These Samoa Cookie Bars are the essence of minimum work for maximum flavor. A melt in your mouth shortbread crust topped with homemade caramel (you can do it, it's foolproof) chock full of toasted coconut with the bottoms dipped in chocolate. Just like the Girl Scout cookie version but in a much simpler form.
This bar version is so much easier to make than the cookies. I just don't have the patience it takes to fiddle with cutting out those small cookies, patiently arranging the caramel coconut filling on them and then dipping them. I saw one person said it took her 4 hours. No thanks! These can be whipped up in no time and you have way more Samoa Bars than little cookies. One bar is at least 2 cookies. How could you not love that?
I love brownies and bar cookies because they are generally so easy to make and you get a sizeable amount for the time invested. Here are a few others you should look into: Cocoa Brownies, Pecan Bars, Mocha Kahlua Brownies (these are still the most sought after brownie I made - we also cut them smaller for petit fours), Mexican Brownies, and from down under, Spice Bars.
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Tell me about the coconut
The coconut on the left is the one most used in baking. The shreds are longer and it's moist and sweetened. The coconut on the right is desiccated coconut.
For desiccated coconut the meat is shredded and then dehydrated to remove most of its moisture. It is usually unsweetened. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is most important to the Samoa Bars. Additionally, it is important to toast it to give it the same flavor as the Girl Scout cookies. Otherwise, it is just a coconut cookie.
Be careful when toasting coconut as it can burn easily. I find desiccated coconut easier to toast than the sweetened. You will see in the photos below how beautiful it is. I didn't need to stir it at all, I just turned the tray around about ¾ of the way through and it browned evenly. The key here is to make sure it is in single layer and any stray shreds are scooted into the edges or they will burn on their own.
Do I have to make the caramel?
I am a firm believer that this homemade caramel is better than anything you can buy. So I encourage you to take a flyer and give it a try.
It is true you need candy thermometer but they are inexpensive and the results are very worth the investment. My recipe, Caramel - A building Block of Pastry shows you how to make caramel for any need you will have from a caramel sauce to hard caramels from the same recipe.
Having said that, you can substitute 8 ounces of Werther's soft caramels if need be. I don't suggest any other caramel because they don't have the same buttery taste. Werther's is the closest to mine that I've found.
What's Not to Love about Samoa Bars
- The Girl Scout Cookies are an all time favorite and these are a super easy way to make them.
- While I prefer the homemade caramel, Werther's soft caramels can be used for a shortcut.
- Imagine a 9" square pan of these little marvels instead of the few that come in a package.
- Nothing tastes as good as homemade cookies and these are no exception.
Recipe Ingredients
Coconut Caramel
FRONT ROW: Unsalted Butter
MIDDLE ROW: Vanilla extract, granulated sugar, corn syrup
BACK ROW: Water, desiccated coconut, heavy cream
Shortbread Crust
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, powdered sugar
Chocolate Finish
Left to Right: Semisweet chocolate, crisco
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Coconut Caramel
Heat the cream until hot. Set aside. Step 1. Place the water, corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan about 3 times larger than the ingredients. Step 2. When the syrup comes to a rolling boil, place a lid on the pan to wash down the side so no sugar remains stuck on it. Alternatively, dip a clean pastry brush in cold water and wash down the side of the pan. Step 3. Continue boiling hard. Step 4. The syrup becomes a deep golden brown. This sets the taste for the caramel.
Step 5. Off heat, stir in the butter until it melts. Step 6. Add the cream and vanilla. If the cream lumps up, don't worry about it, the next step will fix that. Step 7. Return the mixture to the heat and boil to a temperature of 230°F. Step 8. Remove from the heat and cool.
Samoa Bars
Step 1. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper allowing the sides to extend to make a sling. Set aside. Step 2. Place the desiccated coconut on a tray in a single layer. Make sure there are no stray shreds on either side. Step 3. Place it in 350°F oven for about 8 minutes turning ¾ of the way through. I did not have to stir mine but if you notice yours is baking unevenly, stir it. Cool the coconut. Reserve ½ cup and set aside. Step 4. Place the flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of a processor. Process with a few pulses to mix.
Step 5. Add the cold, cut up butter to the processor. Step 6. Process until large chunks form. Step 7. Place chunks of the dough evenly around the bottom of the baking pan. Step 8. Press the dough together to make the base. Make sure no seams show. It should be one solid sheet of dough.
Step 9. Bake the base as called for until a light golden brown. Cool the base. Step 10. Place the cooled caramel in a medium size bowl. If it has set up, microwave it briefly to loosen it up. If using the caramels, unwrap them and microwave to soften them to a near liquid state. Step 11. Add 1 ½ cups coconut and stir to mix completely. Step 12. Distribute the coconut over the base.
Step 13. Spread the caramel-coconut mixer evenly over the base with a small offset spatula. Remove the bars from the pan. Remove the parchment paper and set the Samoas on a cake board or a cutting board as long as it doesn't harbor strong smells. Step 14. Immediately, sprinkle the reserved coconut evenly over the caramel mixture. Press it in lightly so it adheres. Step 15. Melt 6 ounces of chocolate with 1 to 2 teaspoons of crisco to loosen it. Place a small amount in a piping bag fitted with a small plain writing tip and pipe diagonal lines across the bars. Cut 7 across one side and 3 down for a total of 21 bars. Step 16. Place the rest of the chocolate in a bowl just big enough to hold the bar, bottom side down. Dip the bottom of one bar at a time into the chocolate and place on waxed paper or parchment paper to firm up. These can be refrigerated briefly to set the chocolate.
Recipe FAQS
Samoa (or Caramel deLites) Girl Scout Cookies were introduced in 1975.
The name "Samoa" is believed to be inspired by the island nation of Samoa which is half way between Hawaii and New Zealand. The cookies are names after Samoa because It is a major coconut exporter.
The cookies are made by different manufacturers in different areas It depends on how the bakers are licensed.
Expert Tips
- Toasting the coconut to a deep golden brown is key to the taste of the Samoa Bars.
- Watch the coconut carefully - it goes from just right to good grief I burned it in a flash towards the end.
- Using powdered sugar in the base gives it a melt in your mouth texture as opposed to granulated sugar which gives a snappier texture.
- Unsweetened desiccated coconut is the way to go here.
- 8 ounces of Werther's soft caramels can be subbed if not making the caramel.
Looking for more bar cookies? Look no longer!
A lot of work goes into each of my recipes and my only ask is that if you like these Samoa Bars or any other recipe or even the looks of it, please leave me a star rating to help me rank better. It’s important.
Simple Samoa Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9x9 inch square baking pan
Ingredients
Coconut Caramel - this makes a small amount so watch it carefully as it comes to a boil.
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 grams)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- OR
- 8 ounces Werther caramels if not making the caramel
Shortbread Base
- 1 ⅛ cups all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (45 grams)
- ½ cup butter, refrigerator cold (114 grams or 1 stick)
Chocolate Finish
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate (170 grams)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons crisco
Instructions
Coconut Caramel
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange 2 cups of desiccated coconut in a single layer in a sheet pan. Make sure there are no stray shreds of coconut at the edges. Just scoot them into the pile. Toast the coconut until uniformly medium brown. I did not need to stir mine but I did turn it front to back about ¾ through baking. If the coconut is not baking uniformly, then stir as needed. Set aside to cool.Reserve ½ cup of the coconut.
- Heat the cream until hot. Set aside,
- Bring to a hard rolling boil and boil until the syrup turns a medium golden brown. (see the photo in the step by step photos)
- Remove from the heat and add the butter Stir until it has melted. Add the cream and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. If the cream seizes, it will be corrected in the next step.
- Return the pan to the heat and bring back to a boil. Boil to a temperature of 230°F. Pour into a medium size bowl and cool.
Shortbread Base
- Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper letting the excess hang over the edges to form a sling. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the flour and powdered sugar in the bowl of a processor. Pulse several times to mix.
- Cut the cold butter in smallish pieces. Add to the flour mixture and process until it forms large crumbs.
- Arrange the shortbread crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Push them together to form an even solid pastry base. Make sure there are no seams showing as they make crack when baked.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until an even golden brown, turning halfway through. Cool.
Assembly
- Add the 1 ½ cups of coconut to the caramel, stirring to blend well. Spread this evenly over the shortbread base. If the caramel has set up too hard, microwave it briefly before adding the coconut.
- If using the Werther caramels, unwrap them, place them in a microwave dish and microwave to melt. Proceed as above.
- Spread the Coconut Caramel evenly over the shortbread base. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of toasted coconut on top, pressing it lightly into the coconut caramel. Cool completely.
- Remove the Samoas from the pan, lay the sling flat.
Chocolate Finish
- Combine the chocolate and 1 teaspoon crisco in a small bowl wide enough to dip the bottom of a bar in. Microwave to melt. Stir to combine. If the chocolate is still really thick, add the second teaspoon of crisco. The chocolate should be thick enough to coat with the excess barely running off.
- Place a small amount in a pastry bag fitted with a small writing tip. Alternatively, use a heavy plastic bag and cut a very little off the tip. Do not make it too big.
- Pipe diagonal lines over the top of the coconut. Let it set up. To speed it along, place it in the fridge for a few minutes. Cut 7 across and 3 down for 21 bars or cut any size you wish.
- Dip the bottoms in the chocolate. Holding the bar just above the rim of the bowl, lightly swipe the excess chocolate off. Place it on a piece of waxed or parchment paper. Let the chocolate set up. Again, pop them in the fridge for a few minutes to harden. After that they will hold at room temperature
- These hold well at room temperature lightly covered or even in an uncovered container.
Notes
Nutrition
Bonnie says
I appreciate so many of your recipes. I ran a bakery for a few years and enjoyed the made-from-scratch wholesome flavors -
My family loves this in the Girl Scout cookies - so glad to find it here!
I made a few changes for this cookie bar I didn’t have heavy cream on hand so I subbed the coconut cream (canned) in the caramel and added a layer of burgundy chocolate from a bar of dipping chocolate that I grated and put a layer before the caramel coconut topping was put on. It turned out great!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Bonnie - this sound wonderful. I love Girl Scout cookies!
Deb says
Looks delish…., Reminiscent of the Girl Scout cookies, gonna try them this weekend. Yummy.
Helen S Fletcher says
Absolutely they are. Enjoy them.
Cindy O says
Why comment and rate until you have made it? I will be making them and will rate afterwards. They do look delish!!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Cindy - Some people just appreciate the picture and are commenting on that. I appreciate a rating no matter what people are commenting on.
SallyBR says
Definitely saving this to make once we come back from our trip to.... HAWAII!!!!! (leaving tomorrow)
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sally - OMG that is terrific. I know you'll have a great time!!