Looking for my versions of other classic Girl Scout cookies? Here they are:
Mint Slims
Gluten-Free Tagalong Cookies
Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
When I took it upon myself to make paleo and gluten-free homemade versions of the ever popular Thin Mint & Tagalong cookies, I knew I also had to include a Gluten-Free Samoas Cookie for my coconut lovers out there! Although I use coconut products in my recipes often, I’m actually not the biggest coconut fan. That said, when you throw caramel and chocolate into the mix, I can be convinced!
These copycat Gluten-Free Samoas Cookies have a buttery shortbread base, topped with toasted coconut and creamy caramel; all dipped and drizzled with dark chocolate. Like the gluten-free Tagalongs that I recreated, I already had a recipe for each component of a Samoas; so it was a no-brainer!
Cutting and Filling the Cookies
While these cookies can certainly be a labor of love, they’re the perfect recipe to get your kids involved in. My kids love to cut out the cookies and re-roll the extra dough. A little extra help can’t hurt, right? When it comes to punching out the middle of the cookie, I used the largest size piping tip from my piping set. I found it was the perfect size! If you don’t care for the classic Samoas shape, you can always leave the center intact
It can be a little tricky to get the coconut and caramel mixture on the cookie though, so sometimes I take over when we get to that step. When you’re putting the coconut and caramel mixture onto the cookie, you’ll have to use your fingers and get your hands a little dirty! At first, I tried to dip the top of the cookie with the caramel “glue” into the coconut mixture, but I found it wasn’t sticking or that the cookie would break. Don’t be afraid to roll up those sleeves! Just pinch little bits of the coconut mixture and firmly press them onto the cookie, working around the circle until it's full.
A Few More Tips for You!
You can skip the cutting and pressing steps completely and just make Samoa Bars if you want to make these even easier! Bake the shortbread in an 8×8 pan for 15 minutes, or until golden. Then spread half of the chocolate on top of the hot shortbread so it melts. Pop the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the chocolate, then spread the coconut-caramel mixture on top of that. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle it overtop, and you have Samoa bars!
If you have kids that are nut-free, you can always swap out the shortbread in this recipe for the nut-free shortbread crust in my Lemon Bars (Celebrations, page 117) and swap out the almond butter for sunflower seed butter in the caramel.
I hope that you all love this recipe and that it brings back some normalcy and reignites those childhood traditions in your family!
Emily
If you substitute the palm shortening for butter should it be salted or unsalted?
Mercedes Silva
Could I replace with coconut flour? If so how much should I use? My family is allergic to almonds. Thank u so much these look delicious!
Alexandra Shaw
I have been so excited to try these!! I couldn’t get my dough pressed thin enough for a 9×13 without it breaking, but it fit a bit more than an 8×8 perfectly and baked well within 10 minutes.
My kids LOVED them, and they’ve definitely satisfied my love for caramel delights. I’ve gone without them for 9 years!!
Thank you for making our quarantine a bit brighter and tastier today!
MGP
Thanks for the recipe! I see baking powder on the incredients list, but do not see where it’s incorporated in the recipe. Do I mix it in with the almond flour & arrowroot?
Dana
Thanks for making this recipe! We are newly gf so we didn’t get these cookies this year.
I alls could not get the shortbread mixture to fit in a 9×13 but it fits perfectly in an 8×8. Also, in the ingredients it says salt for the caramel/coconut/chocolate but in the steps it doesn’t say when to add it. Do I add it to the caramel mixture when I also add the almond butter, butter, water, and vanilla?
Stefanie M Stafford
Is there a sub for the arrowroot? I’ve got everything except for that on hand.
Sarah Warren
Three mistakes in one recipe, all noted below. Thank you for sharing, but please proof before posting. They are complete and in the fridge cooling. Hoping they taste as good as they look!
TESSA E HERLEY
wow! Danielle, these are SO good! Made them in an 8×8 pan and worked perfectly. Thank you!
Liz
Any make 2 dozen? I made 6! No clue how you can make 24! Still amazing and I’ll have to double it next time!
Aimee
I used slightly larger than 2 inch cookie cutters and ended up with 20 plus 3 random shapes with the leftover. You probably didn’t roll them to 1/8 inch or you used a much larger cookie cutter if that is all it made.
Nina
These look wonderful. Has anyone made these with coconut instead of almond flour? I would love to know how they turned out. Totally pining this to try it when I get a moment!