German Chocolate Cookie Bars (Easy Recipe)

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German Chocolate Cookie Bars have a chewy chocolate cookie layer topped with gooey homemade German chocolate coconut frosting.

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These German chocolate cookie bars are perfectly chewy with a crunchy, yet gooey coconut frosting topping. They are heavenly! And SO EASY to make! I have probably made these German Chocolate Cookie Bars at least 5 times since the beginning of the year. I love them!

You can’t go wrong with these bars. They are a new favorite at our house! They are so gooey and delicious! Oh and did I mention they are super EASY? I almost always have all the ingredients on hand so I make these whenever I have a sweet tooth and I don’t want to make a trip to the store!

Ingredients in German Chocolate Bars

Chocolate Cake Mix – You can use German Chocolate cake mix, Devil’s Food cake mix, or any other chocolate cake mix
Butter – Unsalted works best for this recipe
Eggs – You need one for the crust and one for the filling
Sweetened condensed milk
vanilla extract
Pecans
Shredded coconut
Milk chocolate chips – You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.

How to Assemble German Chocolate Bars

Prepare the crust according to the directions below
Combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg, pecans and coconut and pour evenly over the warm crust. You can heat this mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until just hot but we have found that it works best pouring the mixture directly over the warm chocolate crust.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top
Bake until the top is a light golden brown. Cool completely before serving.

German Chocolate Cake Mix vs Devil’s Food Cake

As you will see in the recipe below you can use either a German Chocolate Cake Mix or a Devil’s Food Cake Mix. Originally we started off ALWAYS making it with German chocolate cake mix but when I was craving these and found all I had in the pantry was a Devil’s Food Cake mix I made it with that and haven’t gone back since. They were way more moist and have a richer flavor. Since I made this discovery months after we posted the first time, it was too late to change the name.. so we still call them German Chocolate Cookie bars but really we like them best when they are “Devil’s Food Cake bars with coconut topping”. Both ways are delicious so if you want to keep with the German theme, feel free to stick with it. You really can’t lose.

Making German Chocolate Bars From Scratch

No box cake mix? No problem! You can make the chocolate cake mix in this recipe from scratch. Here’s what you need:

2 cups cake flour (all purpose flour will work fine if you don’t have cake flour)
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir well and use this cake mixture in place of the box cake mix below.

Variations and Additions

Caramel – Drizzle melted caramel over the top
Almonds – for more of a crunch you can use chopped almonds instead of pecans
Easter style – Toss the coconut in a tiny bit of green food coloring for an Easter twist. Add chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs over the top as another fun addition.

You can’t go wrong with these delicious German Chocolate Cookie Bars but if you are looking for MORE delicious treats like this one, give some (or all) of these a try:

Coconut Fudge Cookie Bars

Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars

7 Layer Magic Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Bars

Caribbean Coconut Fudge Bars: These tasty bars come straight from St. John’s in the Caribbean. Chocolate and coconut is ALWAYS a winning combination! You will love all the delicious layers of these bars!
Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars: Craving a taste of the islands but looking for something more on the fruity side? You have GOT to try these coconut lime cheesecake bars. One of the most popular recipes on our site!
Coconut Pecan Cookie Bars: These cookie bars are SO easy to whip up. No cake mix needed! Only a few easy ingredients and you’ve got yourself dessert in about 30 minutes!
Peanut Butter Bars: Better than your lunch lady used to make!
We have MANY MANY more cookie and bar recipes… check them ALL out HERE!

Frequently Asked Questions About German Chocolate Bars

Can you freeze German Chocolate Bars?

Yes! Wrap them up and store them in an air-tight freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Allow to warm to room temperature before serving.

What is a German Chocolate Bar?

A German chocolate bar is a cookie bar made with a cookie crust and topped with a coconut topping and chocolate chips. It like German chocolate cake in a cookie!

Do I need to use German chocolate in this recipe?

No, you can use any kind of chocolate cake mix. In fact our favorite chocolate cake mix to use is Devil’s Food cake!