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–+ servings
overhead shot of samoas cookies in round pie plate with more cookies around, a measuring cup of toasted coconut, a glass of milk, and flowers around on marble surface.

Homemade Samoas Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Assembly Time 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Author: Traci Crossland
Everyone's favorite girl scout cookie...now made at home! These Samoas Cookies are perfectly sweet, caramel-y, extra coconutty, with a tender shortbread cookie, and dark chocolate to compliment every bite. They are SO. GOOD.

Ingredients

Cookies

  • ½ cup salted butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour*

Coconut Caramel

  • 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3½ Tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1¼ cups heavy cream
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Chocolate

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cookies

  • Heat oven to 375℉.
  • Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Mix in vanilla
  • Add flour.
  • Mix only to blend.
  • Form dough into a ball.
  • Place on a nonstick surface. (marble, parchment, silicone)
  • Flatten into a disc.
  • Roll to 3/16 inch thick.
  • Cut cookies using a 2-inch round cutter.
  • Cut out centers using ½ inch round cutter.
  • Transfer to prepared pans.
  • Gather scraps and re-roll until all the dough is used.
  • Bake for 9 minutes.
  • Allow to cool on pans.

Coconut Caramel

  • Reduce oven temperature to 350℉.
  • Spread coconut evenly on sheet pan.
  • Bake, stirring occasionally, until coconut is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1¼ cups cream, and butter.
  • Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar melts.
  • Stop stirring and brush down sides with a silicone brush dipped in warm water.
  • Continue cooking to 245℉.
  • Remove caramel from heat.
  • Stir in vanilla and toasted coconut.
  • Immediately transfer to heatproof glass bowl.
  • Add ¼ cup cream.
  • Place over a pot of simmering water.
  • Heat and stir until melted and smooth.
  • Carefully place 1½ teaspoons, or desired amount, on top of each cookie.
  • Set aside to cool.

Chocolate

  • In a microwave safe glass bowl, combine chocolate and oil.
  • Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  • Dip the bottom of each cookie in chocolate.
  • Drain.
  • Set on parchment.
  • Drizzle chocolate over top of each cookie.

Notes

*This recipe was written using an average of the dip and sweep method for measuring flour and the spoon and level method. If you are using a scale, you will need to add 3/4 oz or 22 g  to the measurement for each cup of flour.
Substitutions:
  • You can use store-bought soft caramels for this recipe rather than making your own caramel.
  • Milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate will work for these cookies.
Expert Tips:
  • For cutting the cookies, if you do not have a small enough cutter for the middle circle, you can actually use the back of a piping tip!
  • Do NOT over-bake the shortbread! This is super important. The cookies need to just be baked/barely beginning to color.
  • You will need to test your thermometer before using it for the candy. The best way to do this is boil a pot of water with your thermometer in it. A pot of boiling water should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Don’t let the thermometer sit at the bottom of the pot when you are cooking.
  • Use a bigger pot than you think you need! The caramel bubbles up very high when you’re cooking.
  • Don’t skip brushing down the sides for the caramel! This keeps it from crystalizing.
  • Once you add the toasted coconut to the caramel, it will thicken quite a bit. Adding the extra cream and placing it over a simmering pot of water not only loosens the caramel, but also keeps it warm (without being too hot!), which makes it sticky and easy to place on the cookies.
  • The cookies to be room temperature before you add the caramel mixture.
  • Do NOT apply pressure to the cookies when adding the caramel on top. The cookies are quite thin and therefore very fragile.
  • Let the caramel cool and set completely before dipping and drizzling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 37mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 277IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.