Home » Cookies » The BEST Homemade Samoas Cookies Recipe
posted by Liz Berg
on March 30, 2023
When your stash of Samoas Cookies is depleted, bake up a batch of chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies topped with caramel and coconut!
Though my kids all have their favorite Girl Scout Cookies, I’m the one who has to have the box of Samoas also known as Caramel deLites. This version from scratch was absolutely delicious!!! This Samoas Recipe is the perfect baking project when your box of cookies is empty!
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 Tips on How to Make Samoas
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Homemade Samoas
Why You Must Make
- These are BETTER than the Girl Scout Samoas, much better!
- When your freezer supply of Samoa cookies is depleted, you don’t have to deprive yourself
- If you love coconut, chocolate, and caramel, these cookies will rock your taste buds.
I won’t deny grumbling to myself when painting caramel on the shortbread rings, then patting a sticky caramel-coconut mixture over that. Or when I tried to pipe straight chocolate lines over the surface of these gems.
This Samoas recipe did require a bit of fiddling that might have pushed me over the edge had the outcome not been so fantastic. They are delicious!!!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make your Caramel deLites or Samoa Cookies:
- Kitchen Staples – Sugar, All-purpose Flour, Table Salt, Milk
- Butter– I use salted and have adjusted the salt in the recipe
- Baking Powder (NOT baking soda), make sure it’s not expired. Baking powder often expires in the cupboard before you can use it all.
- Vanilla extract – always pure vanilla extract, never imitation.
- Coconut – Angel flake, sweetened coconut
- Caramels – Werther’s brand is softer and tastier than Kraft. But either will work.
- Semi-sweet chocolate or Dark Melting Wafers – Ghirardelli brand is my preference. The melting wafers don’t bloom when cooled, so no gray coating across the surface.
Tips on How to Make Samoas
These homemade Girl Scout cookies were made in three different steps. To make it easier, you may want to take 2 days to make and garnish these samoas cookies!
- First up was making the donut-shaped shortbread cookies. Not too tough, but finding the right cookie cutters took a little trial and error. I ended up using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and then a large metal piping tip with about a 1-inch diameter. The larger cutter was used to cut the rounds and the piping tip cut out the holes in the middle.
- I baked these up one day and finished them the next by adding the topping, then the chocolate flourishes. The bottoms were dipped in dark chocolate, then that same chocolate was drizzled over the top to imitate the look of the classic Girl Scout cookies.
- Use melting wafers instead of chocolate if you don’t want to deal with tempering your chocolate (and who does???). Regular chocolate will “bloom” or get a gray cast over it as it sits. The chocolate will taste fine, but the cookies won’t be picture-perfect!
- You can drizzle with a fork for a rustic look or you can use a piping bag or quart zip-topped bag with a small bit of one corner clipped off for more controlled piping.
I gave these homemade Girl Scout cookies away as fast as I could as I know my willpower would flounder in their presence. Everyone who tasted these gems sang their praises. Sheer bliss. I feel safe in declaring this the BEST Homemade Samoas Cookies Recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Samoas?
Samoas are Girl Scout cookies made of a donut-shaped shortbread cookie dipped in chocolate and then topped with a mixture of caramel and coconut, then a garnish of chocolate stripes.
Are Samoas the Same as Caramel deLites?
Yes, they’re both Girl Scout cookies, with a few minor differences. There are actually two Girl Scout Bakeries that account for these versions not looking exactly the same. The ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers versions are slightly different, but having the two bakeries helps with distribution and they are both commissioned by the Girl Scouts of the USA.
1. Samoas use darker chocolate.
2. Samoas cookie is less crunchy.
3. Caramel deLites have a stronger coconut flavor.
4. Caramel deLites are a bit less sweet.
You May Also Like:
We always have a stash of Girl Scout cookies in our freezer, but I love recipes inspired by some of our favorites. Plus some favorite recipes with caramel.
- Thin Mints from The View from Great Island
- Samoa Brownie Parfaits from Country Cleaver
- Tagalong Bars
- Caramel Stuffed Rice Krispie Treats,
- Caramel Magic Cookie Bars
- Oatmeal Caramel Bars
- Turtle Thumbprints
- All the Best Cookie Recipes from my recipe index
Stay in touch through social media@Instagram,Facebook, andPinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.
The Recipe:
Homemade Samoas
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time1 hour 12 minutes
Yield2½ dozen
A copy cat recipe of the Girl Scout Samoas cookies.
Ingredients
Cookie base:
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
For the topping:
- 1 ½ cups coconut. Angel flake, toasted (bake on parchment at 350º for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes so it won't burn)
- 7.5 ounces soft caramels
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
- 4-6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (or use dark melting wafers)
Instructions
- ½¼⅛Preheat the oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, then Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix until the dough comes together.
- Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to about a ⅛-inch thickness. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. Place on baking sheets.
- Using a smaller cookie cutter (about 1-inch diameter), cut out centers to make donut-shaped cookies. Reroll scraps of dough and continue to make as many cut-outs as you can.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until they are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the topping, first put the caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Zap at 30-second increments, stopping and stirring in between, till caramels are almost totally melted. Remove from the microwave and the small bits should melt from the residual heat.
- Put the toasted coconut into a large bowl and add about ¾ of the caramel, mixing until combined. Set aside.
- With the remaining caramel, paint on a thin layer on a cookie to use as the "glue" to attach the coconut topping.
- With your fingers press on some of the coconut mixture to cover the top of the cookie base. Repeat with the remaining cookies, gently reheating the caramel if needed.
- Let cookies solidify for an hour or so, then gently melt the semi-sweet chocolate or melting wafers in a small bowl.
- Dip the bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet to dry.
- Use the remaining chocolate to drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cookies. I used a quart-sized zip-topped back with a corner cut off as a piping bag.
- Let rest until the chocolate is firm.
Notes
Slightly adapted from Just a Taste
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1 cookie
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 205Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 77mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?
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Dizzy Miss Izzy watching me take photos while hoping for a spill.
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Chocolate Cookies Desserts
posted by Liz Berg on March 30, 2023
33 Comments // Leave a Comment »
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angiesrecipes — Reply
I need to bake these too as we adore coconut! What’s Coconut Angel Flakes? Can I use dehydrated coconut flakes instead?
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com-
Liz Berg — Reply
Hi, Angie, Angel Flake is a brand of coconut that’s shredded, sweetened, and soft. I’m thinking the dehydrated might be too firm….let me share a link so you can see what it looks like —-> https://oakhillbulkfoods.com/sweetened-flaked-coconut/ (https://oakhillbulkfoods.com/sweetened-flaked-coconut/) Hope that helps!
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2pots2cook — Reply
Perfect to add to our Easter dessert platter!
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Eva Taylor — Reply
I’ve never heard of Samosa cookies but I’m sure glad I heard of them now! They look so cute and delicious.
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wilhelmina — Reply
These cookies are on point! My husband was in heaven! So dang delish!
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Claudia Lamascolo — Reply
these are perfect and even better knowing whats in them then the GS cookies you buy!
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Sandra — Reply
These look like the real thing and worth all of the effort. I would have shipped them out also, no way I could resist them.
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Blackswan — Reply
Love the tasty treats, dear! Hahaha! The last shot is so adorable! xoxo
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Liz @ Books n' Cooks — Reply
Giving me a recipe for my favorite girl scout cookie? That’s dangerous!
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) — Reply
Izzy has gotten so big!!!
and ahhhh I love samoas, these homemade ones are GORGEOUS
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Laura | Tutti Dolci — Reply
I love samosas and I just know your homemade version is even better than the original!
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Monica — Reply
I will never be able to eat the Girl Scout version again after seeing these. They are gorgeous – and so is Miss Izzy!!!!
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Winnie — Reply
These cookies look soooooooooooo YUMMY !!
Funny enough – there’s not very popular here because they’re unknown….
Maybe it’s time to introduce them here 🙂 -
cheri — Reply
Love these cookies Liz, I would have a hard time not eating them all myself. Also love all the pics of your beautiful black lab, what a beauty.
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Caroline — Reply
These look so good – must try them some time!
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Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine — Reply
They always used to be my #1 choice of GS cookies 😉 So cute!
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Carlee — Reply
I would have to give them away quickly too, there is no way I wouldn’t be grabbing one every time I passed them. They look amazing!
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Beth — Reply
Hard work or not, these are definitely calling my name! I’ll be making these – soon.
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Hezzi-D — Reply
These are my favorite Girl Scout cookies! I can’t wait to make them at home, yours look amazing!
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Laura Dembowski — Reply
I have never had a samoa with that whole chocolate allergy thing, but since these are better than the original, I must try them.
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Kristen Chidsey — Reply
I am sure these were a crazy amount of work, but like you said, I know they are better than the original!!
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Jennifer Eloff — Reply
So creative as per usual. 🙂
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Debra Eliotseats — Reply
These are my absolute favorite Girl Scout cookie. I’ve seen a few copycat recipes, but Liz, yours look perfectly delicious, just like the real thing! In fact, I bet they are better!
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Stacey — Reply
Oh wow! I love these cookies but have never thought about trying to make them. These are also my son’s favorite – so I know who I will be baking for. Thanks!
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Eva Taylor — Reply
Oh dear, I can certainly see why you gave these away, I can barely hear myself as they are screaming “make me” straight from your lovely blog! Caramel and chocolate combo are a dream but adding coconut is shear beauty!
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Kelly — Reply
Samoas are my favorite GS cookie too! These look perfect! I’ll take a dozen 🙂
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Cindys Recipes and Writings — Reply
These are WELL worth the effort! double yummy!
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Constance | CosmopolitanCornbread.com — Reply
I bet these are WAY better than the ones out of a box!
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claudia — Reply
well these sure look better than anything you can buy! great job !
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Lynn@Happier Than A Pig In Mud — Reply
Now, I can get behind Pina Colada Day! Your cookies turned out great and I can’t wait to see the fudge on the list:@)
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Angie@Angie's Recipes — Reply
They look definitely worth all of the efforts, Liz. I am saving this for the X’mas.
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shelby — Reply
These are Grumpy’s favorite cookie! I would have to hide these on him in order to get any if I made these. lol You did a beautiful job creating these.
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handmade by amalia — Reply
These samoas look so pretty and yummy, temptation!
Amalia
xo
