Rich German chocolate cookies are soft and chewy chocolate cookies that are packed with sweet coconut, melty chocolate pieces, and pecans.
These cookies are the easiest way to enjoy the flavors of German chocolate cake without making a cake.
The recipe is based on the chocolate version of my chewy brown sugar chocolate chip cookies. They’re rich chocolate cookies packed with sweet shredded coconut, pecans, and chunks of melty chocolate.
Aside from tasting great, the cookies are also really easy to make! They can be made in one bowl, and there’s no mixer required to whip up these yummy cookies.
“Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made these cookies today and they are perfect! Definitely will be adding these to our “favourites” list. Pecans, chocolate and coconut- what’s not to love? Delicious 😋” – Keri
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter int this recipe. You could use unsalted butter, but if using unsalted butter, I recommend increasing the salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work. Dark brown sugar will give you slightly richer flavor.
- Egg yolk: The fat from the extra yolk helps to make the cookies chewier.
- Flour: Correctly measuring the ingredients is key. I suggest either weighing the ingredients or aerating the flour (sifting or fluffing) and then scooping and leveling. Packing in too much flour will cause the cookies not to spread or to be dry and crumbly.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I haven’t tried using Dutch processed cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt isn’t as salty as table salt. Sea salt makes a good substitution. If you’d like to use table salt, just use a scant 1/2 teaspoon.
- Coconut: If you’d like, you can use unsweetened shredded coconut for cookies that are slightly less sweet.
- Pecans: Or use chopped walnuts if you prefer.
- Chocolate: German’s sweet chocolate is the traditional chocolate for German chocolate cake. However, semisweet chocolate will also work.
How to make German chocolate cookies
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Begin by melting the butter.
Step 2: Add the brown sugar, and stir in. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Step 4: Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined.
Step 5: Add the coconut, pecans, and chopped chocolate. Stir in just until incorporated.
Step 6: Scoop 1.5 tablespoons (medium cookie scoop) onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Step 7: Bake until the edges are just set but the cookies are soft in the middle, about 8-10 minutes Slightly underbaking will help to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
Recipe Tips!
- Melting the butter: Just barely melt the butter. Once it is mostly melted, I whisk until completely melted. Continuing to cook the butter after it has melted can throw off the ratios and leave you with a dry cookie or a cookie that doesn’t spread, and hot, sizzling butter can leave you with greasy cookies.
- Mixing: I recommend stirring this recipe together by hand rather than using a hand or stand mixer. Mixing by hand will help you avoid overworking the cookie dough.
- Measuring the flour: Be sure to measure the flour properly.
Either weigh the flour or measure properly. To measure properly, aerate the flour by stirring or sifting it. Spoon it into the measuring cup without packing and then level. - Soft cookies: For soft cookies, slightly underbake the cookies. Bake the cookies just until the edges are set and the center are soft. This will keep the cookies soft and a little chewy.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored.
More chocolate cookie recipes!
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German Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 ounces semisweet or German chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Large microwave-safe mixing bowl.
- Stir brown sugar into melted butter.
- Let stand 5 minutes.
- Add egg and egg yolk; stir to combine.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Stir in coconut, pecans, and chocolate chunks.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon), drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 8-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set.
- Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
- Flour: Correctly measuring the ingredients is key. I suggest either weighing the ingredients or aerating the flour (sifting or fluffing) and then scooping and leveling. Packing in too much flour will cause the cookies not to spread or to be dry and crumbly.
- Kosher salt: Or scant 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Mixing: I recommend stirring this recipe together by hand rather than using a hand or stand mixer. Mixing by hand will help you avoid overworking the cookie dough.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 2/8/2019.
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Comments & Reviews
Pam Beaivan says
I get it’s important to weigh the flour but don’t indicate how much it should weigh!
Kate Dean says
Hi, you can find the weights by clicking on “metric” immediately above the ingredients.
Kate says
My husband’s favorite cake is German Chocolate and his birthday was this week. I didn’t get a chance to make, or buy him a cake. Yesterday I surprised him by gathering together 8 other friends to go see a band locally, and after 5 of us came back to our house, hung around our built in fire pit, and enjoyed the cookies with our favorite libations. Today, only 9 cookies remain. My husband was thrilled! Especially since in the 29 years we’ve been together, these are the only cookies I’ve ever made. We’re prolific cooks, but HE is in charge of anything relating to dough. I have to admit I really enjoyed myself making them, and the results were a great reward. For my chocolate chunks, I used Ghiradelli 86% dark chocolate, dark brown sugar, and I under cooked them just a bit so they’d be soft. At first, I thought I under cooked them way too much because they were almost liquid when I took them off the cookie sheet. But soon they started holding their shape more, and when they were completely cooled, they held their shape perfectly, but were deliciously soft. Mine cooked down very thin, which was not a bad thing at all. Just relaying my experience.
Kate Dean says
Thank you for sharing sharing your experience, and happy birthday to your husband!