Easy German Chocolate Bars

Last Updated on November 18, 2022 by Allison Lancaster

One of my all-time favorite flavors is German chocolate. I LOVE coconut and, of course, who doesn’t love chocolate? These easy German chocolate bars are one of my new favorite recipes. This great recipe is easy to make but they taste like you’ve spent all day making them.

They’re elegant enough for a large dinner party but easy enough that you can throw them together for a weeknight dinner!

These German chocolate cheesecake bars wouldn’t be at all out of place at a holiday party, but they are still simple enough that you can whip up a quick batch just because you are craving them.

This delicious chocolate recipe is made with a boxed classic cake mix, but don’t worry,  no one will ever know it unless you tell them. 

Bars like these are often the perfect solution for dessert after a big meal or for a dessert table at a gathering.

You don’t have to serve everyone a whole slice of cake or piece of pie, instead, you can give each guest a gooey coconut bar, even cutting them smaller if that’s what they prefer. 

This dessert recipe is a perfect pantry dessert that you can pull out for unexpected guests, a last-minute bake sale your kids tell you about the night before, or just because you are craving something sweet.

It only requires a handful of ingredients that you already have on hand, just make sure that you add a couple of boxes of German chocolate cake mix to your grocery list. 

German Chocolate Bars Recipe

The first thing that you will need for these delicious bars is to preheat your oven at 350 degrees.

You’ll need to grease a 13X9 baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray so that you will be able to easily remove these bars from the pan. 

Spread your coconut flakes and chopped pecans on the bottom of pan, this will form a crust of sorts in the prepared pan. Now it is time to prepare the German chocolate cake according to the directions on the back of the box in a large bowl.

Pour the prepared cake batter on top of the coconut and pecan mixture. 

In a medium bowl, mix together your cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter.

Beat it with a hand mixer until it is smooth. Once the mixture is ready, spoon it over the top of your German chocolate cake mix batter.

Take a butter knife and cut the batter, swirling the cream cheese mixture and chocolate batter for a marbled look. 

Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely by setting the pan on a wire rack to allow air to get around the whole pan before cutting your German chocolate pecan pie bars. 

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar Tips

If you have a food processor, use it to quickly and efficiently chop your pecans. 

Cold butter is a better choice than room-temperature butter to achieve the best results.

Let the bars cool completely before cutting them into squares. Otherwise, you run the risk of them turning into a crumbly mess. If you need the bars to cool more quickly so that you can cut them, put them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. 

Serving Suggestions and Variations

These delicious treats don’t “need” anything at all, but if you wanted to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. A drizzle of melted caramel (melt over medium heat to avoid burning) would be an amazing topping as well for this great treat.

Add some semisweet chocolate chips or chunks to the German chocolate cake batter for an even more rich chocolate flavor. You could also use dark chocolate chips for this.

You could also drop a handful of chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. 

Can’t get enough of that coconut flavor? Sprinkle a handful of shredded coconut on top of the German chocolate bars before you bake them.

You will be rewarded with a toasted coconut topping that’s filled with extra coconut flavor. 

How to Store Leftovers

Your leftover German chocolate cookie bars can be stored at room temperature. If your 13×9 baking dish has a cover that will be the perfect place to store these bars in an airtight container.

They will be good for about five days. 

What is the difference between chocolate cake and German chocolate cake? 

German chocolate cake is made with sweet chocolate, while a regular chocolate cake is made with unsweetened cocoa powder. Both chocolate cakes have sugar added to them, and both are sweet, but German chocolate cake is sweeter because of the chocolate that is used.

Regular chocolate cake also uses fewer eggs than German chocolate cake does, that’s why the texture of German chocolate cake is fluffier and moister. 

Is German Chocolate Cake really from Germany? 

No, German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany. In 1852, an American baker Samuel German who worked for the Baker’s Chocolate company came up with a new dark baking chocolate. So the “German” part of German chocolate cake is from its creator, not the country in Europe. 

Do you have to use a boxed cake mix for this recipe? 

If you want to keep this recipe simple and easy, it is best to use a boxed cake mix. However, if you have a favorite homemade recipe for German chocolate cake batter then feel free to use it! 

What else can you make with a box of German chocolate cake mix? 

This is not the only delicious recipe that you can make with a box of German chocolate cake mix. You can also take that cake mix and mix it with an egg, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and Crisco together in a 13×9 baking dish. Pour a can of sweetened and condensed milk over the top and bake at 350 degrees. In 30 minutes, you will have rich, fudgy, and delicious German chocolate brownies. 

This German chocolate cheesecake recipe is perfect for any occasion, and once you have made it for your family and friends they will ask you to make it again and again. Fortunately for you, with a well-stocked pantry, you can whip up a batch of these delicious chocolate cheesecake bars anytime you want!