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I’ve seen German Chocolate Cookies a few times on Facebook. Each time I saw a recipe I made a mental note to add it to my “to bake” list.
Unfortunately most of the recipes I kept seeing involved cake mix. Now, I have nothing against cake mix on a moral level. Sometimes you just gotta take a shortcut.
BUT on a pure food level, I almost never use the stuff. If you couldn’t already tell, I’m all about homemade from scratch goodies whenever possible. They just taste better! And if you only eat special treats when you can make them from scratch, it’s pretty hard to overdo it. Unless you’re like me and you bake things for a living. Let’s not get into that right now…
This recipe takes cookies to a whole new level. I’ve had way too many sickeningly sweet yet bland cookies in my life. What a waste of calories. That’s why I love these German Chocolate Cookies. They’re rich and pack a huge flavor punch so they’re incredibly satisfying. And if you’re a huge chocoholic like me, you’ll adore them! Plus, as a total cookie queen, you know I got you covered with a solid recipe.
Tips for Making German Chocolate Cookies
What Type of Cocoa Powder is Best For German Chocolate Cookies?
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa for these cookies. It can be difficult to source in grocery stores, but it can be purchased easily online. My favorite brands of Dutch-process cocoa powder are E. Guittard, Penzey’s, Bensdorp, or Valrhona.
Why Use Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder?
I recommend using Dutch-process cocoa because it provides a deep color, more moisture, and a flavor that I think complements the sweet coconut topping perfectly. Dutch-process cocoa has more fat than most grocery store natural/unsweetened cocoa powder products, which is what we want for flavor and moisture in this specific recipe.
If you must use natural cocoa powder, go ahead. Just note your German Chocolate Cookies may be lighter in color and slightly drier in texture. You can learn more about the differences between cocoa powders here.
What Baking Sheet is Best for German Chocolate Cookies?
A light-colored aluminum half-sheet pan is my favorite for baking cookies. Avoid dark nonstick pans altogether, they brown too much and may burn the bottoms of your cookies. This is particularly important for dark-colored cookies like these German Chocolate Cookies, as it can be harder to tell visually when these are done baking. The below photo features cookies from the same exact batch of dough, baked for the same amount of time at the same temperature. The only difference was the baking pan!
Check out my Baking Pans 101 post for all the surprising details. Or, just click here to score my favorite baking pans for cookies (and everything else!)
Why Use a Cookie Scoop?
How to Store German Chocolate Cookies
Store German Chocolate Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store cookies with a tortilla, apple wedge, or piece of bread to keep them soft a little longer.
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For the cookies:
-
1 1/4
cups
(5.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
-
1/3
cup
unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
-
1
stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter,
at cool room temperature
-
3/4
cup
lightly packed dark brown sugar
-
1/4
cup
granulated sugar
-
1
large egg
-
1
large egg yolk
-
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1
cup
semisweet chocolate chips
For the topping:
-
1/2
cup
evaporated milk
-
1/2
cup
granulated sugar
-
1
large egg yolk
-
4
tablespoons
(2 ounces) unsalted butter
-
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1/2
heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
-
1/2
cup
chopped pecans
-
2
ounces
semisweet chocolate,
melted
For the cookies:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
-
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
-
Using a medium (1.5-Tablespoon) size spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop the dough by 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds onto the prepared baking sheets
-
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
For the topping:
-
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, egg yolk, and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Let cool until thick enough to spread on top of the cooled cookies.
-
Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the cookies. Let everything set for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cookies are best served the day they're made.
Can I use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar?
Hi Kumi! Yes, that will work just fine. You will lose a tiny bit of richness and moisture from the additional molasses in dark brown sugar, but your cookies will still be delicious! Let us know how it goes 🙂
I made with light brown sugar. My husband and kids loved it. I usually don’t eat chocolate cookies but this one was so delicious, not so sweet. Thank you Kiersten!
So happy to hear that, Kumi!
This recipe makes an awesome German chocolate cookie. I have made this several times. Everyone loves it
Hi. I am wondering if these could be made a bar cookie, like a brownie?
Hi Julie! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
I love this cookie! It’s the best chocolate cookie ever! I followed the cookie recipe exactly. I didn’t need to refrigerate the dough because I used the cookie scoop recomended and that worked great. Thanks for the tip to use the light cookie sheets. I did turn down the heat for the topping to cook it as long as it needed to cook. This made the topping the thickness it needed and after only several minutes cooling, it spread on the cookies nicely. I took the advice of someone to put the melted chocolate in a ziplock bag and cut the tip off to drizzle the chocolate. It worked perfectly!
Have you ever substituted gluten free flour in the recipe? I’ve used one to one gluten free flour in several recipes and it’s turned out great. If you’ve made gluten free cookies, which brand have you used?
Hi Joyce! We don’t bake with gluten-free substitutions, so we can’t say how that will work or give advice on brands. Let us know how it goes if you experiment with this! 🙂
I made them as written and they were fabulous! I may try a bar version in the future.
Re: gluten-free, I made them with King Arthur Measure for Measure – no other changes to the recipe – and they came out great. Terrific recipe!
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing, Barb!
To make a double batch is it an exact doubling of all ingredients? I know with some recipes there are some changes. Thank You.
Hi Jean! Yes, just double all ingredients – no further adjustments needed 🙂 Happy baking!
I made these for a large group yesterday. Next time I double the batch!!! I bake for.these people very often and they always have wonderful things to say…This time people wanted me to box them and sell them! I felt like a gourmet baker! will definitely be making again and again!
This is got to be one of the best chocolate cookies I have ever had! I just made these for my granddaughter who is turning 20 and shipped them to her with a two day delivery date. I froze them before I shipped them and I am hoping that they are safe to eat in two days. Can you confirm that?
Hi Diane! As Tessa mentions in the pink tip box above the recipe, these cookies can be stored at room temperature for 2 days. This short window is purely for quality purposes, as cookies may dry out or become stale by this point. The extra precautions you took to prevent this should mean the cookies are still delicious for your granddaughter! I’m sure she’ll love them 🙂
sooooo yummy. My daughter said they were the best cookies she had ever tasted. I did follow a suggestion to toast the pecans and coconut and I also used hersheys dark cocoa powder.
This is the first time I made this and it was delicious. I made especially for my son-in-law since he really like German chocolate cake. I wanted something different. The family enjoyed the cookies.
The best cookie EVER!
Hello, I don’t know English, I love seeing you online and seeing your recipes, I really like your page, I cook as a hobby and I love baking, I would love to buy your book but I don’t think it will reach Mexico, right, I live in Hermosillo, Sonora and I think that in July we will go to Phoenix, in which part or in which store is your book.- Thank you very much, I am using Google translate.- Greetings, thank you and much success.- Martha
Hi Martha! So glad you enjoy Tessa’s recipes and posts! The Ultimate Cookie Handbook is not available in stores, but you can grab it on Amazon US here, or as a digital download here! Also, FYI, it’s only available in English currently. Thanks again and happy baking 🙂
Reguarding the topping soaking into the cookie. I would most likely make these the day before ( Yes, I will be making them !) My thought was brushing a thin layer of melted chocolate onto the cooled cookie.When iet dries, put the eopping on.
That should work well, Cheryl! Let us know how it goes 🙂
Do you need a whole egg and an additional egg yoke for the batter and then another egg yoke for the topping on the cookie?
Hi Sue! Yes, that’s correct! So you’ll need a total of two whole eggs + two egg yolks. Let us know what you think of these cookies once you’ve given them a try 🙂
These cookies are fantastic everyone loved them, one note this is a 3-step recipe obviously. you have to flatten the cookies down when they come out of the oven otherwise the topping won’t stay on the cookie. The same thing goes for the topping, I put the cookies in the frig so the topping would set quicker and then flatten the topping down. Then to drizzle the chocolate (my first-time drizzling chocolate). I poured the melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag and cut the corner out worked like a champ.
Awesome recipe. Contrary to what many believe, this cake/cookie did not originate in Germany. It is actually an American recipe.
In 1852 Samuel German, an English American Baker who worked for Baker’s Chocolate Company, created a new type of dark-baking chocolate. German made sweet baking chocolate with more sugar than the average semi-sweet baking chocolate. This chocolate was named Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate after its creator.
Loved but a little on the sweeter side. Will reduce sugar a bit next time. Fluffy texture.
My 4 stars are not indicative of the finished product (which is really 5 stars) but of some ‘idiosyncrasies’ I had with the recipe itself.
I found it better to refrigerate the dough for at least 15-20 minutes before baking since handling is so much easier and quicker And the cookie stays more uniform in size ; secondly, it took 16 minutes at 350 for these cookies to set (yes, my oven is correctly calibrated ); thirdly, as a recipe editor, it’s helpful to expand the instructions for making the topping. I know to watch the cooking of the egg-based topping so the egg doesn’t ‘cook’ but some people don’t. You really do have to be diligent about stirring at a lower heat so the egg doesn’t scramble. Also (and this is just My preference), i toast the coconut and pecans before adding them to the topping…brings it to a whole other level.
Other than those details, the cookie is absolutely smashing!
Hi Cindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies so much! Thanks so much for your feedback on the instructions. We have this recipe on our list of recipes to refresh and update soon, so we appreciate it. Thanks so much!
Theses cookies are awesome this is the second time I’ve made them for Christmas. My one friend loves these, I make her the German chocolate cake for her Birthday
These cookies were amazing. My husband loves German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan frosting so I thought he’d like these. They are now his FAVORITE cookie. Everyone that eats them loves them. I just made them today and people are already asking for the recipe. Thanks for the recipe and allowing me to bump up my cookie recipe list.
Omg chocolate heaven…
fantastic recipe
Are these shelf stable?
Hi Shauna! We suggest that these cookies be eaten the day they’re made, but if not, you would need to store them in the fridge due to the evaporated milk in the topping. Just keep in mind that the topping softens the cookies even more over time. If you’re trying to make these in advance, you could keep the topping and cookies separate until the morning of serving. Let the topping come back to room temperature and spread on your cookies, then drizzle with chocolate. I hope that helps!
I absolutely love all your recipes!! I was wondering if this batter is better chilled overnight like your bakery chocolate chip cookies?
Thanks
Michelle
Hi Michelle! Chilling your cookie dough overnight most directly applies to chocolate chip cookie dough, but any time you want to develop stronger flavors and a thicker, chewier texture in any drop-style cookie dough, chilling will be your friend 🙂 Feel free to experiment with it! Let us know what you think of these cookies when you give them a try 🙂
These cookies were a hit with my husband and i !!!
So im sure glad to know they are going to be a hit with my inlaws and there family for Christmas 2021
Thanks alot !!!
Carolyn
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
Question.
I live in Co. High altitude. How much more Flour should I use?
I can’t wait to make these!!
Hi Angela! Neither Tessa or I bake at a higher altitude, so I can’t say for sure. If you find that you normally need to make adjustments for a recipe to turn out, then I would stick to whatever you normally do. You can also check out King Arthur Baking’s article HERE for more help. Please let us know how it goes if you give this recipe a try 🙂
I am going to try these, can’t wait. Is it anything you can do to make them crunchie not soft, my husband likes hard cookies not soft. Thanks, Angie Coggins
Hi Angie! Tessa created these cookies so they replicate the taste of a German Chocolate Cake, which is why they’re super soft cookies. Feel free to bake them for a bit longer for a crunchier cookie 🙂
Excellent flavor and a big hit with everyone (that likes coconut)!
Cookie calls for 1 stick of butter but then states 4 ounces. Can you confirm which is right, please?
Hi Susie! 1 stick of butter = 4 ounces, or 113 grams. We included the measurements for this recipe in weight as well as volume. I hope that helps!
Wow! Must have been a long day but I was thinking Tablespoons not Ounces! Thanks for the great recipes!
haha no problem 🙂 Can’t wait for you to enjoy these cookies!
I’m also from Phoenix! I made these for the person I work for, he likes German Chocolate Cake so I thought why not make him cookies and they were a hit.
So happy to hear that, Elaine!
Do you have the ingredients list with grams?
We don’t just yet, but we’re actively working to update all the older recipes on the site with gram measurements! Our Ingredient Measuring Guide might come in handy here to get the accurate weights: https://handletheheat.com/measuring-cheatsheet
I took a chance on these for my daughters wedding and they were fantastic! They froze and thawed really well for transport. The only thing I did different was added flour because I’m at altitude and the first batch wasn’t as thick as I’d like. Thanks for the great recipe!
Perfect, I’m glad you were able to tweak the recipe to work where you live! I’m honored you chose to use my recipe for your daughter’s wedding! 🙂
Hi! What does 2 sticks of butter equals to in cups? Also what does 8 tablespoons of butter equal to in cups
On the butter wrapper, it shows how much 🙂 2 sticks = 1 cup. If you’re looking to switch out the butter in this recipe, I wouldn’t recommend it!
I’ve made these and brought them to work everyone was raving about them , I don’t eat cookies I just enjoy baking and sharing and now that I’ve made these that are a fantastic and a favorite forsure. Thanks for the perfect recipe.
So glad these cookies were a hit!
I was my hardest cookie I have ever made, and frankly, I think it was the fact that I was not patient enough with it. I wanted to get it done ASAP as part of my Bakemas series. It was delicious but next time I will definitely take my time and I’m sure it will come out more delicious!
Hi,
I was wondering how many cups of butter do I need to make to cookie batter?
Everyone said it tasted like German Chocolate Cake and was easy to make .. Thanks for the recipe ! S. Ochoa
So very good, and I forgot the chocolate chips. Stored in the fridge and they were even better a couple of days later! I’m a cookie snob but this recipe made my filecrick!
This is an outstanding recipe! I always double the recipe.
i’ve actually decided to make these cookies and so i could travel with them, decided to make them a sandwich cookie with the pecan coconut topping as a filling instead. i’ll let you know how they turn out
Fun idea!