One of my favorite cakes of all time is German Chocolate, but one made with a luscious dark chocolate cake instead of the typical light chocolate one. With those flavors in mind, I created these Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting just for you!
It is always a challenge to come up with new and creative ideas for Chocolate Mondays, especially after over 15 years. Today’s recipe is no exception. I thought I had a great idea to combine one of my favorite cookies with one of my favorite cake frostings. And then I took a look at the Internet.
There are dozens of similar versions, so my idea was certainly not original but I really do love these cookies. I like to think that mine would stand up to contests! They are packed with rich and deep chocolate flavor, and the sweet coconut and pecan frosting provides the perfect complement. I could eat a dozen in one sitting!
There is delightful contrast between the crunch of the cookies, the creaminess of melted chocolate chips, the nutty goodness of the pecans, and the chewiness of the coconut in the frosting. It is pretty perfect for me. And when the baking cookies fill your house with the most amazing aromas, you will definitely agree with me, LOL.
If many coconut desserts are too sweet for you, you can help that by using unsweetened coconut. Sometimes called desiccated (dried), it gives you all the flavor of coconut without adding any sweetness. You can usually find it at Whole Foods and other specialty grocers or online. This also makes it a wonderful choice for savory dishes. Because it is dried, expect it to expand when added to liquids. I rarely use sweetened coconut anymore; I can control the sweetness of my dessert much more easily with unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Some people like the flavor of coconut but don’t like the chewiness. To help that, you can put your coconut in the food processor and pulse it a little. The smaller pieces will be easier to eat than long strands and your coconut naysayers may change their minds!
These dark chocolate cookies with German chocolate frosting have cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a double hit, because we love chocolate so much. I’ve lowered the sugar content of the frosting by using less sugar and unsweetened coconut. The crunchiness of the cookies perfectly balances the soft and gooey frosting.
The dark spots you see in the frosting in the photos that look like ground pepper are actually the seeds from vanilla beans. If you use vanilla paste, all the work is done for you. It is lightly sweetened and the vanilla seeds are suspended in a gel-like mixture. It is pretty much all I use these days and it adds bold vanilla flavor to all your baked goods!
You can make these Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting all year long. They are a good choice for potluck suppers, church gatherings, and family dinners. I would wait to frost and decorate them until the day you will be serving them. This keeps the cookies from getting too soft. The frosting will set up and hold the pecans on the top if you decide you want to decorate them – or leave off the pecans if you choose.
Happy Chocolate Monday everyone ~ have a fabulous week!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for German Chocolate Cookies:
- Cookies: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, chocolate chips
- Coconut-Pecan Frosting: evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt, butter, vanilla, unsweetened coconut, pecans, pecan halves
PRO Tip:
I didn’t flatten my cookies, but they would be easier to frost and eat if they were less mounded. It isn’t hard to do, just dip the bottom of a glass in a bowl of water and press down on the top of each dough ball before popping the tray in the oven.
How to make Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting:
- Make the Cookies: Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then gradually mix in the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beater well and mixing in any unincorporated ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into rounded tablespoons, drop onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 to 14 minutes until slightly firm when gently pressed on top. Cool 2 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
- Make the Frosting: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and butter, whisking together. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Lower to heat to a low boil and cook, whisking often, until thickened and reduced by about half, 7 to 8 minutes. Don’t walk away while this is cooking.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat on medium until cooled and thick enough to spread, may take up to 10 minutes. You will be able to hold the bottom of the bowl in your hand. Mix in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Set frosting aside to cool.
- Frost the Cookies: Spread some of the cooled frosting on each cooled cookie and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set a pecan half on top of each one if desired. Allow frosting to set up before serving. These are best on the day they are made. Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Baking sheet pans
- Parchment or silicone baking mats
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cookie scoop
- Large saucepan
Gluten-Free Tips:
Using Authentic Foods superfine flours guarantees grit-free baked goods. There is nothing else even close to the texture of their flours. You can’t tell these cookies are gluten-free!
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting (Gluten-Free)
I love these Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting. They are packed with rich and deep chocolate flavor, and the sweet coconut and pecan frosting provides the perfect complement. I could eat a dozen in one sitting!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (120g*) gluten-free flour blend* or all-purpose flour (such as Gold Medal brand)
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (107g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) chopped semisweet chocolate (about 66%) or chocolate chips
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup (227g) evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk)
- 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113g) butter, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or pure organic vanilla
- 1 cup (85g) unsweetened shredded coconut (desiccated)
- 1-1/2 cups (171g) chopped pecans
- Pecan halves, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend until totally incorporated. Scrape the bowl, making sure there are no unincorporated ingredients in the bottom. Stir in the chocolate pieces.
- Using a 1-1/2-inch scoop or a rounded tablespoon, drop the dough 1 to 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven, spinning the trays front to back and switching them top to bottom halfway through baking. Cook until just slightly firm when you gently press the top, 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool for about 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Using a spatula, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a large saucepan, place the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt and butter. Whisk to combine ingredients, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce to medium or medium-low to hold at a low boil, stirring often until thickened and reduce by about half, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your standing mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium until cooled a bit and thick enough to spread. You should be able to hold your hands on the bottom of the bowl comfortably; this can take up to 10 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer. Mix in the vanilla, coconut and pecans.
- Set frosting aside. As it cools it will continue to thicken.
- Frost the Cookies: Spread some of the frosting on each one and place on a cool parchment-lined baking sheet. Set a pecan half on top of each cookie. Allow frosting to set up before serving. Best on the day they are baked and frosted.
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post:
Create a New Tradition Today!
Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. The author makes no claims regarding the presence of food allergens and disclaims all liability in connection with the use of this site. This post was first shared in Nov 2014. The article was updated in 2025.
Katrina
These look and sound heavenly. I would totally cheat on sugar for one of these!