This no-bake German chocolate pie is rich, fudgy, and not here to play nice. It’s got all the coconut-pecan goodness of the classic cake, but in a pie that takes zero effort and still gets all the applause. Warning: may cause sudden bouts of hoarding and recipe requests. Proceed with fork in hand and attitude fully loaded.
16ouncesGerman Sweet Chocolate may substitute bittersweet chocolate
2 ¼cupsheavy cream
½cupbutterroom temperature, cut into pieces
Coconut Pecan Topping
⅔cupevaporated milk
¼cupsugar
¼cuplight brown sugar
1egg
1 ½cupscoconutshredded sweetened - toasted
⅔cuppecanschopped and toasted
½teaspoonvanilla extract
6tablespoonsbuttercubed
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
Storage:Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.How to Toast Pecans
Preheat the oven to 350F
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.
Toast Pecans - Add the pecans to a cookie sheet and place in the oven.
Stir the pecans well about halfway through. This allows all the surfaces to get toasted.
Watch the pecans carefully. When they start to get aromatic remove them from the oven. It takes about 5 minutes.
How to Toast CoconutYou'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.