German Chocolate Cookies
What’s not to love about these little beauties? I have always loved German chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting since I was little. I saw this recipe on Handle the Heat and they sounded so delicious, so I made them that afternoon. My kids were thrilled to see these as their school lunch treats and my husband and I were pretty excited to have them for dessert – we both thought they were amazing. These German chocolate cookies are best served the day you make them so I prepped a few that we would be eating that day then stored the rest separately. Each morning when packing their lunch, my kids put a cookie in a storage container with a dollop of frosting on top. Neither of them minded the extra work because they LOVED these cookies.
German Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Coconut-Pecan Frosting:
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate wafers melted for drizzle, optional
How to Make German Chocolate Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
Combine the flour together with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; mix until well combined.
Beat together in a separate bowl the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the full egg, yolk, and vanilla; beat until creamy.
Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture – the batter will be thick. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined.
Scoop spoonfuls (about 1 ½ tbsp) of the dough onto the baking sheet placing them 2 inches apart.
Place into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven and allow them to sit for 7-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make the frosting by combining the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolk, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the coconut, pecans, and vanilla; stir until well combined. Set aside to cool completely.
Once the cookies are cooled completely and the coconut pecan frosting is cooled completely, add a dollop of frosting to each cookie you plan on serving. If desired, melt some semi-sweet melting wafers in the microwave per instructions and drizzle on top of each cookie. Serve with ice-cold milk and enjoy.
Store the remaining cookies in a sealed container. Store the frosting in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Coconut-Pecan Frosting:
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate wafers melted for drizzle, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
- Combine the flour together with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; mix until well combined.
- Beat together in a separate bowl the butter and sugars with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Add the full egg, yolk, and vanilla; beat until creamy.
- Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture - the batter will be thick.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined.
- Scoop spoonfuls (about 1 ½ tbsp) of the dough onto the baking sheet placing them 2 inches apart.
- Place into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to sit for 7-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Make the frosting by combining the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolk, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often for 10 minutes, or until thickened.
- Add the coconut, pecans, and vanilla; stir until well combined. Set aside to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are cooled completely and the coconut pecan frosting is cooled completely, add a dollop of frosting to each cookie you plan on serving.
- If desired, melt some semi-sweet melting wafers in the microwave per instructions and drizzle on top of each cookie. Serve with ice-cold milk and enjoy.
- Store the remaining cookies in a sealed container. Store the frosting in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
German chocolate cake in a cookie form…I LOVE it!
Oh, wow-what a cookie. My husband would love these. Brilliant.
I loved the recipe and the cookies! I added more vanilla extract for my liking.
Where does the egg yolk listed as an ingredient for the frosting come into play? Its not part of the frosting instructions.
Hi Paul,
I have corrected the recipe. You add it with the milk, sugar, and butter.
Pam
If only I could get my husband to like coconut!! Arrgh. It’s a work in progress. These look delicious!
very great idea! not stacking-friendly, but i doubt they’d last long enough to need storing anyway!
I liked these so much, they made it in to my weekly list of favorite food and restaurant articles! I look forward to making these soon!