German Chocolate Bars with a rich, buttery shortbread crust, topped with a caramel layer filled with coconut and toasted pecans, and drizzled with chocolate are sure to become a new family favorite.
Bars and brownies are some of my favorite treats. (Sorry cookies!) These mouth-watering German Chocolate Bars keep well for days, making them perfect gifts. They cut easily into squares and can be stored at room temperature. They probably won’t last long though.
German Chocolate Bars are a little something different and they’re sweet, a little bit gooey, and a little bit chewy. But they’re not too much of any one thing or any one flavor. The ingredients blend nicely without any of them dominating.
German Chocolate Bars are super easy to make too. The shortbread crust needs a quick bake in the oven, but the rest of the bar is no-bake. Just melt some caramels with a little half-and-half, mix in coconut and toasted pecans, and pour on top of the shortbread crust. Let it set for a couple of hours, add the chocolate drizzle and you’re done.
And get ready to dig in!
German Chocolate Bars
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) box shortbread cookies,, I used 2 5.6 ounce boxes and ate 1 cookie :
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter,, melted
- 1 large egg white,, lightly beaten
- 1 (14-ounce) package individually wrapped caramels,, unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 1/4 cups chopped toasted pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces chocolate-flavored candy coating,, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges overhang a few inches.
- Place cookies and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely crumbled.
- In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, and egg white. Stir well.
- Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
- Place unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add half-and-half. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until mixture is smooth. (1 1/2 to 2 minutes total). Let cool slightly.
- Add coconut, pecans, and salt to caramel mixture. Let cool 2 hours.
- Melt candy coating according to package directions and drizzle on top of bars. Let set for 1 hour and then use foil to lift bars from pan. Cut into squares.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: Entertain Magazine July/August 2013
they look delish!
These look so freaking delicious!
I love it when cake gets turned into bars like this. It seems so much more approachable and great for a large gathering. I can just picture a bite of this – all the textures and flavors. It’s one of those desserts that would go first at a party.
Oh.my.gosh. These look to die for! I think I’m going to make them for a party I’m going to tomorrow night!
I adore bars that have a shortbread cookie base! These sound so so good! With the caramel and chopped pecans and coconut – right up my alley!
German chocolate cake is my favorite — not for the cake, but for the frosting, so I know I’d love these bars! They must be terrific on this shortbread cookie base. Looks delicious, Christin!
German cake is a favorite at home, so I bet that we’d love these bars! The shortbread crust sounds lovely and I love that the recipe is mostly no bake!
Happy Friday! ;–)
These look wonderful Christin. I am a big fan of German Chocolate cake and shortbread and I love that these bars are mixed with a little bit of everything. The no bake caramel topping sounds incredible!
These look very similar to a recipe I make with a graham cracker crust. But, I’ll bet the shortbread cookies take it over the top! So buttery and delicious! These bars are filled with lots of good stuff! YUM!
These look SO delicious! I love how they are a little bit of everything and the shortbread crust sounds great!