Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Ultra chocolaty with that perfect combination of tropical coconut and nutty, earthy pecans.
Texture: The cookies are ridiculously soft yet chewy and loaded with melty chocolate chips. Top that with the super gooey yet crunchy coconut topping and each bite is pure bliss.
Ease: A few more steps involved than your typical cookie recipe but so worth it! The topping may seem weird at first but just follow the directions and you’ll be good.
Appearance: Taking the extra time to drizzle melted chocolate over these really does elevate them to a new level, especially because the topping looks kinda strange on its own.
Pros: Super fun and flavorful twist on a cookie.
Cons: None, except maybe that I preferred these cookies on the first day they were made.
Would I make this again? Definitely!
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I’ve seen German Chocolate Cookies a few times on Facebook. Each time I saw a recipe I made a mental note to add it to my “to bake” list.
Unfortunately most of the recipes I kept seeing involved cake mix. Now, I have nothing against cake mix on a moral level. Sometimes you just gotta take a shortcut.
BUT on a pure food level, I almost never use the stuff. If you couldn’t already tell, I’m all about homemade from scratch goodies whenever possible. They just taste better! And if you only eat special treats when you can make them from scratch, it’s pretty hard to overdo it. Unless you’re like me and you bake things for a living. Let’s not get into that right now…
This recipe takes cookies to a whole new level. I’ve had way too many sickeningly sweet yet bland cookies in my life. What a waste of calories. That’s why I love these German Chocolate Cookies. They’re rich and pack a huge flavor punch so they’re incredibly satisfying. And if you’re a huge chocoholic like me, you’ll adore them! Plus, as a total cookie queen, you know I got you covered with a solid recipe.
Tips for Making German Chocolate Cookies
What Type of Cocoa Powder is Best For German Chocolate Cookies?
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa for these cookies. It can be difficult to source in grocery stores, but it can be purchased easily online. My favorite brands of Dutch-process cocoa powder are E. Guittard, Penzey’s, Bensdorp, or Valrhona.
Why Use Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder?
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa because it provides a deep color, more moisture, and a flavor that I think complements the sweet coconut topping perfectly. Dutch-process cocoa has more fat than most grocery store natural/unsweetened cocoa powder products, which is what we want for flavor and moisture in this specific recipe.
If you must use natural cocoa powder, go ahead. Just note your German Chocolate Cookies may be lighter in color and slightly drier in texture. You can learn more about the differences between cocoa powders here.
What Baking Sheet is Best for German Chocolate Cookies?
A light-colored aluminum half-sheet pan is my favorite for baking cookies. Avoid dark nonstick pans altogether, they brown too much and may burn the bottoms of your cookies. This is particularly important for dark-colored cookies like these German Chocolate Cookies, as it can be harder to tell visually when these are done baking. The below photo features cookies from the same exact batch of dough, baked for the same amount of time at the same temperature. The only difference was the baking pan!
Check out my Baking Pans 101 post for all the surprising details. Or, just click here to score my favorite baking pans for cookies (and everything else!)
Why Use a Cookie Scoop?
- One of the KEYS to beautiful, uniform, evenly-shaped cookies.
- Saves you *so much time* in forming the balls of dough.
- Ensures each ball is evenly sized so the cookies bake evenly.
- No small overbaked cookies or large underbaked cookies.
- I love using a 1.5-Tablepsoon size cookie scoop for this cookie recipe.
- Learn more about Cookie Scoops and how to use them here!
How to Store German Chocolate Cookies
Store German Chocolate Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store cookies with a tortilla, apple wedge, or piece of bread to keep them soft a little longer.
Recommended Products:
- My Favorite Baking Sheets
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
- Medium Cookie Scoop (1.5 Tablespoons)
- Parchment Paper (I love these pre-cut sheets)
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Coconut Cookies
- Black & White Chocolate Chipper Cookies
German Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 1/4 cups (5.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Using a medium (1.5-Tablespoon) size spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop the dough by 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds onto the prepared baking sheets
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
For the topping:
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, egg yolk, and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Let cool until thick enough to spread on top of the cooled cookies.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the cookies. Let everything set for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cookies are best served the day they’re made.
I made these last night and they were absolutely wonderful. Put in fridge overnight and took to work and wow they were a great big hit and tasted just as good today as they did last night. Added to my cookbook already will make again for sure.
I made these and they are incredibly tasty cookies! Even just the cookie by itself is a great chocolate cookie…thanks!
I’d like to make these, but want all of the German chocolate ingredients inside the cookies, without the addition of icing. I found some coconut-flavor-filled chocolate chips that I think would work perfectly in this recipe. I’m thinking of adding some coconut extract, sweetened shredded coconut and chopped pecans to the dough, in addition to the coconut morsels.
Hi Tessa, I will be trying this recipe out, I have two questions, can you omit the chocolate chips in the cookie recipe without ruining the recipe and referring to the packing question, couldn’t you pack them using parchment paper for the stickiness from the icing?
Feel free to omit the chocolate chips (though they’re so much better with them!!) and as for packing with parchment, even then the weight of the cookies stacked kind of smashes everything. If you try let us know how it goes!
Just made these- followed the recipe to a T and they turned out phenomenal! Great way to start off the New Year, thank you for this delicous recipe!!! Only disappointment was the meager yield of 24. I’ll double the recipe next time.
Could these possibly be frozen? Just wondering with the topping and all.
Can you substitute regular milk with evaporated milk??
Tessa, I made these cookies and they are SO good, they will be a Christmas cookie for ever! I would like to know the nutritional information if possible.
I prepared this recipe and received rave review! Although they are very rich, they are also extremely high on the “yummy” scale, and no one who tried it didn’t want another one. Also, the instructions were extremely well done, and leave no worries about making an error. I will be baking these often from now on. Although I rarely make a recipe by simply following the directions, with this recipe, the only change/addition I incorporated was the use of vanilla bean paste, instead of just straight vanilla. Very good recipe! Thank you.
Thanks so much for your comment! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. The vanilla bean paste sounds lovely!
I think I just drooled 🙂 I invite you to share your cookie recipes at my annual cookie swap linky party Hugs!
Hi Tessa,
Do you think these cookies would pack ok? I was thinking of making it a “foodie” Christmas for the cooks in my family back home. Ya know, homemade caramel corn and cheese corn, cookies, some homemade spice mixes, gift cards to the King Arthur Flour store. These cookies look amazing and my mum loves coconut, so I’m hoping a clean, Christmased-up Pringles can of these would make it ok! 😀
I don’t think so sadly 🙁 Not only are they best eaten the day they’re made but the topping is pretty sticky and would make packing and transporting a bit of a mess.
Ok, no problem! It’ll just be a treat that goes to work with my taller half, then. 😀
Thanks for responding so quickly! Everything I’ve tried from your blog has turned out so great! My brother in law says your caramel sauce is like liquid Werther’s. 😀
Love to hear that!! Thanks Laurel 🙂
Our family does not usually eat cake, especially because a cake is just too much for the three of us. I think these cookies would be the absolute best for my daughter’s 20th birthday, because she loves soft chocolate cookies and the one icing she likes is the coconut pecan. I can’t wait to make these for her next week. Additionally, these seem so much easier than cake to share. Thanks for making a recipe available that I can trust to have been tested.
Hi Amy! I’m so happy to hear that! Sounds like this recipe was good timing 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter!