Last Updated September 3, 2024

With oats.

One of the best things to happen to the cookie world is browned butter, or beurre noisette as the French call it. It not only ups the baked cookie game, but it takes cookie dough to a whole new level.

Will someone please get browned butter cookie dough ice cream on the market? Thanks.

You can find my original recipe for Beurre Noisette Chocolate Chip Cookies right here, but you might want to stick around a little longer for today’s recipe because it’s essentially the same thing, just a different form and a little quicker to make. And cookies are already quick to make, so imagine that!

Why the name congo bars? I really have no idea. They’re just chocolate chip cookies in bar form. Therefore quicker to make but not necessarily superior to the classic cookie form. It’s really down to whatever tickles your fancy in that moment.

This recipe was born under full Italian lockdown. Ironically, you think I wouldn’t want to short cut a recipe with all the time I had on my hands, but you see, I have a very small oven. I can bake a max of 5-6 cookies a time, so that’s a long time to be waiting around to take cookies out of the oven, reload the tray, and repeat. Not to mention a higher electric bill.

So what did I do? I took my handy dandy Beurre Noisette Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and adjusted it to fit in an 8x8in / 20x20cm square pan. So great. So delicious. And the timer only goes off once! A square baking dish is also a bit easier to wash than a large and cumbersome cookie sheet.

This recipe also features oats, and you can use the browned butter while it’s still melted if you want one more time-saving trick. While I do think it’s worth the time/planning ahead to brown the butter, allow it to cool, then whip it up as you normally would in a cookie recipe (so fluffy and so delicious), it’s not essential and can save you a lot of time if you don’t.

To learn how to make browned butter, see the original Beurre Noisette Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

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A recipe by Jenny

I Heard You Like Chocolate Chips:

Sweet and Salty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Whole Wheat Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Beurre Noisette (browned butter) Congo Bars

Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls

Very Chocolate Cherry Brownies

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Beurre Noisette (browned butter) Congo Bars

Makes about 9 bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup / 113g butter, melted, browned, and cooled
3/4 cup / brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup / 120g all-purpose flour
1/2 cup / 45g oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz / 170g (half a bag) chocolate chips

Directions:

Oven preheated to 350°F / 177°C. 8x8in / 20x20cm pan, greased.

In a medium bowl, mix together melted and cooled browned butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla and smooth.
Add in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix until well combined.
Scrape dough into an even layer in the prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until set and center no longer looks doughy.

Jenny’s Notes:

This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9x13in / 23x33cm pan.
If you choose to whip your butter, cream first just the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Then add in the rest of the wet ingredients and continue with recipe.
Before baking you can also sprinkle some flaked sea salt on top if you’re craving the sweet and salty!