What makes a brownie German chocolate?

The topping: coconut, pecans, and brown sugar, toasted until the edges catch. It is the same topping that goes between the layers of a German chocolate cake, used over a pan of brownies instead.

Should you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?

Either, but the butter changes. With sweetened shredded coconut, 2 tablespoons of melted butter is enough. With unsweetened, use 4 tablespoons total, since it is drier and absorbs more. Mix the butter into the coconut first either way.

Do you bake the topping with the brownies?

Yes. Crumble it over the raw batter and press lightly, then bake the whole pan about 25 minutes. The topping toasts as the brownies bake, which is what gives it the caught edges.

Can you use walnuts instead of pecans?

Yes, at the same three quarters of a cup. Pecans are traditional and a little sweeter. Toast either one for 8 minutes at 350 degrees F before chopping, which makes a real difference.

Is brown butter worth it here?

Yes, more than in most recipes. Against coconut and pecans the nutty flavor is noticeable rather than subtle. Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the milk solids toast, then pour it off leaving the dark bits behind.

Gluten-Free German Chocolate Brownies

Name: Gluten-Free German Chocolate Brownies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 bag (16 oz) Pamela's Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Mix; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup oil; 1/4 cup water; 3/4 cup pecans, chopped; 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, for the topping; 1/2 cup brown sugar, for the topping; 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, for the topping. Use 4 tablespoons if using unsweetened coconut; 1/4 teaspoon salt, for the topping

Recipe by Pamela's Published Feb 14, 2024

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Gluten-free German chocolate brownies with toasted coconut and pecan topping

German chocolate anything is really about the topping: coconut, pecans, and brown sugar, toasted until the edges catch.

Here it goes over a pan of brownies rather than between cake layers, which is less work and arguably better, since every square gets an equal share.

Made with Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix.

So good, no one will guess they are gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

Sweetened or Unsweetened Coconut

The recipe is written for sweetened shredded coconut, and the amount of butter changes if you use unsweetened.

With sweetened coconut, 2 tablespoons of melted butter is enough.

With organic unsweetened coconut, use 4 tablespoons total. Unsweetened coconut is drier and absorbs more, and at 2 tablespoons the topping stays powdery rather than clumping.

Mix the butter and coconut together first, before the brown sugar and salt go in. That coats the coconut evenly and is the difference between a topping that toasts and one that scorches in patches.

Brown Butter, If You Have Ten Minutes

The original recipe suggests it and it is worth doing.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the milk solids toast and it smells nutty. Pour it off, leaving the dark bits in the pan.

Against coconut and pecans, brown butter is a noticeable upgrade rather than a subtle one.

The mix these are built on Pamela's Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Mix Just add oil, egg, and water. GFCO-certified.

Toast the pecans too, 8 minutes at 350 degrees F, before chopping.

Made with

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Mix, 16 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$11.49 Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 50 reviews.

Free shipping on orders $39+

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Yield 16

Serving Size 1 brownie

Ingredients

1 bag (16 oz) Pamela's Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, for the topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, for the topping
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted, for the topping. Use 4 tablespoons if using unsweetened coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt, for the topping

Used in this recipe

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Mix, 16 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$11.49 Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 50 reviews.

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the egg, oil, and water together. Add the Chocolate Brownie Mix and stir to combine, then mix in the chopped pecans.
Pour into a lightly greased pan lined with foil or parchment and spread evenly.
Make the topping. If using unsweetened coconut, mix the melted butter and coconut together first so the butter coats it. Then combine with the brown sugar and salt.
Crumble the topping evenly over the brownies and press down lightly.
Bake on the middle rack about 25 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares.

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Storing and Freezing

Room temperature: up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Refrigerator: up to a week. The topping firms up cold, which some people prefer.

Freezer: up to 3 months. Cut into squares and wrap individually.

Let them cool completely before cutting. The topping is loose when warm and drags across the brownie.

Ways to Change It Up

Brown butter for the topping, which is a noticeable upgrade and takes ten minutes.

Toast the pecans first, 8 minutes at 350 degrees F before chopping.

Walnuts instead of pecans at the same three quarters of a cup.

A drizzle of caramel over the cooled pan.

Skip the nuts in the brownie layer and put them all in the topping, which gives a cleaner brownie and a crunchier top.

Double the topping. Nobody has ever complained about more coconut and pecan.

What These Contain

This recipe contains milk, egg, and tree nuts.

The pecans are tree nuts and they appear in both the brownie and the topping. The butter is dairy, though margarine is listed as an alternative. The egg is structural.

Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix is the base, and everything from Pamela's is certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and made in a certified gluten-free, peanut-free facility.