German Chocolate Chip Squares
Diving into these rich chocolaty treats is pure bliss, especially for chocolate lovers. German Chocolate Chip Squares takes everything wonderful about a German chocolate cake, throws it into a 13 x 9″ baking dish, then adds chocolate chips. Decadent, satisfying, scrumptious little squares.
Taking a German chocolate cake and making it into brownie-like squares is my idea of brilliance. They’re rich with all that chocolate, plus the coconut pecan frosting, so I cut them into small squares. If you cut the dessert 6 cuts one way, 8 cuts the other way, you’ll end up with 48 squares.
They’re easier to pick up this way, but you don’t have to stop with just one square.
Making German Chocolate Chip Squares
Prepare the baking dish.
Even though I like some of the newer conveniences in life, sometimes I still prefer to do things the old way – the good old way. For instance, when you have to grease a pan, I still grab a paper towel, dip it into some shortening, and spread it around.
Now, I do use non-stick spray a lot, but I’m convinced the shortening works better. I have no proof, of course, maybe it’s just because that’s what my mom always did.
Cutting the butter into the cake mix.
Here’s a great tip for when you have to cut butter into a dry mix. First, place the butter into the freezer for about 20 minutes or so. I’ve never actually timed it, but it needs to be really cold.
Next, grate that very cold butter directly into the bowl with the dry mix. Grate a little, then stir in the butter flakes, grate, stir, grate, stir. You get the point. If you grate it all at once, the butter will just stick together and you’ll end up with a blob of butter.
If you prefer the old fashioned way of cutting butter into a dry mix, use either a pastry blender or crisscross 2 knives until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Baking the crust.
Baking the crust.Press only half of the cake/butter mixture into the baking dish, and bake in a preheated oven set at 350° for 10 minutes.
Layering the German Chocolate Chip Squares
When you pull the crust from the oven, you’ll need to be careful adding the next layers as it’ll be hot.
Dollop the coconut pecan frosting evenly over the crust, then using an off-set spatula, gently push down to spread the frosting.
Next comes the chocolate chips – sprinkle them evenly right on top of the frosting.
Going back to the remaining half of cake/butter mixture, stir in that 1/4 cup of milk. Drop little blobs, dollops, or teaspoons evenly over the top. Do not spread, leave them as little blobs.
Pop back into the oven for another 25 – 30 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when those blobs on top are no longer shiny, feeling dry to the touch. Let cool on a wire rack.
By placing those top cake dollops (blobs) randomly, you get cracks along the surface that show the chocolate chips and coconut pecan frosting lurking deliciously below.
Each square will look different from the next, as seen above.
Are you a chocolate lover?
Me, too. Here are a few more recipes you might want to check out while your German Chocolate Chip Squares are cooling off:
- Chocolate Oat Bars
- Chocolate Vanilla Cupcakes
- Dark Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Chip Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Skinny Dark Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
Wow, I really do love chocolate. I searched the word “chocolate” (in the search bar – right side in upper header) and these came up first, but there are more.
Some don’t have the word “chocolate” in them, such as brownies, but you can click on Desserts for the full dessert section.
German Chocolate Chip Squares
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, very cold
- 1 box German Chocolate Cake mix
- 16 oz. container Coconut Pecan Frosting, (or homemade)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 13 x 9" baking dish with shortening (or non-stick spray). Place butter in freezer for about 10 - 15 minutes.
- In large bowl, grate butter into cake mix, stir until crumbly.
- Press half of cake mixture into baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.
- Carefully spread frosting over crust by dropping dollops all over, then gently press down. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
- Stir milk into remaining cake mix and drop dollops onto the chocolate chips.
- Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cake is no longer shiny, slightly dry to touch. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I hope to see you over on Pinterest. You can follow me there by clicking on the purple “P” in the top right corner.
In fact, I’d love to see your squares. Post a picture after you’ve baked them, and let me know what you think.
Happy baking and have a blessed day.
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