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Homemade Samoas Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 105 reviews

Indulge in homemade Samoas cookies, a delicious copycat treat inspired by the classic Girl Scouts favorite. These cookies feature a buttery shortbread base topped with toasted sweetened coconut caramel and finished with decadent dark chocolate. Perfectly crispy, chewy, and rich, they combine buttery dough, gooey caramel, and toasted coconut for an irresistible dessert to enjoy year-round.

Ingredients

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Shortbread Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Caramel Topping

  • 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
  • 15 ounces store-bought or homemade soft caramels
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Coating

  • 8 ounces dark chocolate (chips or bars)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
  2. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and salt.
  3. Mix dough: Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar in three increments, mixing on low speed between each addition and scraping down the bowl sides to incorporate all ingredients. Add the milk and vanilla extract and blend until the dough comes together in large clumps.
  4. Chill dough: Divide the dough in half, pressing each into a compact disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour until firm for easier rolling.
  5. Preheat oven: Set the oven temperature to 350ºF (175ºC) to prepare for baking.
  6. Roll and cut cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Use a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter or two round cutters (approx. 2-inch outer and 1-inch inner) to cut out cookies. Place them on Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheets and repeat with remaining dough.
  7. Bake cookies: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking, until cookies are pale golden but not browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Toast coconut: Spread coconut flakes evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Remove from oven and set aside.
  9. Melt caramel: In a double boiler setup, combine caramels, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan over simmering water. Stir continuously until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
  10. Combine caramel and coconut: Mix 3/4 of the melted caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl until well coated.
  11. Assemble cookies: Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel evenly over the cooled cookies to create a sticky base. Immediately press the caramel-coconut mixture onto the cookies. Let set and cool for 30 minutes, reheating caramel mixture briefly in double boiler if it thickens too much.
  12. Melt chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth.
  13. Chocolate finish: Dip the bottoms of the caramel-coconut cookies into the melted chocolate and place on a wax paper-lined tray. Using a fork, drizzle melted chocolate over the tops for decoration. Allow chocolate to fully harden before serving.

Notes

  • If you lack a donut-shaped cutter, use two round cutters (e.g., 2-inch and 1-inch) or spice jar caps to create the ring shape.
  • If the chilled dough is too firm to roll, let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
  • Shortbread cookies should be very pale golden; avoid overbaking for tender texture.
  • Keep a close eye on coconut while toasting and stir frequently to prevent burning.
  • Spreading cookies with reserved caramel before adding coconut mixture helps it adhere better.
  • Eight ounces of dark chocolate chips is approximately 1 1/3 cups.

Keywords: Samoas, Samoas cookies, Girl Scout cookies copycat, caramel coconut cookies, homemade Samoas, chocolate coconut cookies, shortbread cookies

Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/homemade-samoas-cookies-recipe/