German Chocolate Pie

If you love chocolate you'll love this decadent dessert! Serve it chilled or partially frozen as I've done here.

Table of Contents

• 🗝️ Key takeaways
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 📖 Variations
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🌰 How to toast pecans
• 🥥 How to toast coconut
• 🥫 How to store leftover German chocolate pie
• Expert Tip:
• 💭 Things to know
• 👩‍🍳 FAQs
• 📚 More great recipes
• 📞 The last word
• 📖 Recipe
• Pin for later
• 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

• This homemade German chocolate pie is so easy to make plus it's no bake and there's even very little cooking involved! Anytime you want to show off your dessert skills a little -we'll never tell how easy it really is.
• I love this completely decadent dessert recipe for potlucks, get-togethers, and family celebrations.
• You can make it a few days ahead of time or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you've ever eaten traditional German chocolate cake you've got a pretty good idea of how amazing this easy, no-bake chocolate pie is!

Melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache is topped with a classic toasted coconut-pecan topping and chilled in a buttery chocolate pie crust. I like to use Oreo crumbs for that but you can get one ready-made at the store to save time.

It's one of my favorite homemade pies for summer parties and potlucks!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Variations

• If you can't find the German's Sweet Chocolate you can use real chocolate chips.
• Walnuts can be substituted for pecans.
• I used chopped macadamia nuts the last time I made this and it was AMAZING.
• You can use any kind of crumb crust you prefer.
• Feel like baking? Make this traditional pastry crust.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Heat cream and stir in chocolate until melted. Add butter and stir until smooth.
2. Pour chocolate mixture into crust and chill.
3. Combine shredded coconut and other topping ingredients and simmer.
4. Spoon the topping over the chilled chocolate. Be sure to cover the entire pie. Top with chocolate curls.

🌰 How to toast pecans

Toasting the pecans (and coconut) for this German Chocolate pie topping makes ALL the difference. You can skip this step if you must but... it's SO much better with them toasted!

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Chop pecans -You don't always have to chop the pecans before toasting, but for this recipe, it's necessary. Just chop them coarsely while the oven is preheating.
3. Toast pecans - Add the pecans to a cookie sheet and place in the oven.
4. Stir the pecans well about halfway through. This allows all the surfaces to get toasted.
5. Watch the pecans carefully. When they start to get aromatic remove them from the oven. It takes about 5 minutes.

🥥 How to toast coconut

You'll toast coconut basically the same way as the pecans above but preheat the oven to 325F. Coconut will go from golden brown to crispy black in seconds so you'll need to watch it very carefully.

🥫 How to store leftover German chocolate pie

This no-bake German chocolate pie will keep in the refrigerator for about four days. Cover it well with plastic wrap so it doesn't pick up refrigerator smells.

For longer storage, you can freeze this recipe for up to three months. I like to cut the cooled pie into serving sizes and put a piece of parchment or wax paper between the slices before freezing. That way I can just take out as many pieces as I need.

Not all homemade German chocolate pies can be frozen - this one has been developed so that it can be.

💭 Things to know

• Make sure you choose a good quality chocolate - it will be creamier and more flavorful.
• You can use any sort of chocolate - bittersweet, dark, milk... whatever you like.
• Put the pie crust in the freezer while you are working on the filling - it just works better.
• Make sure the pie is well chilled before cutting, and dip your knife in boiling water before each cut. This will help it cut more evenly and smoothly.
• It's normal for a crumb crust to crumble a little during cutting and transferring to a plate but the more chilled the pie is the less likely it is to happen.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this easy homemade pie recipe.

📚 More great recipes

Here are more homemade pie recipes from our family favorite files!

• Classic Southern Chocolate Chess Pie is so fudgy. It tastes like rich brownie batter in a crust... don't worry - mine is made without the ingredient made famous in "The Help".
• Texas Flood Pie - Like Mississippi Mud Pie only BETTER with layers of rich chocolate ganache and peanut butter mousse. It's another one of my super easy recipes!!
• Millionaire Pie is the same creamy, tropical pie that we used to get after church at Furr's! Full of Maraschino cherries and pineapple.

Next time try our favorite chocolate cream pie recipe or this old fashioned southern pecan pie recipe!

📞 The last word

The first time I had German chocolate pie was on a visit to Amish country when I was a kid. I've changed it up a bit so it was easier, richer, and freezable but still (maybe more) delicious!

This is one of those pie recipes you're going to want to put on your "A" list! So easy, so quick, and SO good.

I like to have a couple of them in the freezer for "pie emergencies" like unexpected company or a neighbor who needs a little love. Give it a try and let me know what you think...

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Originally published in March 2019. Last updated Marc 23, 2024, for editorial improvements.