Skip the store-bought Girl Scout Cookies and instead make these healthier Samoa Cookie Bars! These bars have a shortbread-style base, a thick layer of sticky-sweet caramel and coconut, and a generous drizzle of dark chocolate. They’re totally gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar free, yet are full of that nostalgic flavor we all know and love!
Fun fact: these Gluten Free & Vegan Samoa Cookie Bars have been two years in the making! I first started developing this recipe last year and after like 4 tests I was so sugar-ed out that I had to set them aside haha. But this year, I picked up where I left off and perfected these bad boys. Worth the wait, I think 😉
The Girl Scouts were selling cookies at my apartment building the other week and as much as I wanted to support them, I knew that I could make something healthier and honestly even yummier at home. Enter: these delicious Samoa Cookie Bars! This copycat recipe is based off of the popular coconut-y, caramel-y and chocolate-y cookie that some people call Samoas and other people call Caramel DeLites.
These bars, which are totally gluten free, grain free, dairy free, vegan and refined sugar free (woah!) start with a base shortbread cookie layer, then are topped off with a caramel coconut mixture and drizzled with melted chocolate for the perfect finishing touch. They are insanely addicting…don’t say I didn’t warn ya!!
Why You’ll Love these Gluten Free & Vegan Samoa Cookie Bars
- They’re made with a handful of simple ingredients!
- These samoa cookie bars are a gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free.
- They taste just as delicious as the real-deal Girl Scout cookies, but are a bit healthier!
- They keep well in the fridge for quite a while.
- You can enjoy these year-round, whenever the Girl Scout Cookie craving hits.
What You Need to Make these Girl Scout Samoa Cookie Bars
- Almond Flour: The shortbread cookie base is made with a mixture of almond flour and coconut flour to keep them gluten free and grain free. There are no subs for this!
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is super absorbent so a little goes a long way. It also adds extra coconut flavor to these Samoa cookie bars.
- Coconut Oil: Refined coconut oil is generally my preference as it doesn’t have a super coconut-y flavor, but in a recipe like this, either refined or unrefined will work. If you’re not vegan/dairy free, you could also use melted butter or ghee.
- Maple Syrup: Sweeten the shortbread cookie base with some pure maple syrup to keep these refined sugar free!
- Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp or just measure with your heart 😉
- Kosher Salt: A bit of salt is a must even in dessert recipes.
- Soft Caramels: My favorite “healthier” soft caramels are these Cocomels. All of their varieties are made with coconut milk so they’re vegan! They also have some made with coconut sugar, which is what I used here (you’ll need 2 bags).
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Steer clear of sweetened coconut as it’ll make these overly sweet.
- Chocolate Chips: Use whatever dark chocolate chip or chocolate bar you prefer. Make sure to use a dairy free brand, like Guittard, if you’re trying to keep these vegan
- Flaky Sea Salt: This is optional, but makes the samoa cookie bars looks pretty and is the perfect salty contrast to the chocolate and caramel!
How To Make these Copycat Girl Scout Samoa Cookie Bars
Get Prepared:
First, preheat your oven to 350F. Add shredded coconut to a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Set aside. Then, grease and line a 9×9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
Mix Together Shortbread Cookie Dough:
Next, in a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Then, add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir with a spatula until a thick dough forms. Add the shortbread cookie dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out evenly using your hands and flatten the top as much as you can – using the bottom of a glass cup helps with this!
Bake Shortbread Cookie Layer & Toast Coconut:
Use a fork to lightly poke holes across the top of the shortbread. Transfer baking dish to the oven and bake for about 17 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. At the same time, place the shredded coconut on the rack below the shortbread, and let it toast for 10 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Once shortbread is done baking, allow it to cool for roughly 20 minutes.
Prepare Coconut Caramel Mixture:
Then, in a small pot over medium heat, add the caramels and water. Stir until fully melted (about 3-4 minutes) and then turn off the heat. Add in the toasted coconut and stir until a thick mixture forms.
Spread Coconut Caramel Layer over Shortbread Layer:
Press the coconut caramel mixture on top of the cooled shortbread cookie layer. It’s helpful to spray the the bottom of a glass cup and use this to spread out and flatten the coconut caramel mixture. Transfer to the fridge until set and hardened.
Drizzle with Melted Chocolate & Let Set:
Once the caramel coconut layer has set, run a knife along the edges of the baking dish to help remove the bars. Transfer them to a parchment-lined tray, plate or cutting board.
Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring after each one. If needed, add a small amount (roughly ½ tsp) of coconut oil, to make the chocolate more drizzle-able.
Finally, drizzle chocolate over the top of the samoa cookie bars and optionally, sprinkle on some flaky sea salt. Transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has hardened. Then, cut into 12 pieces (I did 9 for the sake of photos & videos) and enjoy!
What are Samoa Cookies?
Samoas (AKA Caramel DeLites) are one of the most beloved varieties of Girl Scout Cookies. These delicious cookies have a shortbread base, a coconut caramel topping and are both drizzled and dunked in chocolate. Sadly, they’re only available once per year…usually from January through April. But luckily you can make these Gluten Free Vegan Samoa Cookie Bars all throughout the off-season!
What’s the Difference between Samoas & Caramel DeLites?
Some of us know these cookies as Samoas while others grew up calling them Caramel DeLites. They do, in fact, have two different names based on where you’re geographically located.
According to the Girl Scout website, there are “two licensed bakers, whose recipes and ingredients may differ slightly.” Visually, you can tell that Samoas and Caramel DeLites are similar, but definitely have noticeable differences. Some have said that Samoas are heavier on the caramel and coconut, lighter on the cookie, and have a darker chocolate than Caramel DeLites. This graphic is a super interesting comparison!
So should I call these Caramel DeLites Cookie Bars or Samoa Cookie Bars? I’m going with Samoa Cookie Bars because that name seems to be the most recognizable, and there certainly is no shortage of caramel and coconut in here. But no matter what you call them, you’re going to love this recipe!
Substitutions:
- Almond Flour & Coconut Flour: Unfortunately there’s no equal substitute for these two flours without re-writing the whole shortbread cookie recipe, sorry!
- Maple Syrup: Honey is totally fine instead if you’re not vegan.
- Coconut Oil: Melted butter or ghee would also work if you’re not dairy free! I wouldn’t recommend an oil in liquid form such as olive or avocado oil.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Please don’t use sweetened shredded coconut unless you’re prepared for these to be suuuuper sweet. I also wouldn’t recommend using coconut flakes, or anything that’s not finely shredded.
- Soft Caramels: If you’re feeling ambitious, you can certainly make your own caramel sauce from scratch! In that case, skip the step of melting the soft caramels.
Drizzle or Dip these in Chocolate…You’ve Got Options!
The-real-deal Samoa cookies are dipped in chocolate and have an extra drizzle of chocolate on top. For my Gluten Free Vegan Samoa Cookie Bars, I only added the chocolate drizzle because I prefer them to be more coconut forward than chocolate forward.
However, if you’re a chocolate lover, feel free to dip the bottom of these into melted chocolate. I recommend doing this after the coconut caramel layer has set and after you’ve cut them into squares. Then, increase the amount of chocolate chips to at least 1 cup. Use a fork to help submerge them into the melted chocolate, then place them onto a parchment lined plate or tray to set in the fridge. If you try this, please let me know how it goes!
How Should I Store These Healthy Samoa Cookie Bars?
I recommend storing these Samoa Cookie Bars in the fridge in an airtight container. The caramel will continue to harden up and get nice and chewy, which is what I love about them!
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Gluten Free Dessert Recipes?
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Gluten Free Monster Cookies
- Strawberry Snack Cake
- Lemon Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Protein Pumpkin Muffins
Samoa Cookie Bars (Gluten Free & Vegan)
Equipment
- kitchen scale (optional)
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- medium bowl
- spatula
- fork
- glass cup
- small pot
- small bowl
- spoon
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Cookie Layer:
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour (120g)*
- ¼ cup coconut flour (28g)*
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil (66g), melted**
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (50ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the Caramel Coconut Layer:
- 6 oz soft caramels (I used Cocomels)***
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (160g)
For the Chocolate Drizzle:
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
- flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350F. Add shredded coconut to a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Set aside. Then, grease and line a 9×9" baking dish with parchment paper.2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut flour and salt. Then, add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir with a spatula until a thick dough forms.1 ¼ cups almond flour, ¼ cup coconut flour, ⅓ cup refined coconut oil, 3 tbsp maple syrup, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the shortbread cookie dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out evenly using your hands and flatten the top as much as you can – using the bottom of a glass cup helps with this!
- Use a fork to lightly poke holes across the top of the shortbread. Transfer baking dish to the oven and bake for about 17 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. At the same time, place the shredded coconut on the rack below the shortbread, and let it toast for 10 minutes, stirring at the halfway point.
- Once shortbread is done baking, allow it to cool for roughly 20 minutes.
- In a small pot over medium heat, add the caramels and water. Stir until fully melted (about 3-4 minutes) and then turn off the heat. Add in the toasted coconut and stir until a thick mixture forms.6 oz soft caramels, 2 tbsp water
- Press the coconut caramel mixture on top of the cooled shortbread cookie layer. It's helpful to spray the the bottom of a glass cup and use this to spread out and flatten the coconut caramel mixture. Transfer to the fridge until set and hardened.
- Once the caramel coconut layer has set, run a knife along the edges of the baking dish to help remove the bars. Transfer them to a parchment-lined tray, plate or cutting board.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring after each one. If needed, add a small amount (roughly ½ tsp) of coconut oil, to make the chocolate more drizzle-able.¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- Drizzle chocolate over the top of the samoa cookie bars and optionally, sprinkle on some flaky sea salt. Transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has hardened. Then, cut into 12 pieces (I did 9 for the sake of photos & videos) and enjoy!flaky sea salt
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.