My favorite cake just transformed into a cookie!
German Chocolate Cake Cookies satisfy your cake cravings in a fraction of the time — easier and without the fuss of a layered cake.
Chocolate cookies layered with the classic German chocolate filling
Coconut, pecans and a gooey caramel-like filling in every bite.
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Notes for Success
Coffee enhances chocolate flavor. I include brewed coffee in the liquid ingredients when making chocolate desserts. If you prefer not to use coffee, replace it with plant milk.
Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop helps keep each cookie uniform in size, which makes baking consistent.
Weigh cornstarch if possible. Cornstarch is easy to over-measure with spoons. I provide both volume and gram measures, but weighing ingredients gives the most reliable results. Too much cornstarch can make the filling gummy or rubbery.
Unsweetened flake coconut is my preference to avoid adding extra sugar, but feel free to use the coconut you like best — no recipe adjustments needed.
German Chocolate Cake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake Cookies
- 4 Tbs Cocoa Powder (24g)
- 8 Tbs Vegan Butter (113g)
- 4 Tbs Brewed Coffee (60ml)
- 3 Tbs Plant Milk (45ml)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (5ml)
- 10 Tbs Granulated Sugar (140g)
- 1¾ cups All Purpose Flour (218g)
- 1¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the German Chocolate Filling
- 2 Tbs Vegan Butter (28g)
- 4 Tbs Granulated Sugar (56g)
- 1 Tbs Cornstarch (8g)
- 1 Tbs Water (15ml)
- ½ cup Flake Coconut
- ½ cup Lightly Toasted Pecans
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Icing
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (113g)
- 1 cup Confectioners Sugar (120g)
- ¼ cup Prepared Ganache (see ganache recipe)
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cake cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl combine the cocoa powder with melted vegan butter, hot coffee and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, then add the plant milk.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the chocolate mixture. Stir until combined.
- The batter will be stiff at first; mix with a spatula until it becomes a glossy dough.
- Scoop dough with a 2 ounce scoop onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing cookies about 2″ apart. Bake about 15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and centers are set.
- Let the cookies cool while you prepare the ganache and the German chocolate filling.
- Make the chocolate buttercream by creaming the vegan butter until smooth, adding the confectioners sugar and whipping until light. Fold in 3 Tbs of cooled ganache to create a chocolate buttercream.
- For the German chocolate filling: melt the vegan butter with the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. When the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to turn light amber, carefully pour in the room-temperature plant milk. After bubbling subsides, whisk to smooth.
- Mix the cornstarch with water to form a slurry, then whisk it into the pot. Bring back to a full boil and boil for about 5 seconds to thicken.
- Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans, coconut flakes and vanilla. Allow the filling to cool completely.
- To assemble: spread or pipe chocolate buttercream on cooled cookies, top with the German chocolate filling. Reserve 1 Tbs of ganache for an optional drizzle over the filled cookies.
Notes
Be sure to read the Notes for Success section above the recipe.
Storage: These cookies can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours. For longer storage, refrigerate loosely wrapped for up to 1 week to prevent staling. I prefer these straight from the refrigerator — the chilled texture is especially satisfying, similar to enjoying chocolate cake cold.
Let us know how it was!