If you're craving German Chocolate flavors but don't have time to make German Chocolate Cake, why not make German Chocolate Cookies? You could try these German Chocolate Brownie Cookies which are double chocolate with a pecan & coconut frosting. Or you could make these slightly simpler cookies which are double chocolate cookies with coconut, pecans and chocolate chips stirred into the dough.
There are dozens of variations, but this version was inspired by Sunny Anderson's cookies. I've made a few minor changes including making the recipe in one bowl. Feel free to mix the dry ingredients separately, but I've found it doesn't really matter here so long as you stir everything thoroughly in the one bowl.
These cookies have a chewy texture when made as directed. For small, crunchy cookies, you can divide each dough section into quarters and bake tiny cookies. To get them crunchy just reduce the heat to about 300 and bake them for about 18 minutes.
If you're not convinced these are the cookies for you, here are a few other German Chocolate inspired treats.
Chocolate Coconut Crunchers (made with German Chocolate Cake mix)
Time Life German Chocolate Cake
Recipe
German Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened, divided (230 grams)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, natural
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt use ⅛ if using salted butter
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Have ready two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer, beat softened butter, both sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended. Beat in the cocoa powder and stir until blended, then beat in the baking soda and salt, scraping sides of the bowl thoroughly. Add the flour and stir just until blended.
- Stir in the pecans, coconut and chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Yield: 36 cookies
Anna says
Marianne and Mary Ann,
Thanks for the reviews! Glad you liked them.
Mary Ann says
Anna, thank you for introducing me to the German Chocolate cookie recipe. I made them today and they are excellent. German Chocolate cake is my daughter's favorite but I am going to bake these for her birthday this year instead of the cake. I really enjoy your blog.
Marianne says
we made them, ate them, and LOVE them!
thank you!
Jannett says
I am going to try these cookies...and your blueberry white chocolate sound wonderful....;o)
Angela says
Anna, I've made that exact recipe from Eating Well's website!! It was a couple of years ago, for a bake sale, but I do remember them getting rave reviews. I should've guessed they were from the author of my fav dessert blog 😉 What a small world this has become!
Cathy V says
I am so glad to see both of these recipes! Sam's club use to sell a cookie that i always insisted tasted just like the frosting from German chocolate cake. Now of course they don't make them anymore so i actually squealed when I saw this! Can't wait to try them thanks!!
C L says
These sound delicious and like just the ticket to send to my uncle whose favorite cake is German Chocolate. Your Eating Well cookie also sounds yummy too...I must try those as well. 🙂
Barbara says
The cake is my son's favorite. I bet he'd love these cookies too!
Anna says
Katrina, they credited the finalists in the magazine 7 years ago, but the cookies don't have the credit in their database. Actually, a lot of contest winners procured by magazines/brands don't credit the winner. Some do, some don't.
Gloria says
Eating Well's website has (11) 5 star reviews for your Blueberry White Chocolate Chunk ginger cookies. Everyone loved them! I don't care for German Chocolate cake, but the cookies look good!
Katrina says
I like the finely chopped chocolate in cookies. So they are chewy, not crispy?
You didn't even get your name on the blueberry cookies posted? Those look good, too. I have dried tart cherries, that sounds good, too.
Krista says
oh! Delicious!!!!
Barbara Bakes says
What a great idea for a cookie. German chocolate cake is a favorite at our house.
Christine (cook the story) says
German Chocolate Cake is one of my favorite things. Having it in a simple cookie (or brownie!) is so brilliant. Heading over to check out your blueberry cookies now too. Hoping the "white" refers to white chocolate since I do so love blueberries and white chocolate together.
d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo says
What a clever idea! I too made German Chocolate Brownies (http://yellebellyboo.blogspot.com/2011/03/german-chocolate-brownies.html) and they were good but not great. I'd love to try this recipe! I have some nut allergies though so I might leave them out. Thanks for the recipe!!
Carol says
Anna,
These both look good. My cookie mojo has not been so great lately. Maybe one of these recipes will turn it around. I LOVE german chocolate cake and I have made a German chocolate pie before that was really good.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
Love these! I'm looking for cookies to bring to a pot luck coming up and I know these would be a hit! Thanks!