Hey guys, it’s me again– and today, with a recipe that I love: German Chocolate Brownies.

I remember when I was a little kid, probably around 9 years old, my mom made a German Chocolate Cake for our family. I honestly can’t remember the specific occasion for sure, but in my mind I always think of it as having been my birthday cake, since I thought it was so special, and I loved it so much.

My mom and I have always had a good bond over our mutual love of chocolate and coconut, so German Chocolate Cake was a fast favourite. Also, yes – Mounds, Almond Joy, and Bounty candy bars also have a special place in our hearts. I remember sometimes as a kid, my mom would come home from grocery shopping with one of those chocolate and coconut bars to share with me, since she knew I would enjoy it just as much as she would.

All of that said, I am a huge fan of putting coconut and chocolate together. It’s one of my favourite flavour combinations, and it also has a nostalgic joy for me.

What is German Chocolate?

Well to be honest, I didn’t know for a long time. Apparently German chocolate isn’t German at all; the American baker Samuel German invented it for the Baker’s Chocolate Company, which is where it gets its name. German chocolate is basically just a sweeter version of a regular dark chocolate.

Where did German Chocolate Cake originate?

Again, it did not come from Germany! According to what I found, this recipe was created by Mrs. George Clay, a homemaker from Dallas, Texas!

I’ll be honest, this makes sense to me: The sticky sweet topping on German Chocolate Cake is very reminiscent of pecan pie, butter tarts, sugar pie, and other such southern sweet delicacies. I’m a fan, but having lived in Germany for some years… it makes sense to me that this recipe isn’t actually German.

What makes German chocolate different than regular chocolate?

Again, it’s a particular type of mild, sweet dark chocolate. When you make a German chocolate cake, it is made with the sweet German Baker’s chocolate in the base instead of rich cocoa, which is the typical method for making a regular chocolate cake.

This recipe doesn’t call for German chocolate… Why is it called “German chocolate” brownies?

Well, you got me. It’s literally just the chocolate base and the sweet coconut topping, signature of a German Chocolate Cake. I personally love a little bit of a darker chocolate, and also… since these are brownies, they are plenty sweet and make the chocolate mild in the end anyway. So I feel that the name suits them perfectly well.

Do I need anything special to make this recipe?

Not really, no! Just a standard well-stocked kitchen and the ingredients listed below. As usual, I will include a list of things in this post that I’ve used to make this recipe; however, I assume most people will already have what they need!

German Chocolate Brownies

These rich, fudgey brownies are easy to make and even easier to eat!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword brownies, coconut, german chocolate, german chocolate brownies, pecan

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 24 brownies

Ingredients

2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Coconut Topping

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1-1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
6 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1-3/4 c. unsweetened coconut
1 c. chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large glass mixing bowl or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together, and whisk to combine. (You can melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, at 30 second intervals, until melted.)
Beat in the sugar and eggs, then add the vanilla. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.
Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, or just a few sticky crumbs. Cool.

For the coconut topping:

Combine the cream, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a small-medium heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the butter is melted and mixture bubbles and thickens a little bit. Cook for 2 minutes more, remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans.
Pour the mixture into a medium heat-proof bowl and allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes.

To finish the brownies:

When the brownies are done and the topping has cooled slightly, pour the topping over the brownies and spread evenly. Cool completely before cutting and serving.
When the brownies have cooled completely, cut into 12 squares, and then cut each square in half diagonally. If you want smaller brownies, cut another diagonal across the other direction (making an X cut through each square). Serve with a glass of cold milk or your favourite hot beverage.