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German Chocolate Cookie Bars

These deliciously unique bars have a rich chocolatey crust, (a crispier form of the traditional dark Baker’s German chocolate cake,) and a soft and goey coconut and pecan topping with bits of more chocolate slightly melted on top. So reminiscent of the classic cake combo, but in a cute little bite-sized package.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 big bars
Author Amanda @ A Treat Life

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 3/4 cups (224g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder (I used dark)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup (170g) cold butter, cubed

For the top:

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 lg egg, whisked
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (60g) shredded, unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup (125g) pecans, chopped
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet mini)

Instructions

For the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350f/177C. Spray a 9x13” pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper going up two of the sides for easier removal.

  2. Add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the dry ingredients are completely combined. Then add in all the cold, cubed butter and pulse until it all comes together, almost looking like is starting to form a very loose dough. The butter should now be in little granules and it will all clump together when squeezed in your hand.

  3. Dump the mixture out into the prepared pan, spread out and press down with your fingers or the lightly oiled bottom of a round glass to create an even crust. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 or 11 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven, use a fork to pierce the top a little all over, only pushing down enough to poke the top layer, not go all the way through. (This will help the topping stick, but if you poke all the way down, the topping will leak.). Set aside & turn the oven down to 325F/ 164C.

For the topping:

  1. While the crust is baking, add the sweetened condensed milk, whisked egg, vanilla and salt to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine the wet ingredients.

  2. Then add about 3/4’s of the coconut, 3/4’s of the chopped pecans and 3/4’s of the chocolate chips to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix everything together. (Reserve the rest to sprinkle on top.)

  3. Pour the topping over the still warm crust, and spread to even it out. Then sprinkle the remaining coconut, pecans and then the chocolate chips on top. Place into the preheated oven and bake for about 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. If you’re top isn’t getting golden brown, after about 22 minutes, place the pan under the broiler to brown a tiny bit. Keep an eye on it and DO NOT OVERBAKE, as the filling won’t be soft or slighty gooey the way you want it to be.

  4. The top should be set and slighlty golden brown on top and at the edges. Once done, let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

  5. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5-7 days or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.