These homemade Samoa cookies copy the Girl Scout favorite in three layers: a chocolate shortbread ring, a chewy caramel and toasted coconut topping, and a chocolate dipped bottom with stripes across the top. One batch makes 24 cookies in about 1 hour 30 minutes, including the dough chill and the time for the chocolate to set.
Two things make them work. Toast the coconut until golden so it tastes nutty instead of just sweet, and let the baked rings cool completely before the warm caramel goes on. If you want a shortcut, the shortbread base is optional.
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Try the Recipe Converter →What Are Samoa Cookies?
Samoas are one of the best known Girl Scout cookies: a ring shaped shortbread cookie covered in caramel and toasted coconut, with a chocolate bottom and chocolate stripes. Some troops sell the same idea as Caramel deLites, depending on which bakery makes their cookies.
The boxed cookie uses a plain vanilla shortbread. My version uses a chocolate shortbread, which adds a cocoa layer under the sweet topping. For a closer copy of the original, leave out the ¼ cup cocoa powder and add ¼ cup more flour.
Samoa Cookie Numbers
- Yield: 24 cookies, cut with a 2.5 inch round cutter
- Base: dough rolled ¼ inch thick, baked at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes
- Coconut: 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted 8 to 10 minutes
- Caramel: 12 oz soft caramels melted with 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- Chocolate: 10 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, plus 1 tablespoon coconut oil if you like
- Setting: 30 minutes at room temperature or 15 minutes in the fridge
- Keeps: 3 days airtight at room temperature, longer in the fridge
Chocolate Shortbread Rings for the Base
Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature unsalted butter with ½ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Sift in 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir until a soft dough forms. There is no egg, which is what keeps shortbread short and tender.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it, and chill it for 30 minutes. Roll it ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut 2.5 inch rounds, then cut a small hole in the middle of each with a smaller cutter or the wide end of a piping tip. If the rings go soft while you cut, slide the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes so the holes keep their shape.
Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges feel firm. Cocoa dough does not brown, so go by touch rather than color. Cool them completely on a wire rack. Warm cookies soften the caramel, and it slides off.
No time to bake? Plain store-bought shortbread works, and it gives a slightly firmer bite. You can also skip the base and press the caramel coconut into small disks before dipping. If you like the shortbread, caramel and chocolate combination, my millionaire shortbread cookies use the same three layers.
Toasting the Coconut and Making the Caramel Topping
Spread the 3 cups of coconut on a parchment lined sheet and toast at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Sweetened coconut browns fast at the edges of the pan, so stirring matters more than the timer. Pull it when most of it is light gold and it smells nutty. It keeps darkening on the hot pan, so let it cool there.
Melt the 12 oz of soft caramels with 3 tablespoons milk or cream in a microwave safe bowl, in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Short bursts keep the sugar from scorching on the bottom. Add the ¼ teaspoon salt only if your caramels are unsalted. Store-bought caramel squares are fine, or use a batch of my homemade salted caramels.
Stir in the toasted coconut until every shred is coated. The mixture is thick and sticky, which is what you want, since a runny topping will not hold on the ring.
Getting the Topping on Without a Mess
Spoon a little of the caramel coconut onto each cooled cookie and press it into place with damp or lightly greased fingers. Keep the center hole open with a fingertip. As the bowl cools, the mixture stiffens. Warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave and stir, rather than adding more milk. Let the topped cookies sit for 5 to 10 minutes before the chocolate step.
Dipping and Drizzling the Chocolate
Melt the 10 oz of chopped chocolate with the coconut oil, if using, in short bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir until just smooth and stop heating. Overheated chocolate turns thick and dull. The coconut oil thins it for easier dipping and gives a softer bite, a bit closer to the boxed cookie.
Dip only the bottom of each cookie, scrape the excess on the side of the bowl, and set it on parchment. Then drizzle thin stripes across the tops with a spoon or a piping bag with a small hole. Let them set for 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill for 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm. Dark chocolate works too and makes the cookies less sweet.
Storing and Freezing Homemade Samoas
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, with parchment between the layers so the topping does not stick. They keep longer in the fridge; bring them back to room temperature before serving so the caramel softens again. To freeze, layer them with parchment in a container, then thaw in the fridge still covered so condensation does not spot the chocolate.
Samoa Cookie Questions
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. The shortbread dough doubles well in a stand mixer. Melt the caramel in two batches so it stays soft while you work.
Can I make them dairy free?
Not easily. Coconut cream can replace the milk or cream in the caramel, but the shortbread uses butter and most soft caramels contain dairy too.
Why did my topping slide off?
The cookies were still warm or the caramel was too loose. Cool the base fully and use the full 3 cups of coconut so the topping is thick.
For more caramel and coconut together, try my homemade Bounty bars, coconut macaroons or coconut cookies. And if you love a chocolate dipped cookie, the chocolate dipped shortbread trees are a good one for the holiday tin.
Samoas Cookies Recipe
These homemade Samoa cookies are a copycat of the Girl Scout cookie, made with chocolate shortbread rings, soft caramels, toasted sweetened coconut and a semi-sweet chocolate coating. One batch makes 24 cookies cut with a 2.5 inch cutter and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, including chilling the dough and setting the chocolate. Toast the coconut until golden and let the shortbread cool completely before pressing on the caramel coconut topping, so it stays put. Make these Samoas for cookie trays, bake sales, holiday tins or anyone missing Girl Scout cookie season. Use store-bought shortbread as a shortcut, swap in dark chocolate for less sweetness, and store them airtight for 3 days.
Ingredients
- FOR THE OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD COOKIES
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- FOR THE CARAMEL COCONUT TOPPING
- 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 12 oz soft caramels (store-bought or homemade)
- 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted caramels)
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE COATING
- 10 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, for smoother coating)
Instructions
- MAKE THE COOKIE BASE (OPTIONAL): To make chocolate shortbread cookies, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and stir until a soft dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. If using store-bought cookies or an alternate base, skip this step and begin with the topping.
- ROLL AND CUT COOKIES (IF USING HOMEMADE BASE): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thick. Use a 2.5-inch round cutter and a smaller cutter to make donut-shaped cookies. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- BAKE COOKIES: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until firm around the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
- TOAST THE COCONUT: Spread shredded coconut evenly over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until golden brown and aromatic. Let cool completely.
- MAKE THE CARAMEL TOPPING: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine caramels and milk. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Add salt if needed. Stir in the toasted coconut until fully coated.
- ADD TOPPING TO COOKIES: Spoon the caramel-coconut mixture over each cooled cookie, using your fingers or a spoon to press it into place. Let cookies sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the topping to set slightly.
- MELT THE CHOCOLATE: In a microwave or double boiler, melt chopped chocolate with optional coconut oil. Stir until smooth and fully melted.
- DIP AND DRIZZLE: Dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper. Drizzle additional chocolate across the tops using a spoon or piping bag.
- LET SET: Allow cookies to set at room temperature for 30 minutes or chill for 15 minutes until the chocolate is firm and the topping is fully set.
Notes
Let the shortbread rings cool completely before topping; warm cookies soften the caramel and it slides off. Stir the coconut every 2 minutes while toasting and pull it when mostly light gold, it keeps darkening on the hot pan. Press the caramel coconut on with damp or lightly greased fingers and keep the center hole open. If the caramel stiffens in the bowl, microwave it for 10 seconds and stir. For a closer copy of the boxed cookie, leave out the cocoa powder and add ¼ cup more flour. If you prefer not to bake your own base, use plain store-bought shortbread or press the caramel coconut into small disks before dipping. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate to keep longer.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 260Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 5mgSodium 135mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 3gSugar 26gProtein 3g
