconut made the blondies into Congo Bars, I was sold!

When it comes to cookies and bars, I am the”no nuts” type of person. The traditional recipe calls of chopped pecans or walnuts. If you want to make the nuts even tastier, toast them before adding them to the batter. I, however, did not add the nuts in these Congo Bars.

The one step to absolutely not skip is to toast the coconut! It truly makes all the difference, and it only takes 5 minutes. Just be sure to use unsweetened shredded coconut not sweetened. Sweetened coconut will make these already sweet bars way too sweet. You can find unsweetened shredded coconut in the bulk bins, baking isle or in the freezer section.

So, if you like blondies and coconut and chocolate, these Congo Bars are going to be the perfect sweet treat for you!

Print Recipe

Congo Bars

Blondies with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and toasted coconut.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 36

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks 12 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions

Toasted Coconut

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer the coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light and golden brown. Be careful to not let the coconut burn.
• Set aside to cool.

Bars

• Keep or preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan. Alternatively, you can layer 2 sheets of aluminum foil perpendicular to each other to make a foil sling (leaving extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil down and smooth. Grease foil.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine by stirring with a whisk.
• In a separate medium bowl, add the brown sugar and melted butter. Stir with a whisk until combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, toasted coconut and nuts (if using). Gently fold in to evenly distribute through the batter.
• Place the batter into the prepared baking pan. Make sure the top is even and smooth.
• Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the top is shiny and cracked and is firm to touch. Rotate pan halfway through baking.
• Allow the bars to cool for 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve. If using the foil sling, lift the bars from the pan and then cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Recipe Source: The America's Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook