German Chocolate Pie Recipe

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Total: 70 mins

Servings: 8 servings

Have you ever found yourself wondering, "Does German chocolate come from Germany?" In fact, German's® Sweet Chocolate is a dark baking chocolate created by Samuel German who developed the chocolate in 1852, so the name actually refers to a person, not a country. He wanted to create a type of chocolate with sugar already added in to make it more convenient for bakers. German's® Sweet Chocolate is sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate and can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

Of course, the most famous recipe containing this chocolate is German chocolate cake. It is typically a rich and moist chocolate layer cake with a caramel, coconut, and pecan frosting. We now know that the cake isn’t German at all—it turns out the decadent dessert originated in the United States. The cake was first prepared sometime around the 1920s, but became popular nationwide after a recipe appeared in a Dallas newspaper in 1957.

If you love that classic combination of sweet chocolate, flaked coconut, and chopped pecans, you will swoon for this dessert! It incorporates everything you love about German chocolate cake in a pie. In fact, a few convenient shortcuts make this recipe a snap to make. A rich, brownie-like batter filled with sweetened flaked coconut and chopped pecans is poured into a prepared pie crust. A little more coconut is sprinkled on top for good measure, then baked to perfection. This German chocolate pie is wonderful when served with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream as an extra special treat!

Ingredients

• 1 ready-made raw refrigerated pie crust dough

• 1 (4-ounce) package German's® Sweet Baking Chocolate

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

• Whipped cream or ice cream, optional, for serving

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

   

2. Bring the refrigerated pie crust to room temperature. Unroll crust and place in an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Press crust firmly against the side and bottom of the pan. Fold excess crust under and press together to form a thick crust edge. Flute with fingers.

   

3. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the German’s sweet baking chocolate and butter. Remove from heat. 

   

4. Add sweetened condensed milk, flour, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well. 

   

5. Reserving 1/3 cup coconut for garnish, stir in remaining 1 cup coconut and chopped pecans. 

   

6. Pour into the prepared pastry shell. 

   

7. Garnish with remaining 1/3 cup coconut. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until the top is firm and the coconut is lightly browned. 

   

8. Cool completely before cutting.

   

9. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired, and enjoy!