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.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Karen says
Delicious!!!
Kate says
Thank you!
Tammy Johnson says
I made these they turn out perfect had so many compliments,will definitely add to my list of keepers thanks for sharing …
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that they turned out well for you!
Bonnie says
Made these today as instructed in recipe using milk chocolate morsels. They come together nicely, but are just okay, nothing really special IMHO.
Kate says
I’m glad that the recipe worked well for you, but sorry that you didn’t enjoy the cookies more!
Diana says
These were delicious. Not overly sweet, which is very nice. Will definitely add to my cookie rotation
Kate says
Thank you!
Betsy M says
Wow, wow! Absolutely delicious. And they’re something different than the standard cookie ideas out there.
Kate says
Thank you!
Kath says
They were perfect. The dough was tiny bit crumbly but rolling each scoop in a ball helped it to stick together. Super chewy yumminess!
Kate says
Thank you!
Liz says
Is it unsalted butter?You’re using the recipe or salted?
Kate says
Hi! I’m using salted butter. I talk about using salted butter and how to substitute unsalted butter in the “ingredient notes and substitutions” section above the recipe.
Nancy says
Can you also post the flour measurements in grams. I like to weigh my flour as it’s much more accurate. 1 cup of AP flour is 120 grams or 4 1/4 oz Just a suggestion as that might help some of the people who are having trouble with the cookies being dry. I haven’t made them but I plan to soon. They look delicious.
Kate says
Hi! Thanks! If you click on “metric” immediately above the ingredients, it will give you the weights for the ingredients.
Karin Clark says
They were delicious!!
Kate says
Thank you!
NP says
Nice! Easy to make. Light crunch on the outside but soft in the center. Not heavy at all. I reduced the sugar by 50g.
Kate says
Thank you!
Jenny Perez says
They came out so yummy and the crunch from the pecans with the coconut is a delicious combination.
Kate says
Thank you!
CP says
My new favorite recipe! LOVE!! Family couldn’t stop talking about it. I made a few changes: I didn’t melt the butter, instead I beat it with the sugar until creamy, I used unsalted butter and did put more salt as suggested, I used more coconut, balled the dough up and refrigerated for 2 hours. Baked at 350 to have chewier cookies, and drizzled some caramel sauce on top. I did use a stand mixer and just made sure I didn’t beat the eggs too much.
Kate says
Thank you!
Morgan says
The flavor of these was good, but the dough was so dry and crumbly. I followed the 2x recipe amounts and used the exact measurements and ingredients. I’m surprised I couldn’t find any other comments that mentioned this, but I can’t imagine what I did wrong. I tried mixing in a little water just to get the dough to stick together, but it didn’t help the crumbly texture in the end. Maybe next time I’ll try adding more melted butter or reducing the flour? Bummer!
Kate says
Hi! Unfortunately, when scaling baking recipes, you often have to make other adjustments. How are you measuring your flour?
Morgan says
Never mind, now that I’m racking my brain more, I think I might have accidentally added an extra 1/3 of cocoa powder when I was measuring. That certainly couldn’t have helped!
Oh well — like I said, the flavor is still great! I’ll just have to try making them again… what a tragedy! 😆
Kate says
Well, things like that happen from time to time! Yes, it’s just a good excuse to make them again!
Taylor See says
Mine was dry too, until I realized that I was accidentally skipping the additional egg yolk that the recipe calls for. Then they came out perfect!
Kate says
Thank you!
Amber says
These were amazing! I made them for the first time and my husband said “these are a new favorite! I used Dutch process cocoa powder, half sweetened coconut and half unsweetened . Will be making them again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
You are so welcome! I’m glad that you liked the cookies!
Rainer says
Taste great and easy to make. Mine dit not spread. Should have that in the instructions about not packing flour and sifting in the instructions NOT at the end. Easy to make.
Kate says
Thank you! The reason that I have tips and extra information in the notes section at the bottom of the recipe and in the post above the recipe instead of the instructions is because I’ve found that when the instructions have more information, people tend to miss things.
Also, as a tip for the future, you’ll never want to pack flour when making cookies. Cookies will have better texture when sifting and then measuring. I hope that helps for next time!
Cynthia Samoorian says
Is it ok to make the dough ahead of time and then bake the cookies closer to Christmas?
Kate says
The dough can be made about 48 hours in advance and chilled. The dough quality starts to decline if it’s chilled much longer than 48 hours. You can also freeze scoops of the dough if you’d like to make the dough further in advance.
Stephanie Burbank says
You say to weigh the flour but do not give any weights. This is by far the best way to bake. Do you have this measurement?
Kate says
If you click on “metric” immediately above the list of ingredients and below the heading “ingredients”, it will give you the weights for the ingredients.