German Chocolate Pie: Easy, No Bake Recipe

If you love chocolate you'll love this decadent dessert!

🗝️ Key takeaways

• This decadent German chocolate pie is so easy to make plus it's no bake!
• Anytime you want to show off your dessert skills a little -we'll never tell how easy it really is.
• You can make it a few days ahead of time or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you've ever eaten 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 cookie crust.

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.
• 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 topping ingredients and simmer.
4. Spoon the topping over the chilled chocolate. 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 have to always 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.

🥫 Storage

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

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: When you heat the cream for the ganache make sure you don't let it come to a boil. Just heat until bubbles start to pop around the edge.

• 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. It will 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 recipe.

📚 Related 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 chocolate ganache and peanut butter mousse.
• 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

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

4.69 from 129 votes

Coconut Pecan German Chocolate Pie

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This super easy, no-bake German Chocolate pie recipe has everything you love about the classic German chocolate cake in a creamy, rich pie with a simple crumb crust. Experienced choco-holics only!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American - Vintage

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings:8

Calories:890

Author:Marye Audet-White

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

• ▢
  Pie Pan

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 Crumb crust

German Chocolate Filling

• ▢ 16 ounces German Sweet Chocolate , may substitute bittersweet chocolate
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups heavy cream
• ▢ ½ cup butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

Coconut Pecan Topping

• ▢ ⅔ cup evaporated milk
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 ½ cups coconut, shredded sweetened - toasted
• ▢ ⅔ cup pecans, chopped and toasted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter, cubed

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

• Heat cream in microwave (or on top of the stove) until it is steaming hot.
• Add the chocolate (If the chocolate won't melt all the way you can add it to the microwave and heat it for 20 second increments, stirring in between - just until it is melted and blends with the cream)
• Stir until smooth.
• Add in the butter and stir until well blended.
• Pour into the prepared crust, either cookie or chocolate (or even a traditional pastry that's been pre-baked!)
• Cover and chill for at least 2-3 hours.

Coconut-Pecan Topping

• Toast the coconut and pecans as directed in the notes below.
• Set aside.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl until it's completely blended.
• Set aside.
• Combine the evaporated milk, sugars, and butter in a small heavy saucepan.
• Cook, stirring continually, until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg then add it back to the pan, whisking continually so you don't end up with scrambled eggs.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and chopped pecans.
• Spoon over the chilled filling .
• Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Add chocolate shavings to top for garnish if desired.

Notes

• 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.
• When you heat the cream for the ganache make sure you don't let it come to a boil. Just heat until bubbles start to pop around the edge.
• 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. It will 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 will happen.
• You can melt some extra chocolate and drizzle it on top for a nice finish.

How to Toast Pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Chop Pecans -You don't have to always 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.

You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 87g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1680IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 10.6mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Originally published in March 2019. Last updated September 8, 2023, for editorial improvements.