These easy homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies combine a buttery shortbread cookie with a rich chocolate and caramel topping. Sweetened coconut adds texture and flavor to the topping. These cookies are simple to make at home, and now you can enjoy your favorite cookies all year round.
It’s that time of year when you see Girl Scouts wearing their brown sashes wandering from door to door and setting up camp outside grocery stores. Multiple order forms float around offices in a subtle contest to get the most buyers. You guessed correctly, and it’s the time of year for Girl Scout cookies! February 8th is National Girl Scout Cookie Day, according to the Girl Scout website.
Samoas... a classic girl scout cookie
There has been a cookie order form hanging up in our break room at work for the past 2+ weeks for Girl Scout cookies. However, at $4.50 a pop, these cookies are anything but reasonable. Just as I was working up the courage to put my name down for a box of cookies… the flyer vanished, along with my hopes of getting a box of Samoas.
This week I got to thinking, Heather, you’re a baker, for goodness sakes. If the Girl Scouts of America can mass-produce thousands of boxes of Samoas each year, surely this is something that you can tackle in your kitchen. After all, I was a Girl Scout back in the day!
Why you'll love this recipe
These little morsels sure are delicious, but they do require a bit of work. Since my kitchen isn’t the equivalent of a factory assembly line, the baking has to be done in stages. First, make the shortbread, then add the coconut and caramel topping, and finally add the chocolate bottom and decorations on top.
The end result was something better than I could have hoped for. It was better than the little purple box of Samoas that I’d grown to love.
Key ingredients and why we use them
Shredded Coconut: You want to use sweetened shredded coconut in this recipe. Do not use unsweetened coconut—it will not be sweet enough in this recipe.
Caramel: I like to use packaged caramels for the topping. It's simpler than making your own caramel from scratch. Make sure you do not use caramel sauce. You want the packaged caramel candies because they will harden completely for the topping.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Feel free to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate for these cookies. Either will work fine, and it's completely a personal preference.
Heather's helpful hints
Working with the caramel and coconut mixture can get difficult if it begins to harden before you have coated all the cookies.
If this happens, simply move the pan back to the stove on low heat for 2-3 minutes to allow the mixture to warm again.
Step-by-step instructions
This recipe has three easy-to-follow steps for making your Samoa cookies. This takes some time, but each step is simple and straightforward.
- Bake (and cool) the shortbread cookies
- Make the coconut and caramel topping
- Add the chocolate coating on the bottom and drizzle on top
Related cookie recipes
If you're in the mood for more cookies, check out some more of our popular recipes below. We've got you covered... from peanut butter heart cookies to soft pumpkin cookies!
Recipe
Girl Scout Samoa Cookies
Equipment
- 19 x 13-inch half-sheet baking pan
- Rolling Pin
- cookie cutter round 1½ inch
- piping bag
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Topping Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- 12 ounces caramels
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
- Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about ¼-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 ½-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Unwrap the caramels and place in a large pot with salt and milk. Cook over low heat stirring frequently until caramel has melted. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie.
- While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat on the stove. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes and Tips
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?! First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try!
Please leave us a rating and feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and didn't — with a recipe!
Happy Baking!
Heather
Jennifer
This recipe is wonderful, and my family loved them! Thank so much:)
Heather
I'm so glad that your family enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer!
Shari Michener
Heather, enjoyed reading your blog in the wee hours of this day. Really have some great cookie recipes. Will try one or two soon. Thanks for sharing with us.
Heather
Hi Shari! I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading some of my cookie recipes! I hope that you get a chance to give a new recipe a try :)
A Girl Scout troop leader
So since you're taking away the main source of fundraising for Girl Scout troops, I hope you'll be making donations directly to local girls/troops you see trying to raise funds for their activities and community service.
Liz
Do you really have nothing better to do than to whine about some money being taken away from Girl Scouts?
Darryl S
Do you have ANY concept of how many versions of this recipe are online? Not to mention that hundreds, if not thousands, of other recipes that are copies of thin mints, etc. It's really sad that you are a supposed troop leader. Those young minds are doomed if you are in charge of them. Now just out of spite I'm going to make this very recipe and toast to you as I devour each one.
Tea
The cookies are GMO poison anyway. I looked for the recipe because I would not be buying them anyway. Bravo if they somday cannot be used to raise funds.
CakePants
I'd been looking for a recipe for homemade samoas ever since the last of mine, uh, magically disappeared...these look absolutely perfect!! Can't wait to give them a try!
Heather @ Sweet Precision
I'm down to only one box left this year and I finally decided to put it in the freezer and save it for later in the year! I hope you enjoy the recipe :)
tableofcolors
These cookies say WOW! :)
Heather @ Sweet Precision
Oh goodness these cookies were SO addictive!! I might have to try out another Girl Scout cookie this year!
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smileycook
Delicious posts as always :-)
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Thank you!!
Francesca
OMG! :-)
Heather (Sweet Precision)
I know, right?! ;)
Stefano
These look fabulous, Heather! Yum! :-)
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Thanks Stefano!
On Feb 10, 2013, at 5:17 PM, Sweet Precisi
Dana @ Celiac Kiddo
These were my absolute favorite girl scout cookie ever! Um, they still are :) But my family is gluten free so I may try to adapt your awesome recipe using my gf flour. If so, I'll be sure to link back to you and give credit where credit is due! Thanks for the inspiration and gorgeous photographs.
-Dana
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Yay, I'm glad that you like the recipe! I don't know too much about gluten free baking but I'm excited to check out your blog!!
thehungrymum
Delish! My Miss7 joined brownie guides last week but I don't think the cookie selling is such a big thing here in Australia. Or should I say, I *hope* it isn't - I don't want to be doorknocking!
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Oh how fun! I have such great memories from Girl Scouts :) I was never too serious about selling cookies- usually I just have my parents order forms to take to work ;)
Catherine Mae
I found a recipe for thin mints (she uses the oreo part instead of ritz!) so i might need to try both of these recipes!
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Oh yummy! Those are another one oft favorites, I may have to try that too! Where did you find the recipe?!
Amanda
Hello-
I sent my check for $4.50 in the mail. Can I please get a box of your cookies!
Thanks-
AB~
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Ha- I need to send some if them away! They're so addictive :)
Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)
Yum! Wait, is it really girl scout season again already? These look soooo good and also like a great way to use up a bunch of shredded coconut! (By the way, did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?) I'll keep that in mind... :)
Heather (Sweet Precision)
I know, it totally snuck up on me! So I used sweetened coconut but I'm hindsight probably could have used unsweetened since it gets mixed in with the caramel. They were so gooey and sweet!!
Lilly Sue
Oh my gosh these look amazing. Samoas are my favorite too.i have thought of making them too but never have.will try! Thanks!
Heather (Sweet Precision)
The worst part is when you make a batch you have like 36 cookies! I'm tempted to try and make some other kinds :)
Lilly Sue
Worst part?!! Lol sounds like the best part :) no I understand I am always trying to share my baked goods
Heather (Sweet Precision)
I know exactly what you mean! My coworkers are always my guinea pigs :)
Lilly Sue
Ha ha same here and my boyfriend :)
Leah
These look awesome - way to give the Girl Scouts some competition haha. Your pictures are gorgeous!
Heather (Sweet Precision)
Lol, thanks! I'm sure I'll break down a still buy a few boxes... I love Thin Mints too!!