German Chocolate Cookies

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated June 25, 2024

German Chocolate Cookies
Aubrie Pick for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(3,090)
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
3,090 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.

Maggie

Froze the dough over night and baked 2-3 mins longer at 350, worked perfectly for me! :) was trying to make sure the hot toasted coconut cooled down the butter etc.

CK Haley

I followed the recipe precisely weighing the ingredients. My cookie dough was quite dry, and I had difficulty getting the cookies hold together. I ultimately added a couple of teaspoons of coffee to get some cohesion. Also my cookies did not spread so I had to flatten them to bake properly. I think my coconut flakes were too dry (did not use Baker’s brand… would do so next time) I also think the recipe would benefit from a second egg. The taste is good, so hoping for a better result on the second attempt!

Bari

Holy Smokes...those are amazing! That will take care of my afternoon sweet tooth! And they'll make great gifts too. So easy to make. I used my KitchenAid, too. This is the recipe I've been looking for! Thank you, Samantha!

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