These German Chocolate Brownies came out of one of my creative moments when I was thinking about two different recipes that I love. What if I combined them? I think you will agree that these are outstanding!
These brownies are rich and so chocolatey they will satisfy even the most ardent chocoholics. They are filling and you will be sated with just one or maybe two, LOL.
The luscious coconut-pecan frosting is the perfect accompaniment to these beautiful brownies. Sweet and crunchy, it is absolutely delightful. Just like you would find on a German Chocolate Cake but this time it is topping luscious brownies – a heavenly match!
Traditional German Chocolate Cakes are made with milder chocolate that makes the whole cake quite sweet. But with the deeper cocoa powder in this version you get a more balanced dessert. I love the dark chocolate when combined with the sweet cooked frosting.
This recipe calls for two kinds of GF flours – a standard all-purpose blend* and oat flour**. If you can’t find a certified safe variety of oat flour, just use more of your all-purpose blend. Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten-free oat flour that is made with certified GF oats in a dedicated facility. It is very safe and absolutely delicious – one of my favorite alternative flours!
If you are using gluten-free flour, the brownies will be very tender and delicate when they first come out of the oven and cool. They will firm up after refrigeration and be easier to cut and serve.
The brownies are good on their own and so is the frosting, but together they are something really special. The perfect balance of chocolate intensity and pure sweetness with a little crunch and chew. Truly addicting.
When you are cutting these for serving, run your knife under hot running water after each cut and wipe dry. The heat will help the knife glide through the brownies and not drag too much of the frosting down the sides. Also, for the cleanest cuts, trim the edges off first, giving you smooth even sides to work with.
We loved these German Chocolate Brownies and inhaled them! They are a delightful way to complete any meal. They are perfect any time of the year and your chocoholic friends and family will be very happy to see them on the menu!
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 Brownies:
- Brownies: GF flour, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, pecans
- Frosting: evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt, butter, vanilla, unsweetened shredded coconut, pecans
PRO Tip:
This recipe calls for two kinds of GF flours – a standard all-purpose blend and oat flour. If you can’t find a safe variety of oat flour, just use more of your all-purpose blend.
How to make German Chocolate Brownies:
- Prepare the Brownies: Sift together the flour*, oat flour**, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in the bowl of your mixer, beating until creamy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add the cocoa and until completely combined. Add the chocolate chips and pecans, mixing until evenly distributed.
- Spread the batter into a parchment-lined and buttered 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square baking pan, pressing it into the corners. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 40 to 50 minutes or until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan.
- Make the Frosting: Combine the evaporated milk, sugar, yolks, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Whisk to combine, place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat and hold at a low boil, whisking often about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until cooled and thickened, no more than warm on the bottom of the bowl, about 10 minutes. Mix in the vanilla, then the coconut and pecans.
- Set frosting aside, it will thicken as it finishes cooling. Lift the brownies out of the pan and trim off the edges. Spread the frosting over the top and use a hot knife to cut into 16 pieces.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
PRO Tip:
Unsweetened coconut is also called desiccated which means dried. You definitely do not want to use sweetened coconut because it will alter the texture and moisture content and you will likely get unreliable results.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- 8×8-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper sheets
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Large saucepan
- Sharp knife
Gluten-Free Tips:
* 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.
** This recipe calls for two kinds of gluten-free flours – a standard all-purpose blend and oat flour. If you can’t find a verified safe variety of oat flour, just use more of your all-purpose blend. Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten-free oat flour that is made with certified GF oats in a dedicated facility. It is very safe and absolutely delicious – one of my favorite alternative flours!
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.
German Chocolate Brownies (GF)
The brownies are rich and so chocolatey they will satisfy even the most ardent chocoholics. They are completely fulfilling and you will be sated with just one or maybe two, LOL.
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1/2 cup (60g*) gluten-free flour blend*
- 1/2 cup (63g**) gluten-free oat flour** (see note below), or use more GF flour blend (if using more GF flour blend, it will be 60g if you use my favorite blend – follow the directions in the note below)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
- 3/4 cup (12 tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, melted, or use coconut oil for dairy-free
- 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (42g) natural cocoa powder, like Hershey’s brand
- 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life brand for dairy-free chips)
- 1/4 cup (29g) pecans, chopped, optional
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup (227g) evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk), most of a 12 oz (354 ml) can
- 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal brand
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113g) butter, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (85g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1-1/2 cups (171g) chopped pecans
- Pecan halves, for garnish, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) baking pan. (Use Earth Balance for dairy-free.) Line the pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving two ends draped over the edges creating a sling that will help you lift the brownies out of the pan. Butter the parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour*, oat flour**, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the melted ,butter and sugar, beat until cooled to warm and you can hold the bowl in the palm of your hand. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating until creamy. Stir in the flour mixture until incorporated. Add the cocoa and stir until completely combined. Then add the chocolate chips and pecans (if using) stirring until smooth and evenly distributed.
4. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Run a knife along the sides not covered by the parchment. Cool completely in the pan. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
6. Make the Coconut-Pecan 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, whisking often until thickened and reduced by about half, 7 to 8 minutes. Don't walk away from the stove or get distracted while this is cooking.
7. Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until cooled and thick enough to spread. The bottom of the bowl will be just warm when you hold it in your palm; this can take up to 10 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer. I recommend using a stand mixer if you have one. Mix in the vanilla, coconut and pecans.
8. Set the frosting aside. As it cools it will continue to thicken; stir occasionally. When the brownies are fully cooled, use the sling to lift them out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges off the brownies for the cleanest look.
9. Spread the top of the trimmed brownies with the coconut frosting. Use a very sharp hot knife to cut them into 16 pieces, rinsing the knife after each cut and wiping dry. Alternately, you can cut the brownies first and after chilling, just place a dollop of the cool frosting on the top of each one.
10. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Warm to room temperature before serving.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
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.
** This recipe calls for two kinds of gluten-free flours – a standard all-purpose blend and oat flour**. I think using oat flour gives the brownies a better texture and flavor. I tried this recipe with and without it, and prefer to make them with oat flour. Be careful when you purchase oat products that they are certified GF; Bob’s Red Mill makes a beautiful oat flour and oats/oatmeal that you can safely use.
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.
The concept for these brownies came from my German Chocolate Cookies
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 141Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 238mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
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.
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