It is always a challenge to come up with new and creative ideas for Chocolate Mondays, especially after over 10 years. Today’s recipe for Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting 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 on the Internet.
There are dozens of versions, so I’m certainly not original but I really do love these cookies. They are packed with chocolate flavor, rich and deep, and the sweet coconut and pecan frosting provides the perfect complement. I could eat a dozen in one sitting!
I also like the 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 a lot of coconut desserts are too sweet for you, you can easily fix that by using unsweetened coconut. Sometimes called desiccated (meaning dried), it gives you all the flavor of coconut without adding any sweetness. You can usually find it at Whole Food and other gourmet 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 a lot better with desiccated coconut.
The dark flecks in the frosting are from the vanilla paste I used. Exceptional flavor boost!
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 grind 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.
How to make Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting:
- Make the Cookies: Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar; beat in the egg and vanilla
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients then stir in the chocolate chips
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough and bake 10 to 14 minutes
- Make the Frosting: Cook the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and butter until thickened
- Transfer mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer; beat until cooled slightly and spreadable; mix in the vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans – let cool until thickened
- Spread some frosting on each cookie and top with a pecan half; best served on the day they are baked and frosted
PRO Tip:
Unless you really load the German chocolate frosting on each cookie, there will be some frosting left over. If you’re like me, it is perfect for a little snack, straight off a spoon. 😉 If you double the number of cookies, you can use the frosting as filling for a sandwich cookie. Twice the fun!
PRO Tip:
I didn’t flatten my cookies, but they would be easier to frost and eat if they were less rounded. It isn’t hard to do, just dip the flat 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.
Key Ingredients for this Recipe
- All-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Unsalted butter and salted butter
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Egg, egg yolks, and vanilla
- Chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
- Evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Chopped pecans and whole pecans
Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe (affiliate links)
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer
- Small spring-loaded ice cream scoop
- Large saucepan
Other Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Peanut Butter Ganache Sandwich Cookies (GF)
- Oatmeal, Cranberry, White Chocolate Cookies (GF)
- Big Fat Snicker’s Cookies (GF)
- White Chocolate Snickerdoodles (GF)
- Chocolate Chunk Toffee Cookies (GF)
- Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Meringues (GF)
- Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)
Gluten-Free Tips:
Using Authentic Foods superfine flours guarantees a grit-free cookie. There is nothing else even close to the texture of their flours. You can’t tell these cookies are gluten-free!
Happy Chocolate Monday ~ have a fabulous week!
Dark Chocolate Cookies with German Chocolate Frosting (Gluten-Free)
Do you love German Chocolate Cake? Imagine it in cookie form. These crunchy bites with your favorite coconut & pecan frosting are delectable!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (about 66%) or chocolate chips
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or pure organic vanilla
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1-1/2 cup 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 sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula, 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.
- Spread some of the frosting on each one and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Set a pecan half on top. Allow frosting has set up before serving. Best on the day they are baked and frosted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 4g
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First Published: 17 Nov 2014
Last Updated: 23 Dec 2019
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Katrina
These look and sound heavenly. I would totally cheat on sugar for one of these!