German Chocolate Brownies

These German Chocolate Brownies deliver the same terrific chocolate, coconut, caramel and pecan flavors as their namesake cake with a fraction of the work.

My dad, who claimed not to like sweets, always got a German chocolate cake for his birthday and demolished a big slab every time. The gooey coconut topping always sealed the deal every time. I can see why!

German Chocolate Brownies with Coconut Topping

We love dense, fudgy brownies at our house and I’ve made a zillion versions. But adding a nutty coconut topping was something new. And it was no ordinary topping, but one reminiscent of the sort of filling you’d find in a German chocolate cake. Sweet, and slightly caramelly from the brown sugar, these decadent coconut topped bars are one of my new favorite treats.

German Chocolate Brownie Bars from Scratch

I packed these German Chocolate Brownies up and took them to two luncheons. You see, Bill won’t touch anything with coconut and I cannot get enough of it. So these sorts of tempting treats must be high tailed out of the house.

I did sample one of these German Chocolate Brownies first, though, and declared them blog-worthy. And even more than blog-worthy, they were insanely delicious.  So off they went. To the hospital on Thursday and to a holiday lunch with my girlfriends on Friday.

I’m also a fan of the caramel brownies made from a box of German Chocolate Cake mix, but these German chocolate Brownies from scratch are a pure, wholesome indulgence!

Tips for Making these German Chocolate Brownies

• I line most of my baking pans with non-stick foil. When a dessert has a sticky component like these brownies, it’s especially helpful to assist in removing the brownies.
• PRO-Tip: As with many of my desserts, I chill these brownies before slicing. Cold brownies will cut cleaner when first refrigerated. But serve at room temperature for the best eating experience. Check out my post on cutting bar cookies for more details.

More Recipes You’ll Love:

• Best Ever German Chocolate Cake from A Dash of Sanity — one of my very favorite cakes
• German Chocolate Brownie Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake — these thick wedges are rich and irresistible!
• Gooey Upside Down German Chocolate Cake from Tidy Mom — the name says it all!
• German Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake –a mini cake all for yourself
• German Chocolate Pecan Pie from Melanie Makes — when two of my favorite desserts collide!
• 7 Layer Bars from That Skinny Chick Can Bake — I fell hard for these with my first taste decades ago!

You may need these supplies to make this chocolate german brownies recipe:

• 9-Inch Square Cake Pan
• Non-Stick Aluminum Foil

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German Chocolate Brownies

Rich brownies topped with the classic, gooey German chocolate frosting

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Yield 16 bars

Ingredients

For Brownies:

• 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick foil (or use regular foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray). Set aside.
2. In a microwave, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Add flour and salt and mix till combined.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean.
4. For topping, combine butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add coconut, pecans, corn syrup and milk. Mix till well combined. Drop spoonfuls over top of brownies then spread evenly over top.
5. Broil about 6 inches from the element, watching carefully, for about 3 minutes, till lightly browned and bubbly.

Notes

Adapted from Taste of Home

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 brownie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268 Total Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 44mg Sodium: 119mg Carbohydrates: 34g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 26g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 3g

Skinny Tip

I’m offering a series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’m featuring some of my past tips to help you start 2015 on a healthy note. Click on the #SkinnyTip tag at the end of this post to see all my previous tips.

Tip #57: Do not skip meals. This practice tends to amp up the appetite and, therefore, you may eat more food in the long run.