What kind of Girl Scout cookies are your favorite? While we’re quite fond of Thin Mints and Tagalongs around here, Samoas are in the top three! What’s not to love? Buttery shortbread cookies covered in rich caramel sauce and toasted coconut, dunked and drizzled in melted chocolate. SWOON. It’s the salty, sweet, gooey, crispy, melty cookie of our dreams.
Our inspired version requires just 9 ingredients and tastes just like the real thing despite being entirely vegan and gluten-free! Let us show you how it’s done!
The steps for making these cookies are a little more involved than our usual, but the ingredients are simple and the result is so worth it!
First, we make the shortbread cookie dough using almond flour as the base, maple syrup for sweetness, coconut oil to make them crispy, and vanilla and sea salt for flavor.
Next, the cookies are cut into cute little circles and the center is removed with a smaller cookie cutter (or similar-shaped object). This creates the classic shape of Samoas that’s perfect for thoroughly coating in chocolate-coconut-caramel goodness!
The coconut-caramel layer is made with full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil for richness, coconut sugar for sweetness and a thicker texture, and toasted shredded coconut for a toasty element.
Lastly, the cookies receive a dunk and drizzle of melted chocolate for serious magic in your mouth.
We hope you LOVE these Girl Scout-inspired Samoas! They’re:
Toasty
Buttery
Tender
Rich
Chocolaty
Coconutty
& Timeless!
Store in the fridge or freezer (if they survive that long) for any time a Samoa cookie craving strikes! They’d be perfect with a glass of dairy-free milk or your favorite latte or tea.
Into Girl Scout Cookies? Try these next:
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Gluten-Free Samoas
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour (the best sub would be an equal blend of gluten-free flour, oat flour, and arrowroot starch or cornstarch – we haven't tested this and can't guarantee the results)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
COCONUT CARAMEL LAYER
- 3/4 cup unsweetened desiccated or shredded coconut
- 1/3 heaping cup full-fat coconut milk (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp as recipe is written)
- 1/3 heaping cup coconut sugar (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp as recipe is written)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
CHOCOLATE
- 2/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt. It may seem crumbly, but that’s okay! Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper and form into a rough rectangle. Place another piece of parchment paper on top, and roll out into a 1/4-inch (~6 mm) thick rectangle. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill and firm.
- Meanwhile, spread the shredded coconut out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring once and checking often to make sure it doesn’t burn. The coconut should be light golden brown.
- Remove the coconut from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (176 C). Carefully transfer the toasted coconut to a small mixing bowl.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, peel off the top layer of parchment, and using a 2 ½-inch (~6 cm) round cookie cutter, cut as many cookies as possible. Then, using a 1-inch (2 ½ cm) cookie cutter, cut a hole in the center of each cookie. Roll out remaining dough and repeat. As the original recipe is written, you should have ~15 cookies.
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Gently transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Set the parchment-lined baking sheet aside for later.
- While the cookies cool, make the caramel. In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and salt. Place on the stovetop over medium heat and bring to a boil. Immediately lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced and thickened, whisking often. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
- Once caramel has cooled, mix in 1/4 cup (20 g // amount as the original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) of the toasted coconut. Using a small fork (we found this the easiest!), gently spread the caramel and coconut mixture onto the cookies, then press each cookie (caramel side down) into the remaining toasted coconut. Place cookies in the fridge to cool and set for 10 minutes.
- Add 1 inch water to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low / simmer.
- To a small glass or metal bowl, add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Carefully place the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula or spoon, until melted and no lumps remain — ~5 minutes. You can also melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Remove chocolate from heat.
- Remove the cookies from the refrigerator. Begin dipping the bottom of the chilled cookies into the melted chocolate to lightly coat, then gently place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a spoon, drizzle the remaining chocolate on top of the cookies in a zig-zag pattern, then transfer back to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they‘ll keep for up to 5 days, or in the freezer, where they’ll keep for up to 1 month.
Jenna says
Do you think this would work with almond meal? Looks like a great recipe. Thanks in advance!
Hi Jenna, we think so, though we do prefer the texture of almond flour in cookies and cakes. You might need a bit more coconut oil if using almond meal. Let us know if you try it!
prashanthi atluri says
Hi!! Can the shortbread layer be made oil-free? Thank you!!
Possibly with a flax egg, but it likely won’t get as crispy.
Radmila Dolokhanova says
Hi! Out of coconut sugar, would brown sugar suffice?
That should work well!
Liza says
Followed the recipe exactly – OMG, these are out of this world!!!! Absolutely incredible – hard to believe they are both gluten free and vegan! Thank you so much!!!
Aw, YAY! We’re so glad you love them, Liza. Thank you for sharing! xo
Kate says
Would it work to use reduced fat coconut milk?
Hi Kate! We haven’t tried it with reduced fat coconut milk and are not sure if it would thicken properly, but it might! Let us know if you try it!
Kai says
This is the best df/gf cookie recipe I’ve ever made! My fiancés family loved it and they don’t even have any food allergies/restrictions. I made it without the holes and it still came out so delicious. Thank you!
AMAZING! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them, Kai! Thank you for sharing! xo
Cindy says
I LOVE these cookies. I shared them with a friend recently who said they were the BEST thing she’s ever eaten! The only modifications I make is adding a little less melted coconut oil to the cookie dough so it doesn’t get too moist; I double the whole recipe to make plenty to share; and I add a sprinkle of maldon sea salt to the cookies after drizzling with chocolate. A bit labor intensive but easy-to-follow instructions and totally worth it. YUM!
AMAZING! We’re so glad you and your friend both enjoy them! Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
Nicole Heskey says
Wow I had to write this review right after eating two of these cookies. I’ve made a LOT of your cookie recipes and this may be in the top spot for no detection of gf vegan and wayyyy better than the original Girl Scout version. Yes it was a labor of love but I made the cookies and coconut first then came back a few hours later to finish up the second half. I’m just sad there are only 10 of them as they will be gone in a few days. I didn’t make the hole inside and I think for next time I needed to thicken the caramel a little longer. I also only used 1/2 cup chocolate and it was enough. Extra sauce was used for filling dates! Home run with this recipe and this will make a perfect Xmas gift. Def challenge yourself and make these cookies.
Love that idea to make them as a Christmas gift, Nicole! And we’re thrilled to hear you enjoy them so much! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Caitlin says
My mom said these are the best cookies she’s ever had!
Thank you
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!
Isabelle says
Amazing amazing amazing! I would recommend doubling the dough if you don’t want leftover caramel and toasted coconut. Takes a little bit of time but very worth it. Shared with friends, and 6 non-vegans said they were better than the girl scout version!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them, Isabelle. Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Candice says
wow! Another excellent and delicious recipe. Thank you so much! Made a double batch. I’m sure they will not last long!
So good!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Candice! We’re glad you enjoyed!
AH says
Coconut caramel layer calls for sea salt but it’s not in the recipe?
Thanks for catching that! We’ll get it updated.
Jennifer says
A great recipe, approved by 2 non-vegans. Yes a lot of work but the recipe is upfront about that. We made an afternoon of it, enjoying one another’s company – making the cookies together was the afternoon plan! Thanks!
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them. Thank you for sharing, Jennifer! xo
Angela says
Love these! Made them last night but in the shape of Texas as that’s the only cookie cutter I could find! I’m not sure if it’s because of the type of chocolate I used (70% Green and Black’s dark cooking chocolate) or because I put some maple syrup in the melted chocolate because I was concerned that I didn’t have the right kind, but I needed more coconut oil as it was too thick to dip or drizzle. I don’t know how I won’t eat all of them at once!
Ha, cute! We’re so glad you enjoyed them. It does sound like the chocolate is thicker. Thanks for sharing, Angela.
Sandra says
These are very tasty. However, I don’t think they word minimal applies! These were a lot of work! I’ll likely make again – just when I know I have the time to spare. The Thin Mints and Tagalongs weren’t as time intensive. They are all three so good. Thanks for your efforts and allowing us to enjoy these so loved cookies!!
Hi Sandra, thanks for your honest feedback! These ones are a bit more labor intensive than the others. We’re so glad you still enjoyed them!
Barb says
Can you sub out date sugar for any of the sweeteners in your recipe?
Hi Barb, it might work in place of the coconut sugar. Let us know if you try it!
Rachel Ashworth says
Wow! These are extraordinary. I made these today and followed the recipe mostly haha. I only got 12 cookies total. I did not dip my caramel cookie into coconut rather, I sprinkled on top and gently shook off excess. I do agree they are time consuming but that’s clear when you read through the process. You could always bake the cookies one day and toast your coconut, then finish up the next day. Definitely a keeper and I’ll be making these again. I’ll also just use the caramel recipe when I want vegan caramel!!
Thanks for sharing, Rachel! So helpful and kind! xo
Chavonne says
I made this recipe yesterday and it is insanely awesome! I love making clean desserts and this, by far, is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made! The only changes that I made were that I did not dip the entire bottom of the cookie in chocolate and only did a chocolate drizzle on top and I used full chunks of unsweetened coconut shreds and it was so pretty. I could only get 12 cookies out of the recipe and I didn’t try to make the little hole in the middle! I brought a bunch to some of my friends who love trying all the new things that I make and they cannot wait for the recipe! I’m sorry to hear that some were not a fan but seriously this goes on the top five of my must haves!!!!! Even my husband said that we should make these for our Christmas gifts next year for all of our friends :-) I wish I could post the photo of our cookies!!!
Wow thanks so much for sharing, Chavonne! So glad you enjoyed them!
Caitlin says
No exaggeration, I’ve probably made well over a hundred of the recipes on Dana’s blog over the last year with many ‘wins’ and happy tummies. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them— and I was frustrated by 1) the amount of dishes/mess and 2) indulgent use of special (expensive) ingredients 3) SO much going on at the same time I found it stressful. It doesn’t really check the ‘minimalist’ box for me and the end result was meh. The only idea I have about what might’ve gone wrong was the caramel: I think it cooled for too long, losing its sticky pourable texture which made it not spreadable and crumbly. As feedback to the author: the ‘max’ cooling time isn’t specified on the caramel. And this recipe is a bit of kitchen chaos, a lot going on at once, so it’s easy to mess up something like that without clear instructions. Also, it’s acknowledged in the recipe that the dough is crumbly but there’s no advice as to how to handle them for cookie cutting. Mine were falling apart the entire time. I had much more success with the thin mints as far as the Girl Scout theme goes, so I recommend trying those instead. The Samoas were a disaster for me, it took me several hours to make something I didn’t even want to eat. I’m sorry to write such a negative comment, I really have loved so many of your recipes, this just wasn’t one of them.
Caitlin – sorry you had trouble with this one! It is admittedly not our simplest recipe, but we do find the payoff to be worth the effort!
Did you find the video helpful in terms of step by step preparation (especially with the crumbly dough)? It sounds like the caramel may have been overcooked, because if it was crumbly it likely crystallized. Cooling the caramel for 5 minutes in step 7 is about how long we recommend for cooling time. If it sits for a lot longer it can get tacky or difficult to work with.
Again, we appreciate the feedback and are sorry to hear it wasn’t what you’d hoped!
Chloe says
These. Are. So. Good.
Wow. 11/10 recipe here. I made them on a whim wanting to try something new and they were gone within 24 hours 😅
For me, the caramel took longer than the suggested 15 minutes, closer to 25 to really thicken up. I was worried I was going to burn it but its just a dark caramel.
This recipe is a little more involved but it’s worth the additional time. Next time I’ll double it so they hopefully last more than a day haha.
So lovely! Thanks for sharing, Chloe! Yes, it is a little more involved than your average cookie but SO worth it! xo
Hailey Lyons says
SO GOOD. Like crazy delicious. Made these last night. I messed up a little and made my shortbread too thin, so there wasn’t as much crunch as there could have been. But, the taste was crazy! Trying again tonight!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Hailey!
Em says
My favorite thing right now! I need to get somen in the freezer before I eat the whole batch….or I can just make more. 😊
So great! Thanks for sharing, Em!
Ryan says
Samoas were my favourite cookie before I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity about seven years ago, so I dropped everything to make these as soon as I saw this recipe get posted!
I also have a nut allergy, so I used the substitute flours listed here, and unfortunately the shortbread I made without modifications turned out very dry, pale, and brittle. After trying to make about 3 cookies like this, I gave up and added about a tablespoon of room-temp vegan butter to the dough mixture, and this made the dough much easier to work with and turn out a lot better after baking.
These are delicious and absolutely taste like my memory of the real deal!! I would definitely make them again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them and were able to troubleshoot the cookies! Thanks for sharing, Ryan!
Roz says
These cookies are seriously yummy. My husband and I were swooning when we tasted them for the first time. And the caramel sauce is crazy good. I’ll making that to drizzle over ice cream. Thank you for such a wonderful cookie recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed them. Thanks for the lovely review, Roz!
britt says
Definitely multiply the recipe if you’re needing 15 cookies. This does not produce 15 cookies if they are sized like the pics. Super yummy though.
Hi Britt, sorry to hear it didn’t make as many as expected. Were you using a 2 ½-inch (~6 cm) round cookie cutter and a 1-inch (2 ½ cm) cookie cutter for the centers? If so, is it possible the dough was rolled out thicker than 1/4 inch? With these measurements, there should be ~15 cookies.
Sara says
These are insanely delicious and definitely taste like the samoas! So impressed with the crunch of the almond shortbread and that it doesn’t crumble. Followed the recipe exactly, but melted more chocolate for extra drizzle on top. Thank you!!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Sara. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sharyn says
I love the creativity of the girl scout cookie recipes. I am going to try them all! Do you think you can come up with a recipe for Do-si-dos? Thanks.
Yay! We’ll add it to the ideas list!
Amy says
I made these last night and they were absolutely incredible! I found the video tutorial very helpful to get a visual for what they should look like during the process. I left them in the fridge overnight, and they taste even better the next day (I think the caramel layer was able to solidify more!) – overall, I highly recommend!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them and that the video was helpful. Thanks so much for sharing, Amy! xo
Judie says
Oh wow wow wow! These cookies were super delicious! Mine did not turn out pretty like yours but looks aren’t everything cause they were consumed within seconds! The taste reminded me of a Twix bar – which is my absolute favorite. Now I will make these instead which are gf and made with way way better ingredients.
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Judie! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Odalis says
Just made these and while they felt like a lot of work, they are 100% better than I remember the original GS cookies to be! The samoas used to be my favorite girl scout cookie when I was younger and the last time I had them (in my pre- gluten free life), they were disappointing. These are so delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these, Odalis! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Purani says
This is so tempting! Definitely trying it this weekend. One quick question.. Can we use regular milk instead of coconut milk? Because I have everything in hand except that..
=) Let us know how it goes! We’re not sure regular milk will be thick enough, but perhaps heavy cream if you have that?
Amy says
These cookies are so delicious!
I substituted the coconut sugar for light brown sugar and it worked great!
Can’t wait to make these again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Amy! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Driscoll says
Would I be able to sub anything for the coconut milk?
Hmm, what about homemade cashew milk?
Cassidy says
These are simple to make and so delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Cassidy!!
Chloe says
Made these today. I used bigger pieces of coconut and just threw them in the food processor after toasting. Although the cookies were too thin, I didn’t cook the caramel quite long enough (stopped because I thought I had burnt it – I did not – the caramel turns out to be quite dark), and I screwed up the chocolate – they still turned out delicious. A mess, but a Ima-go-in-for-thirds good cookie. Quote from partner: “These taste better than the real thing!”
There you have it, folks. Even if you tried to mess these up, they are still a winner.
haha yayy!! Sorry they were a little difficult to get to the finish line but SO glad you enjoyed the final result!!
Fiorella says
Hi, can I sub for all purpose? We have an almond allergy.
The best sub would be an equal blend of gluten-free flour (or all purpose), oat flour, and arrowroot starch or cornstarch, but we haven’t tested this and can’t guarantee the results. Let us know if you try!
Sarah says
What can we use to substitute almond flour if you have almond allergies?
Thank you!
The best sub would be an equal blend of gluten-free flour (or all purpose), oat flour, and arrowroot starch or cornstarch, but we haven’t tested this and can’t guarantee the results. Let us know if you try!
Vanessa Cabrera says
Hi!!! Can I use a different flour? Almond allergy! Can’t wait to try these!
The best sub would be an equal blend of gluten-free flour (or all purpose), oat flour, and arrowroot starch or cornstarch, but we haven’t tested this and can’t guarantee the results. Let us know if you try!
Gabrielle says
You are truly amazing for coming up with these ideas! Thank you Dana!!
We’re a small but mighty team now! Thanks for the love!
Amy says
You’re killing me with these! Cannot wait to try them.
Question: for the caramel layer, any help you could offer on swapping out the coconut sugar for honey or maple syrup?
Thanks so much!
Hmm, the coconut sugar is what helps make it thick / caramelized! But if you try one, I’d say maple syrup is your best bet.
Amy says
Thanks for the quick and thoughtful reply, Dana! I’ll give maple syrup a try!
Pri says
These look so delicious!!! Can I use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar? Would it be the same amount ?
That should work – same amount. Let us know if you try!