German Chocolate Brownies

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German Chocolate Brownies are a combination of homemade brownies made with German chocolate and topped with a toasted coconut and pecan frosting.

Chocolate Coconut Brownies

These simple brownies are so good. This brownie recipe has the perfect combination of ingredients to make a great flavor, texture, and look. If you are a fan of German chocolate cake, you will absolutely love these brownies.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

German Chocolate Baking Bar: This chocolate combined with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and all-purpose flour will make a delicious chocolate layer. Adding sea salt will bring out the flavor.

Evaporated Milk: Combining this with the toasted coconut and chopped pecans will give the brownies a sweet, salt, and crunchy layer.

Melting Wafers: I like to melt this chocolate to add on top for garnish.

How To Make German Chocolate Brownies

Step 1. Set the oven to 350 degrees and use parchment paper to line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and lightly spray with cooking spray. In a large pot or dutch oven, add the butter and melt on medium-low heat. Break up the chocolate and put it into the pot and melt. Stir regularly until smooth. Remove from the heat and add in the sugar. Whisk to combine one at a time adding in the eggs and whisking again. Add in the vanilla and salt and combine using a whisk. Put in the flour and combine again until there are no dry patches. Add the prepared mixture into the baking dish and set it in the oven for 35-38 minutes to bake. Place a toothpick in the center to check for doneness. Take out and transfer to a wire rack.

Step 2. In a medium-sized sauce pot, add the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and egg yolks. Put on a stovetop over medium-low heat and combine. Mix regularly until melted. Allow the mixture to simmer until nothing is sticking to the bottom. Allow it to slightly thicken for about 12 minutes before taking off the heat. Put in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla and combine until thickened and spreadable. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 3. Add the mixture on top of the brownies and use a spatula to smooth it out. Allow it to cool thoroughly before cutting into squares. Add the melted chocolate on top by drizzling and serve right away.

A spatula lifting up the German Chocolate Brownies.

How Long Do German Chocolate Brownies Last?

How long this recipe lasts depends on how it is stored. You will need to store the recipe in an airtight container for the best storage method. It can last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.

What is German Chocolate?

“German chocolate” is referred to several different things.  The chocolate could be manufactured in Germany, this term is also used for a traditional German chocolate cake, or the type of baking chocolate.  What makes these brownies “German chocolate brownies,” is the German chocolate used in the brownies and the coconut pecan frosting.

German Chocolate Brownies on parchment paper.

More Brownie Recipes:

German Chocolate Brownies with a bite taken out.
German Chocolate Brownies Feature
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German Chocolate Brownies

German Chocolate Brownies are a combination of homemade brownies made with German chocolate and topped with a toasted coconut and pecan frosting.
Servings: 15 brownies
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the topping:

  • 1 cup sugar granulated
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup butter salted cut into tablespoons
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 & 1/2 cups coconut toasted
  • 1 cup pecans toasted chopped
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Melted chocolate melting wafers for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
  • Place the cut butter into a large pot or dutch oven, and begin to melt the butter over medium-low heat.
  • Break up the chocolate bar into squares and add them to the pot, stirring occasionally, melt the chocolate with the butter until smooth.
  • Take off the heat and whisk in the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk them in fully before adding the next.
  • Whisk in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour and stir it in until fully combined with no dry patches.
  • Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-38 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
  • Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Once the brownies are cool, make the topping. Place the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and egg yolks into a medium-sized saucepot.
  • Place over medium-low heat and stir together. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer while still stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. Once it hits a simmer and thickens slightly take it off the heat, for about 12 minutes.
  • Add the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Stir it in to combine. Continue to stir until it becomes thickened and spreadable, about 5 minutes.
  • Pour the frosting on top of the brownies and smooth it out. Let it cool completely.
  • Cut into bars and drizzle with melted chocolate if using, serve immediately.

Last Step:

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Notes

If you can’t find or don’t have German baking chocolate you can use semi-sweet or unsweetened baking bars. However, the brownies will not be “German” chocolate any longer.
I like to use toasted coconut and toasted pecans to give the frosting a deeper flavor than using untoasted. This step is completely optional and up to you!
The brownies themselves are moist and fudgy. German chocolate is a lighter chocolate flavor than semi-sweet or other chocolates and you can definitely tell with these brownies. They are not over-the-top chocolate flavored but on the lighter side. I think this works perfectly with the frosting as not one flavor overpowers the others.
I like to add a drizzle of melted chocolate. I use melted dark chocolate wafers from Ghirardelli because they melt very smooth and harden fast. But, using your favorite melted chocolate for the topping, semi-sweet, dark, milk, or even white chocolate would be good. Or, leave that step off completely!
Sometimes when purchasing pre-chopped bagged pecans, the pecans pieces are still on the big side so I always chop them a little more by hand. I find this easier to cut the brownies since I don’t have to slice through large pecan pieces.
The topping does not harden but stays nice and gooey. These brownies are best served at room temp because of this, they are some of the best brownies we have ever tasted.
Keep at room temp for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, I would freeze the bars individually and then place them in an air-tight container between layers of wax paper so they don’t stick to themselves.

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German Chocolate Brownies are a combination of homemade brownies made with German chocolate and topped with a toasted coconut and pecan frosting.

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