Rich, decadent brownies are covered with a caramelized topping made from chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and sweetened condensed milk for that quintessential German chocolate cake flavor. And of course, we have to add melted German chocolate to these fudgy brownies!
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Nostalgic German Chocolate Cake Becomes a Delicious Brownie
My friends, these German chocolate cake brownies can by no means be considered "ordinary brownies". Melted German chocolate is mixed into the brownie batter, and a classic creamy German chocolate cake frosting is spread on top. Made from sweetened condensed milk, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut, the topping adds a ton of moisture so these brownies stay moist and chewy for wayyy longer!
Now since we're baking besties, I'm going to let you in on the secret to extra-fudgy (not cakey) brownies. It's all about the high-fat-ratio from vegetable oil, eggs, and melted chocolate. Which (of course) I made sure to include in this recipe. (:
Baking Tip: Add the topping while your brownies are still warm, so it'll stick and not slide off once everything cools.
Is German Chocolate Cake German?
Growing up in Germany, we never saw "German chocolate cake" with pecans + coconut because it's actually an American dessert! But I couldn't resist recreating these classic flavors in the form of a brownie.
Hungry for more German chocolate cake-inspired desserts? Try my German chocolate cake cookies made with boxed mix. And if you love a cake-and-brownie mashup, don't miss baking my Black Forest brownies with whipped cream & cherry sauce!
Ingredients You'll Need: Baker's German chocolate, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, espresso powder, sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, pecans, sweetened shredded coconut.
Let's Bake German Chocolate Cake Brownies!
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Melt the German chocolate on 30-second intervals.
2. Whisk the melted chocolate, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Mix in the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder.
5. In a saucepan, add the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, sugar, salt, pecans, and coconut.
7. Spread the topping over the brownies.
4. Spread the batter into a baking dish & bake for 20 to 23 minutes.
6. Bring everything to a gently simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
8. Cool completely then slice and enjoy!
Pro Baking Tips for Perfectly Fudgy Brownies
- To avoid dry, overbaked brownies: Take them out of the oven when some moist crumbs still stick to your toothpick.
- To avoid wet, gooey brownies: Don't take them out of the oven if you still see wet brownie batter on your toothpick.
- To avoid crumbly brownies: Let them cool completely! I promise, it's worth the wait to prevent them from falling apart as soon as you slice them.
- To avoid a runny topping: After several recipe tests, I prefer using sweetened condensed milk instead of regular milk or evaporated milk, since it's much thicker.
- To avoid a hard topping: Only simmer your topping for about 5 minutes, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. You want it barely bubbling because if you cook it too long or at too high of a temp, the sugar can crystalize. No one wants a chipped tooth!
Reduce Food Waste
- German Chocolate: We'll be using half a bar, so save the rest for drizzling onto desserts or for making homemade German hot chocolate.
- Egg Whites: The topping uses egg yolks but not the whites to get it really thick and rich. So those egg whites to add to scrambled eggs or an omelet.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: I tried using the full can, but it made the filling too runny. You can save the last bit in the can for topping on other desserts like ice cream.
Fudgy German Chocolate Brownies with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- 4 ounces German chocolate (see note)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or ground instant coffee), optional
TOPPING
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
Bake the Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper so the edges hang over the sides.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the German chocolate at 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir after each interval until it's fully melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the melted chocolate, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix everything with a silicone spatula just until there remains no visible dry ingredients.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few wet crumbs stuck to it, but no wet batter.
Add the Topping
- Once the brownies are nearly done baking, prepare the topping. In a medium saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, brown sugar, salt, chopped pecans, and shredded coconut.
- On medium heat, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer so it's just barely bubbling. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
- Immediately pour the mixture onto the warm baked brownies and spread it in an evenly layer. Let it cool for at least 1 hour, until the topping is at room temperature. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- German chocolate is a sweet baking chocolate that has more sugar than semi-sweet chocolate and less cocoa than dark chocolate, so it has a relatively mild flavor. Its smooth texture helps it melt easily, making it great for baking. I like the Baker's brand.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)