Homemade Samoas Cookies ~ Now you can enjoy one of the most popular Girl Scout cookies year around. Keep reading for the homemade Samoas cookie recipe. It’s a lot easier than you might think.
Homemade Samoas Cookies
I have to admit I’m kind of excited about this recipe. They taste great and appearance wise they are pretty close to looking like the real thing. Ahem, don’t go in for a close up, my chocolate dipping totally gives it away.
Samoas cookies are my favorite Girl Scout cookie and as a whole, they come in right behind the Thin Mints as the second best selling Girl Scout cookie. This surprised me since I would have bet money that Tagalongs were the second most popular (psst. . check next week’s post for homemade Tagalongs). Luckily I’m not a gambling woman.
But I am an obsessive baker. I have sweet treats in the fridge, half assembled desserts on the countertops and bake sheets full of multi-sized prep bowls full of ingredients for the next recipe. Seriously, I have a problem that I hope never goes away.
Although this past week was a little crazier than usual since I was testing more than a few recipes along with these Homemade Samoas Cookies. As many of you know my home is not filled with dessert partakers. Unless its peanut butter, salted caramel or coconut I’m guaranteed a session of forceful persuasion to get my boys to test anything I make.
Thankfully, Matt loves coconut and was happy to be my tester on this one and he gave it big thumbs up. After his thumbs up came a few more so I’m comfortable in saying “Whoo-hoo to finally nailing a homemade Samoas cookie recipe!”
A few notes:
- The cookie portion of the Samoas is a basic shortbread and very forgiving, so don’t worry-it’s not possible to overwork the dough when you are rolling it out.
- Since the caramel coconut topping is sweet enough on its own, I lessened the sweetness of the short bread cookie portion.
- Keep a watchful eye when toasting the coconut, as it goes from toasting to burnt quickly.
- Keep a warm bowl of water and towel near when you are assembling the cookie. The caramel coconut topping is sticky and will require you to clean your spatula off after a few cookies.
For more Samoas recipes check out:
- Samoas Cupcakes by Bakers Royale ~ Shameless self-promotion.
- Samoas Truffles by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen ~ Truffle + Samoas = Happiness
- Samoas on a Stick by Cookies and Cups ~ Because everything on a stick is just plain better.
- Samoas Scones by Crustabakes ~ WORD.
Homemade Samoas Cookies
Makes 50-60 cookies
Preparation: Heat oven to 350 Degrees. Line bake sheet with parchment.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sweetened coconut, toasted
- ½ cup of confectioner sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 11oz. bag of Kraft Caramels
- Chocolate Pouring Sauce Click here for the recipe and double it.
Instructions:
- Place coconut on bakesheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 10-minutes. Make sure to stir the coconut half way through.
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and beat until combined. Place dough in refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes.
- Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough to an 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Using a two inch round cookie cutter stamp out cookies and for the center use the wider end of a piping tip if you don’t have a small enough cookie cutter. Place stamped out cookies on parchment lined bakesheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
- Place caramel squares in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat to melt. Once the caramel bits are completely melted reserve ½ a cup of mixture in a shallow bowl; set aside. Add the toasted coconut to the remaining caramel mixture. Fill a shallow pan with hot water and place saucepan filled with the finished caramel coconut in it to keep the mixture at spreading consistency. Reheat mixture as needed to maintain spread consistency during assembly.
Assembly:
- Dip tops of cookies into the reserved caramel bowl. This will help the sticky caramel coconut mixture to quickly adhere to the cookie. Place cookie on a flat surface and using an icing spatula or butter knife spread caramel coconut mixture on to the cookie. If necessary, use a spoon to guide the caramel coconut spread off the icing spatula and on to the cookies. Let cookies rest for 30 minutes before dipping the bottoms in chocolate and drizzling the striping on top.
Welcome to my cozy corner where baking meets random thoughts and musings. I’m a self-taught baker sharing all things sweet (and some savory—okay, and cocktails) with a whisk in one hand and a camera in the other. 
Ooh, yum. Yum! But so many steps…*le sigh* lol
they’re so irresistible !! I wish I could brab one & eat it right away
naomi, absolutely perfect imitation! could you suggest a homemade caramel recipe instead of the store bought ones?
I’ve been meaning to make these for seriously over a year. Hubs brought a box home from work that I managed to make disapear pretty fast… will need to make some myself soon!
Love these!! This is bookmarked & I am definitely making them! They look even better than the Girls Scouts ones!
Love this. Bookmarked!
Samoas are my favorite too. Other recipes I’ve looked at have been far more intimidating. I’m looking forward to trying this!
Sounds delicious! Thanks for the recipe
Question: In step number 1 did you mean to say “Place BUTTER and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy?”
Oh my God. I love you forever and ever!! Samoas are my favorite and I can’t WAIT to try these!!
Wow…these look awesome!
Did you mean sugar and butter in a bowl and beat until light and creamy?
Naomi replied: — March 31st, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
Yes Gretchen, I did. I have updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
These look absolutely incredible. I love the idea of being able to nosh on Samoas any day of the year!
How talented you are! These look incredible
those are spot on, really!!
excellent job. I fear for my waistline being able to eat these year round, though 😉
Wow, these are spot on! You’ve really done an amazing job. I like samoas too, but they are actually my husband’s favorite so I think he’s gonna love you when I tell him about these.
These look just like the real deal. You are an artiste, my friend! I bet they didn’t last long.
These are really perfect! I don’t know about you but I was giggling through the whole time I was making these! Well, except when I was cursing at the caramel sticking to everything.
Wow, aren’t you smart! OK, I’ve never had a Samoa. Can we still be friends?
This is perfect! I didn’t order enough samoas this year and now I can simply make my own. Thank you for breaking down the process for us!
Yay!! Love the picture tutorial… and that you put so much time in and attention to detail!! You are fab girl! I love these cookies with a passion.. and love that now I can make them at home!
These look delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the photos=)
Samoas are my weakness when it comes to Girl Scout cookies. Yours are beautiful, Naomi!
Yay! I love samoas. I am always torn between them and thin mints so I always buy both. These look like the real thing. Definitely will be trying these out soon! Can’t wait to see what you do for Tagalongs.
Mouth is watering. thanks for sharing!
hThese are awesome! THey look just like the real thing.
I’d like to invite you to share this recipe with my linky, Sweet Tooth Friday. I hope to see you there.
http://alli-n-son.com/2011/03/31/toffee-snickerdoodle-cookies/
Don’t care how many steps it takes. I’m making these!
These look perfect to me! Are you going to re-create all the girl scout cookies? Please say “yes”. =)
Samoas are my favorite! And these are stunning replicas – beautiful job! (Wish I could have been your taste tester!)
Seriously!! Those are too cool
Are we related? They are my favorite cookie too though I think calling them a cookie is a misnomer. Candy is more like it…yummy chocolate, crispy, coconut candy. Ready to rummage now for some caramels.
Hi! Thanks so much for featuring my samoas scones in here! U make me feel like being a resident in your house with all the sugar going on there! Your samoa cookies look great and thanks so much for “notes” on toasting coconuts and handling caramel.
oh Naomi these look to die for!!!! Way better than the ones in the box! haha
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up today! http://tidymom.net/2011/im-lovin-it-wrap-up-4311/ Have a great weekend!
They look super yummy, thank you for sharing.
Love these cookies, thanks for sharing. If you figure out how to make the Girl Scout thin mint cookie please let me know.
Your Samoas look just like the real thing. Gorgeous job, Naomi!
what type of flour does this call for, self rising? or all-purpose, since i don’t see a levening agent otherwise, i assume self rising?
trying to make these right now, don’t want them to not work
Naomi replied: — April 10th, 2011 @ 4:02 am
Hi Nerdy Nurse-Actually no leavener in this light shortbread. It’s not self-rising, just regular all-purpose flour.
This is so mouth watering. I love to make some of this for my girls’ snacks. They will surely love the name of this cookie.
Attempted to make these. Failed miserably. Caramel gets very hard upon setting after cookies are finished. Must be a skilled baker to pull this off.