Australian chocolate slice is a baked coconut-chocolate base topped with a warm chocolate icing that sets as it cools. It’s not a brownie, though it shares some ingredients with one. The desiccated coconut in the base gives it a chewier, slightly coarser texture and a coconut flavor that runs through every piece, and the thin poured icing sets to a fudgy layer rather than a thick frosting. The finished slice is denser and chewier than a brownie and less sweet, with a more distinctly coconut-chocolate character.
This is Australian baking in a format that appears in school fundraisers, morning teas, and home kitchen tins across the country. The recipe is simple, the ingredients are pantry staples, and it cuts into neat squares that hold together and keep well. Thirty minutes total, serves nine to twelve.
The base
Flour, desiccated coconut, brown sugar, and cocoa powder combined in a bowl. Desiccated coconut is finely shredded dried coconut with most of its moisture removed, which is different from the sweetened shredded coconut common in American baking. It’s drier and less sweet, and it bakes into the base as a textural ingredient rather than a sweetener. If you can only find sweetened shredded coconut, reduce the brown sugar by a tablespoon to compensate.
Add one egg, two-thirds cup of melted and cooled butter, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix until just combined. The mixture will be thick and somewhat crumbly rather than a pourable batter. Press it evenly into a parchment-lined, lightly greased nine by nine baking dish. The pressing step matters; an uneven base produces an uneven bake, and thin spots can dry out while thick spots are still underdone.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty to twenty-three minutes until baked through the middle. Lower temperature than most baked goods because the coconut can brown and dry out at higher heat before the base has cooked through. The finished base should feel set in the center when you press lightly, not wet or springy.
The icing: timing is everything
Prepare the icing about five minutes before the base comes out of the oven so it’s ready to pour immediately. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together into a bowl. Add the three tablespoons of melted butter and one and a half tablespoons of boiling water and mix until smooth. The boiling water helps the icing flow and sets the texture; if you use cool or warm water it may not loosen enough to spread easily.
Pour the icing over the bars the moment they come out of the oven. The hot base helps the icing spread into every corner and adhere to the surface. Spread it quickly to the edges with a spatula while it’s still warm enough to move. If you wait even a few minutes, the icing starts to set against the cooling base and becomes harder to spread evenly. The technique is the same as any warm-poured glaze: pour hot, spread immediately, don’t touch it again.
Let everything cool completely at room temperature before cutting. The icing needs to fully set and the base needs to come to room temperature for clean slices. A warm base and soft icing will compress and smear under a knife. Cool and set, they cut cleanly.
What makes this Australian
Slices, as they’re called in Australia, are a category of baked bar that sits between a biscuit (cookie) and a cake. They’re made in a square pan, set and cooled, and cut into pieces. The chocolate slice is one of the most common, appearing in versions across Australian cookbooks and household collections since at least the mid-twentieth century. Desiccated coconut is a foundational ingredient in Australian baking in a way it isn’t in American baking, and its presence in this slice is both structural and cultural.
I find regional baking formats interesting for the same reason I find any regional food interesting: they tell you something about the ingredients that were available, the occasions the food was made for, and the culinary tradition it belongs to. This one belongs to the Australian tradition of home baking that’s practical, keeps well, and feeds a room. Serves 9 to 12 depending on how you slice it. No nutrition data was provided for this recipe.
Variations
A tablespoon of instant espresso powder added to the base deepens the chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste. A layer of raspberry jam spread over the base before the icing is poured gives a jam-chocolate combination that’s common in Australian baking. The icing can also have a teaspoon of vanilla stirred in for a different flavor note. All of these are within the spirit of how this slice is made across different Australian households.
Australian Chocolate Slice
Description
A classic Australian baked slice with a coconut-chocolate base and a warm chocolate icing poured straight from the oven. Serves 9 to 12 in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease.
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In a bowl, combine the flour, coconut, brown sugar, and 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Mix in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla until just combined.
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Transfer to the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer.
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Bake for 20 to 23 minutes until set through the middle.
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About 5 minutes before the base is done, make the icing: sift together the powdered sugar and remaining cocoa. Mix in the melted butter and boiling water until smooth.
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The moment the base comes out of the oven, pour the icing over the top and spread quickly to the edges.
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Cool completely at room temperature until the icing is set before cutting into squares..
Note
Pour the icing immediately when the base comes out of the oven; don't wait. Use unsweetened desiccated coconut, not sweetened shredded coconut. Cool completely before cutting. Rest Time is approximate cooling time before slicing. No nutrition data was provided for this recipe.
