Named after a popular Girl Scout cookie called Samoas, (which were later renamed Caramel Delights), Samoas Bars are easy bar cookies composed of a cookie base and a topping of coconut, caramel and chocolate. There are lots of versions out there. This is a small batch recipe that calls for an 8 inch square pan.
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Crust Texture and Sweetness
The crust for these bars is more like a big butter cookie than shortbread. The small bit of egg helps keep the crust soft enough so that you can cut the bars without it breaking all over like shortbread crusts tend to do. If you chill or freeze briefly before slicing the bars, you can get a nice clean cut (like in the bottom photo).
Small Batch Caramel for Samoas Bars
These are generally made with melted packaged caramels, but when I first made them I was out so I made my own caramel over the stove. I'm never super comfortable making caramel, but this recipe always works for me and the bars with the homemade caramel are just so good. You don't need a candy thermometer for the caramel, but you need a good lidded metal saucepan. I use a 1 ½ quart stainless steel Cuisinart pan.
Packaged Caramels
If you would prefer to just use packaged caramels, you can use Kraft Caramel Bits or Werthers melted with a little cream or milk. Just melt 6 oz of caramels without about 1 ½ tablespoons of whole milk by heating on high in the microwave and stirring every 30 seconds. You can then stir the coconut into the caramel mixture and spread over the shortbread.
Cutting Bars and Adding Chocolate
Once you've made the cookie crust and topped it with the caramel coconut mixture, you'll have something that looks like the photo below. The fun part is freezing, cutting and then incorporating the chocolate.
You just lift the foil with the cookie out of the pan, chill or freeze, then cut. When it's time to add the chocolate, you can do different things. One method is to just drizzle melted chocolate over the top and call it a day. My favorite is cutting 8 inch square into four quarters. Working one quarter at a time, set each square quarter over a big puddle of chocolate. Drizzle more chocolate over and let set. Cut the big square into four squares and serve each piece like this.
Recipe
Samoas Bars (Samoa Bars)
Equipment
Ingredients
Shortbread Layer
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (84 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg (25 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (weigh or use a very light hand) (120-125 grams)
- 1 ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut (150 grams)
Caramel Layer
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoons of water (21 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (21 grams)
- 3 ½ tablespoons heavy cream (50 grams)
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla or ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 pinch salt
Chocolate Layer
- 5 oz dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and salt with a handheld electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed or by hand, gradually add flour until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Press dough into prepared pan. It will be a thin layer. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.
- While base is cooling, reduce heat to 300 F and toast the coconut for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Let cool. Note: You can use a higher heat if you'd like, just keep an eye on it.
- Prepare Caramel. Place sugar in a small metal lidded saucepan, pour water over top. Set over med-high heat (uncovered) and swirl pan until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, cover pan and boil syrup for 2 min. Uncover, swirl pan, continue to boil syrup until dark amber in color. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until smooth. Stir in cream, then vanilla and salt. Let mixture cool slightly, then stir in the coconut.
- Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base and spread it to make an even layer.Let topping set until cooled.
- When cooled, lift foil from pan and cut into 8 bars with a large knife or pizza cutter. Chill the cut bars – this makes them a little easier to work with while dipping.
- In a medium size bowl, microwave the chocolate at 50% power stirring at 45 second intervals. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place cooking sheet lined with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
- Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. I store mine in the freezer or refrigerator.
Anna says
Hooray! Glad the caramel worked for you since it was my first time using it in these bars.
d says
I made these today and they are SO AMAZING!!! Heaven in every bite!!! I'll never buy the girl scout version again. We love you Anna!
Cookie Sleuth says
I have some caramel delights in my freezer that I am craving now! This will be perfect when they are all gone.
[email protected] says
Oh, I can't wait to try these--Samoas have always been a favorite!
Sue says
These look so good and I love that you made your caramel for them!
Lisa @ Snappy Gourmet says
Samaos have always been my fave even a few decades ago when I was selling them myself!! haha!
Katrina says
Samoas are our favorite. We like Thin Mints, but Samoas take the lead. We are a little annoyed by the small size the cookies have become. Love the look of these big, thick bars. I'll have to surprise my husband with them sometime. Though he'll also be mad at the same time, because he'll eat most of them and feel like a glutton. 😉
Chewthefat says
I am totally geeking out on the differences between the two deceptively similar types of cookies--I love food trivia like that! Those bars look fabulous--I don't like coconut but I have friends who are in love with Samoas and they are 'on my list' to make. I like the idea of making bars, since it seems like making the cookies could get a bit fussy.
Jennie says
Hi Anna, Please don't take offense, but I love you and I hate you for posting this recipe! This is my absolute favorite of all the girl scout cookies. The others are not worth eating in my opinion. I will definitely be baking these VERY soon!