German Chocolate Cake Bars
These German Chocolate Cake Bars are all the flavors of your favorite cake in a bar! A crowd pleasing dessert!
I may earn commissions for purchases made through links on this post.
GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE BARS
We just got back from a trip to Disney World. For those of you who don’t know my husband, he binges on fun. Where most people go to Disney for the day, he makes sure we do it from the time the gates open until the gates close. It’s miserable and wonderful at the same time.
We have a toddler that insisted on being held the whole time. And she prefers being held on the left. So both my husband and I got an awesome arm workout…on one side. I usually max out on 12.5 lb weights at the gym and holding a 30 lb sack of flour on my left arm the whole day about ruined me. I tried to balance it out by eating as much as I could with my right arm. Which just made my booty bigger.
These German Chocolate Cake Bars are tasty. My friend Heather was hosting Bunko and I asked if I could help bring anything and she told me to make these. I like being told what to do. It’s the 10th child in me I guess. I’m used to it.
Since most people don’t want to commit to an entire cake, these bars are the way to go and are so simple. Enjoy!
OTHER CHOCOLATE RECIPES:
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Molten Lava Cake
- Homemade Reese’s Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Ritz Bars
- No-Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- See’s Fudge
- Culter’s Frosted Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers
German Chocolate Cake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box devil’s good cake mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
Filling:
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter and egg, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven. The crust will continue to bake in the next step.
- While the crust is baking, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg, pecans and coconut. Pour evenly over the warm crust and sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips. Bake for 24-30 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Don't overbake! Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
Hoping to make these for an Oktoberfest party this weekend. Every cake mix I’ve found is 15.25 oz. Maybe they’ve shrunk them since you wrote the recipe like everything else in the world? I’ve checked multiple brands. How will that change the recipe, and tips on being sure it’s not overcooked?
Me, too, Michele!
Shoot yes all the cake mixes got smaller. It will still work with the smaller size.
Hi, i’m wondering if these can be frozen?
Yes!
I am excited to try these tomorrow! How do you store them?
Just store them in an airtight container.
I have made this recipe about a dozen times in less than 6 months because it is so popular. It started because I was trying to make a German Chocolate Cake in honor of my Mama, but something indulgent and easy to make and keep as an energy boost for a long plane ride. I can make my Mama’s complicated recipe for birthdays but this recipe is so easy with big flavor and such a big hit with friends, family, and potluck groups I’m worried if they’d like Mama’s as much!? 😉 I am the anti-cake mix but the use of butter in this recipe, and the way it is a base as a cookie bar, is sheer genius, as is the throw-in-a-bowl and mix the coconut pecan topping and pour on top to bake I am in awe of. A stove-top coconut pecan frosting is can be somewhat labor-intensive and this recipe takes 10 – 20 minutes worth of work and reduces it to 30 seconds with a marvelous flavor profile. I love this recipe!
Thank you!
I only have salted butter…will that work?
Yep! Might be good with all that sweet.
Easy to make. Added a tsp of vanilla to the crust and frosting.
Of course! GReat!
I did not over cook but the bottom was still dry, the top tasted good, maybe adding some more liquid to the bottom would help
If they are dry they sound like they were overcooked.
Tried this recipe over the weekend & they are WONDERFUL!! Was looking for a dessert for a family Oktoberfest celebration that travels well. This fits the bill perfectly. Be sure to grease baking pan really well or edges will stick & as suggested in recipe-do NOT overbake! Thanks for a great dessert
You’re welcome!
It’s in the oven now…. I can’t wait til it’s done! The only box of devil’s food cake mix I could find was 15.25 oz. So, I bought 2 boxes and took 3 oz. out of one and added it to the other one. The dough was pretty thick. I decided to add about a tsp. of water. Still thick…. we’ll see.
I was wondering if it’s okay to use just the 15.25 box of devil’s food cake mix. What do you think???
they should be thick!
This cake is very very very yummuy!!! I got a big refreshment after eating it.Thankyou so much for offering these important tips to bake an awesome cake.
Quick question? The chocolate chips, are they semi sweet? or regular?
Thanks!!!
They’re milk chocolate but you can definitely use semi-sweet too.
Could German chocolate cake mix be used instead of devil’s food?
You know? That does sounds like it would make more sense. Haha.
This sounds heavenly! Cannot wait to try!
Going to try this topping with a brownie mix…..
I made these for a dinner/BBQ we had at our home tonight. They were a huge hit. I made them early in the day. It was nice to have the oven free for other side dishes that needed to be cooked. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
You’re welcome!
These bars were so delicious, my son and hub raved about them. Easy to make, quick and amazing.
I loved them, too!!
These look so yummy…especially with those chocolate chips on top. Yummy! I miss Disney World…I used to live right behind the Grand Floridian. I also was a therapist at the spa there. How I miss it! I used to see and hear fireworks each night before bed!
What a cool place to live! It’s magical.
I love these individualized cake bars! I always choose to make bars over cakes for parties.. I’m obsessed with this cake/bar combo!
Made these last night to bring to a potluck luncheon at work. They were a total hit – rich, delish, and super easy! A total keeper of a recipe. Will be making these again very soon!
Good to hear!
I made these the other day, and they were delicious! A few things I adjusted: instead of an 18 oz box of cake mix, I used a 15.25 oz box. The other ingredients and baking time were the same, but I used a 7×11 in baking pan to make sure they weren’t too thin. Also, I left out the pecans (I know….it’s not really German chocolate cake then. Student loan payments aren’t very forgiving of pecan prices), and doubled the coconut. Very rich, but a winner at my house!
My husband lives German chocolate cake. It’s the only thing he likes that is chocolate. I use to think he was a weirdo but I like it now because I know he won’t eat my ice cream or candy bars. I was looking at every box of cake mix and the largest I could find was 16.5. I guess out west coast we get jipped out of the 2 more ounces? I was wondering if I should cook it maybe 5 or 6 minutes so it doesn’t get hard?
Yes! I wouldn’t definitely cook them a little bit less…
Ha!! You can commiserate with my younger siblings. I still boss them around from 2000 miles away. 🙂 These were super yummy and now I’m craving a dirty diet coke and some bunko.
German chocolate cake is my favorite and I love the no fuss style of these awesome bars! Pinning!
Ohhh, going to make this soon. My hubby loves anything German Choc. and I’m always being asked to bring goodies to some event.
Your poor left side! At my age, I’d never get over that. :o)))
These bars look awesome! My husband loves anything german chocolate. My little one prefers to be held only on the left too! Glad you had fun at Disney World!
Oh my goodness!! So delish!
Just read your opening remarks and had to say…..I’m laughing my “booty” off.
Haha. Thanks! I’m a dork.
The filling sounds so irresistible!