Samoa cookie bars have a buttery shortbread base that’s topped with a toasted coconut and caramel layer, then finished off with chocolate to resemble the addicting samosa girl scout cookies we all know and love!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Every time girl scout cookie season rolls around, I’m determined to find a local girl scout to get my hands on a few boxes of Samoa cookies (and thin mints ;). I love the crisp texture from the shortbread combined with all the gooeyness from caramel and coconut!
No hate to girl scout cookies but I must admit, they’re kind of tiny! The nice thing about these samoa bars is that you get the equivalent of nearly 4 cookies in one bar. You’ll be shocked by how much these resemble a classic samoa with just a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients you’ll need:
For the shortbread:
- Softened butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
For the caramel coconut layer:
- Sweetened shredded coconut- it’s important to use shredded coconut rather than flaked coconut
- Kraft caramels
- Heavy whipping cream
For topping:
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Coconut oil or vegetable oil- optional for thinning out the chocolate
Coconut and caramel are a match made in heaven as far as I’m concerned! Using the shortcut of kraft caramels in these easy samoa cookie bars is super convenient and beginner friendly. All you have to do is unwrap the caramels and microwave them with some heavy cream to create the perfect silky smooth caramel sauce.
How to make the best samosa cookie bars:
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes tossing halfway through.
- Make the shortbread: In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. It’ll seem dry and crumbly at first but mix until you get a dough. Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Make the coconut layer: In a microwave safe bowl, combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring in intervals of 30 seconds until the caramel is melted and smooth. Pour the toasted coconut into the caramel and mix to combine. Spread the coconut mixture on top of the shortbread, then let cool completely.
- Slice and drizzle with chocolate: Slice into 12 bars, then transfer them to another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt your chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway through or just until smooth. Dip the bottom of each bar into the chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Transfer the remaining chocolate to a Ziploc bag, cut off the end, and drizzle over the top of the bars. Transfer to the fridge to let the chocolate set before enjoying.
Dipping the bottoms and drizzling the tops of these delicious samoa cookie bars in chocolate is the perfect finishing touch to make them just like the real thing! Just be sure to let the chocolate dipped bars cool on some parchment paper so they lift up easily when you go to serve them!
My top tips:
- Toast the coconut! Toasting the coconut in this recipe makes a huge difference in both the texture and flavors of these bars. It not only provides more coconut flavor, but it makes the coconut crisp rather than gummy. Watch it closely though- this can burn quickly in the oven!
- The shortbread dough is going to seem super dry and crumbly when you first start to mix. That’s normal! Just keep mixing and it’ll come together. If you want, you can even make the dough in your food processor!
- To get smooth chocolate for dipping and drizzling over the bars, I highly recommend microwaving and stirring the chocolate in 30 second intervals so that it melts evenly. If your chocolate seems too thick, add 1 tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil to thin it out.
- The caramel and coconut layer on these bars can be a little sticky when warm. You’ll want to let it cool completely over the shortbread before slicing into bars. This results in nice clean cuts and straight edges on your bars!
Looking for more cookie bar recipes? Try these out!
- Magic Bars
- Caramelitas
- Strawberry Pizza
- Butterscotch Confetti Squares
- Oatmeal Fudge Bars
- Smores Cookie Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
Samoa Cookie Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread base:
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the caramel coconut layer:
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 (11 oz) bag kraft baking caramels
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
For topping:
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil for thinning the chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes tossing halfway through (this can burn quickly so watch it closely).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. It’ll seem dry and crumbly at first but mix until a dough forms.
- Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking pan and bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring in intervals of 30 seconds until the caramel is melted and smooth.
- Pour the toasted coconut into the caramel and mix to combine. Spread the coconut mixture on top of the shortbread, then let cool completely.
- Slice into 12 bars, then transfer them to another baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt your chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway through or just until smooth.
- Dip the bottom of each bar into the chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Transfer the remaining chocolate to a Ziploc bag, cut off the end, and drizzle over the top of the bars.
- Transfer to the fridge to let the chocolate set before enjoying.
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