German Chocolate Cookies

German Chocolate Cookies are rich, fudgy chocolate treats topped with a sweet, nutty coconut and pecan frosting. Think of them as a handheld version of the classic cake!

Despite the name, German chocolate did not originate in Germany. It was actually created by Samuel German, who developed a type of dark chocolate for Walter Baker & Co. The chocolate was later named after him. The famous German Chocolate Cake was born when a Texas homemaker used this chocolate in a cake, and the name stuck! I topped these cookies with a variation of the cake’s traditional frosting, featuring sweet coconut and pecans.

• 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, plus more for pressing dough with a kitchen glass
• ¾ cup (94 g) confectioners' sugar
• ¾ cup (163.5 g) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ½ cups (562.5 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (118 g) Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ cup (46.5 g) sweetened coconut

• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (109 g) pecans, chopped
• 1 cup (93 g) sweetened shredded coconut