It is always a good time to enjoy more chocolate, always. This is THE BEST German Chocolate Pie I have ever made. Inspiration came from Baker’s Chocolate web site, with a few tweaks. It has just the right amount of toasted coconut and pecans, and baked with decadent chocolate. My husband, who is not a big fan of coconut, not only enjoyed a whole slice, he made sure we saved him an extra slice before the rest of us got our hands on it.
I used a chocolate crust made with butter instead of shortening simply for taste. If you ask me, nothing less is worthy for German Chocolate Pie. It completes the entire chocolate-coconut-pecan ensemble.
The chocolate pastry crust is a spin on my Grandma’s pie crust, which handles like regular pie dough. Also, for those who need gluten free, us my Gluten Free Flour Mix. It’s a one to one substitute for all purpose flour made with Bob’s Red Mill ingredients.
The picture below is the pie right out of the oven. It’s puffed up, but will deflate once it has cooled a bit.
I also toasted the coconut and the pecans (separately) in the oven which makes them a little more flavorful and the toasted coconut adds just a little bit of extra color to the topping.
While the pie is still warm is the best time to carefully spread on the coconut pecan topping. (Sorry about my fingers in the picture!)
And like I always say, save the last slice for yourself!
German Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
German Chocolate Filling
- One 8-ounce package German Chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate (about 1-1/2 cups chocolate baking chips)
- 1/4 cup butter
- One 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 eggs slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
- One prepared 10-inch chocolate unbaked pastry shell
Coconut Pecan Topping
- 1 cup chopped pecans, roasted (see directions below to roast)
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup) evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Extra whole pecans and chocolate buttercream frosting for garnish
Grandma's Chocolate Pie Crust
- 1 cup all purpose flour (or Portlandia Pie Lady's Gluten Free Flour Mix)
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 12 tablespoons butter (if cold cut into pieces)
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water or milk
Instructions
Chocolate Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. With pastry blender or large fork, work in butter until crumbly.
- Add cold water (or milk) and mix just enough to form a dough ball. Roll on flour dusted surface, place in pie plate, fold under edges and crimp.
German Chocolate Pie Filling
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat just until melted, remove from heat.
- Stir in sweetened condensed milk, coconut, eggs and sugar until blended.
- Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes. Place foil or pie crust shield on when 30 minutes has elapsed to keep edges from burning at the high heat.
Coconut-Pecan Topping
- Cook evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
- Continue cooking and stirring constantly, 12 to 14 minutes or until mixture starts bubbling, and reaches a pudding-like thickness.
- Remove pan from heat; stir in coconut, vanilla, and pecans.
- Pour mixture into a bowl. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, let cool about 15 to 20 minutes and then spread onto pie.
- Once pie has cooled completely, finish edges of pie by piping on a little of your favorite chocolate butter cream frosting with extra whole toasted pecans.
Toasted Pecans
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Place pecans on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven immediately and let cool a few minutes.
