German Chocolate Cookies

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated June 26, 2024

German Chocolate Cookies
Aubrie Pick for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(2,948)
Comments
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While a big slice of German chocolate cake may appeal to many, baking one from scratch may not. That’s where these cookies come in. They satisfy the craving for deep, dark pools of warm chocolate, sweet pecans and fragrant coconut with only a fraction of the work. To toast the coconut, spread it out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven when the edges and some of the coconut in the center are deep golden brown. It’s fine if some of the coconut is still pale.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 dozen
  • 1cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½cup/47 grams natural cocoa powder
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
  • ½cup/101 grams granulated sugar
  • ½cup/110 grams packed dark brown sugar
  • 1large egg
  • 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1½cups/128 grams lightly toasted, sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1cup/170 grams chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 1cup/119 grams chopped pecans
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

190 calories; 12 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 86 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Add coconut, chocolate and pecans and mix to just combine.

  3. Step 3

    Portion the dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and roll them into balls. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until dry on top but still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the sheets against a work surface to deflate them slightly. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,948 user ratings
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Comments

ACF

Delicious - all the decadence of German chocolate cake in cookie form. I don’t care for the cloying quality of sweetened shredded coconut so I used unsweetened coconut instead and then used a 50/50 mix of chopped bittersweet and semisweet chocolate to make up for some of the lost sweetness. The first batch of cookies did not flatten as much as I would have liked so I flattened the dough before baking the next batch and they came out perfectly. This is going to become a staple in my house!

Lisa

Very easy and very good. Should never again make them with just two of us in the house.

josee

I just finished baking this exactly as instructed except I toasted the pecans as well as the coconut. This might make it to my top 3 favorite cookie recipes along with the ricotta cookies and Mexican wedding cookies. Heaven in every bite. The flavors and the texture are perfect.

EconProf

Easy and delicious. Followed the recipe except used unsweetened coconut and definitely plenty sweet. I was worried the batter wasn’t coming together and maybe had too much coconut/chocolate/nuts but I threw it in the freezer for a few mins before forming the cookies and they came out great. Also, I definitely don’t recommend trying to smoosh down the balls. Just leave them be and they come out lovely, if a bit more domed than the picture.

Darren

These are excellent cookies, but they seem to be closely based on Maida Heatter’s classic Chocolate Whoppers from her 1997 book Maida Heatter’s Cookies. The ratios and mixing method are nearly identical, with coconut added for a “German chocolate” twist. It would be nice to see her credited as the inspiration for this version.

Chris

Where's the German chocolate?

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