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.
Rich fudgy brownies are topped with the decadent, gooey coconut topping that German chocolate cake lovers adore.
Why You Must Make
- The base is made of dense, fudgy, and decadent brownies.
- Topping them with a rich, nutty, caramelly coconut topping pushes these over the top!
- As a coconut lover, these gems were calling my name! And though they’re not low-cal, they’re much less dangerous to your figure than eating a slab of German chocolate cake!
Expert Tips
- Line your baking pan with non-stick foil. When a dessert has a sticky component like these brownies, it’s especially helpful to assist in removing the brownies.
- Toast your pecans by placing them in a skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently until you can smell a nutty aroma. This helps bring out the essential oils, making the pecans more flavorful. Watch carefully so they do not burn.
- PRO-Tip: When measuring sticky ingredients like Karo syrup (also honey, peanut butter, etc), spray your cups or measuring spoons with non-stick cooking spray like Pam for easy release.
- Use a toothpick to check for doneness. When inserted into the center and removed, the brownies are done if it comes out clean. Otherwise, return to the oven for a few more minutes and recheck.
- 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.
How to Make
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. Making these brownies is much less daunting than a full-blown German chocolate cake! Here are the highlights:
- Preheat the oven and line your baking pan with non-stick foil.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together, and set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar, then add the vanilla and chocolate. Finally, add the dry ingedients.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake as directed.
- For the topping, mix together the ingredients as directed. Drop spoonfuls across the surface of the baked and cooled brownies. Spread evenly over the brownies
- Broil about 6 inches from the element, watching carefully, for about 3 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and bubbly. DO NOT walk away while broiling or your topping could burn.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
German chocolate is a type of dark chocolate created and named for Samuel German in 1852. It’s smooth and mild in flavor plus it’s sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate due to the addition of sugar.
Baker’s Brand sells German chocolate that is readily available at large grocery stores. But if you can’t locate it, semisweet chocolate works well (that’s what is used in this recipe).
German Chocolate contains 48% cacao, which is obtained from the tropical evergreen from which cocoa butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder are produced. Note: cacao refers to the raw, unrefined bean and cocoa refers to the bean after it’s roasted.
As a comparison, Semisweet Chocolate typically contains 60% cacao and Bittersweet Chocolate contains 70%. Milk Chocolate is only required to contain 10%.
You May Also Like:
- Gooey Upside Down German Chocolate Cake from Tidy Mom
- German Chocolate Brownie Pie
- German Chocolate Brownie Pie
- 7 Layer Bars
- German Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes
- Plus, check out all my Best Bar Cookie Recipes
German Chocolate Brownies
Rich brownies topped with the classic, gooey German chocolate frosting
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, toasted for the best flavor
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the 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.
- 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.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.
- For the 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.
- Broil about 6 inches from the element, watching carefully, for about 3 minutes, till lightly browned and bubbly.
Notes
Adapted from Taste of Home
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g
58 Comments on “German Chocolate Brownies”
I’ll bet Mrs KR knows the origin of German chocolate, but I sure didn’t. Interesting. And this is a neat recipe — love brownies (but then, who doesn’t?) and these look superb. Thanks!
My first boyfriend loved German Chocolate cake and I made it for him. I think it was the first cake I ever made. I would have rather made these!
Ooo these brownies look absolutely delicious and inviting (Would be dangerous to keep them in our house too!) And this pecan coconut topping? Yes please!
I haven’t seen German chocolate here, but rest assured I’ll keep my eyes open next time I’m at the grocery store. I too, love all the ingredients in these brownies, definitely a temptation I’d prefer to share.
Oh boy, these would be dangerous in my house! Of course, they’d only be dangerous for a short while:@)
My favorite cake with a brownie! Yes please!
This was a stellar recipe. One that I will be making often in the week, months and years to come.
My kids loved it!! Perfect dessert in my house!
German chocolate cake is a house favorite and now everyone is asking for the brownies instead!
My hubby loves coconut in his brownies and this would make him so happy. Thanks for sharing your recipe on MM. Pinned and will be featuring it on tonight’s party.
I love the decadent German chocolate frosting on these brownies! It adds such great texture and flavor to this dessert.
These are what we consider a “dangerous” recipe in our house…It’s dangerous because as soon as I make them we all devour them! They’re SO good, a fast favorite in our house!
These look delicious!
i made these yesterday ! And they were so delicious 🙂 thanks a tonne for this sweet treat 🙂
I think insane is the perfect description Liz! I love coconut, especially with chocolate!
Perfection!
This sounds like a wonderful brownie and I’m sure my kids would love this.
I was just thinking I brownies would be great today………….now I must make these! 🙂