Layered German Chocolate Dessert Bars
Layered German Chocolate Dessert Bars are a rich, indulgent treat inspired by the classic German chocolate cake, featuring a shortbread or cookie crust, a creamy coconut-pecan filling, and a chocolate topping. The iconic filling is typically made with evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans. While the cake itself has American origins, this bar form is a popular homemade dessert across the United States.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dessert is very high in carbohydrates and fat, with the majority of calories coming from sugar and saturated fats in the chocolate, coconut, and butter. It provides some iron and magnesium from the chocolate and nuts, but is primarily an energy-dense treat with a rough ballpark of 350-450 calories per bar.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 400 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbs | 42 g |
| Fat | 25 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 32 g |
| Sodium | 150 mg |
| Iron | 2.5 mg |
| Magnesium | 40 mg |
| Phosphorus | 80 mg |
| Potassium | 180 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1.5 mg |
| Manganese | 0.8 mg |
| Copper | 0.3 mg |
| Selenium | 4 mcg |
Per 1 bar (approx. 80 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
The 'German' in German chocolate refers to Samuel German, an American baker who developed a dark baking chocolate for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852, not the country of Germany. Nutritionally, the coconut and pecans add some dietary fiber and healthy fats, but these benefits are offset by the high sugar and saturated fat content.
