Homemade Girl Scout Samoas

Why wait for Girl Scout cookie season when you can create these irresistible Samoas cookies in your kitchen? This copycat recipe captures every layer of the beloved original with buttery shortbread rings, gooey caramel, toasted coconut, and decadent chocolate drizzle. The best part? You control the quality of ingredients and can make them whenever the craving strikes, often for less than half the cost of buying boxes.

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What Makes the Girl Scout Samoa Cookies So Good? 

Samoas may not be as popular as Thin Mints, but these sticky-sweet cookies with a hole in the middle take the top spot for many folks. The shredded coconut, dark chocolate, and chewy caramel topping with a soft cookie center is an incredible flavor combination you just need to try. 

Why You Should Try This Recipe 

The secret to authentic-tasting Samoas lies in the technique and timing. The cookie base needs to be sturdy enough to support the toppings without breaking, while the caramel must be the perfect consistency to hold the coconut without sliding off. This recipe achieves that balance by using the right flour-to-butter ratio and controlling the caramel temperature throughout the process.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Base:

• All-purpose flour – Creates the sturdy foundation that holds all toppings
• Baking powder – Provides gentle lift for tender but strong cookies
• Salt – Enhances butter flavor and balances sweetness
• Unsalted butter – Delivers rich, creamy base flavor when properly creamed
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens cookies and helps create proper texture
• Half and half – Adds richness and helps bind dough together

For the Toppings:

• Shredded sweetened coconut flakes – Provides signature tropical flavor and texture
• Soft caramel chews – Melts smoothly for perfect coating consistency
• Evaporated milk – Helps thin caramel to ideal spreading texture
• Dark chocolate melting wafers – Creates smooth, glossy chocolate coating
• Vegetable oil – Ensures chocolate melts smoothly and stays workable

Ingredient Notes

Use the thinnest sweetened coconut flakes you can find. 

Make sure to use soft caramel chews, not hard caramel candy. Although unwrapping individual caramel chews can seem like an extra step, caramel sauce doesn’t have the right consistency for these cookies. However, you can purchase a caramel loaf to save time or bake many cookies.

If you can’t find dark chocolate melting wafers, you can use chocolate chips, but they may not melt as well as the wafers.

How to Make This Samoas Recipe

To prepare the cookie batter:

1. Place the butter on the counter to soften.
2. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
3. Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the sugar and the softened butter in a stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until the color of the mixture lightens. You can use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.

5. Pour the Half & Half and vanilla extract into the bowl with the creamed butter and mix until it’s fully incorporated.
6. While the mixer is on medium, add half the flour mixture to the creamed butter. Once half the flour is mixed in, repeat with the rest of the flour. The cookie dough will be very thick.

7. Transfer the cookie dough to the parchment paper-lined baking tray.
8. Wet your hands and roughly spread out the dough on the baking tray. Use a rolling pin dusted with flour to smooth out the dough to about a quarter-inch thickness.
9. Cover the top of the baking tray loosely with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour. 

To bake the cookies and toast the coconut:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. After chilling, remove the baking tray from the fridge.
3. Use a three-inch round cookie cutter to punch out cookies. Then use a one-inch round cookie cutter to punch out a hole in the middle of each cookie. Re-roll any leftover cookie dough to make more cookies. 
4. Carefully transfer the cookie rings to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. 
6. Let the cookies cool on the pan.
7. While the cookies are cooling, spread the shredded coconut on a baking tray.
8. Place in the oven and toast for 8 to 10, stirring frequently. Transfer the toasted coconut to a plate to cool. 

Finishing the cookies:

1. Unwrap the caramel candies.
2. Add the unwrapped caramel candies and the evaporated milk to a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
3. Stir the caramels and evaporated milk with a silicone spatula until the candy melts. Reduce the heat to as low as possible.
4. Use a spoon or silicone brush to lightly coat the top and sides of the cooled cookies with the caramel sauce.

5. Add the toasted shredded coconut to the pan of caramel sauce. Stir with a silicone spatula to combine.
6. Wet your fingers and use them to spread the warm caramel sauce and toasted coconut on the top of each cookie.
7. Place the cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes.

8. Just before you remove the cookies from the refrigerator, melt the chocolate.
9. Put the dark chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 50 percent power for a minute. Stir in the vegetable oil and continue heating in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is smooth.
10. Use a dipping tool or a fork to dip the bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate. Then, place the dipped cookies back on the parchment-paper-lined baking tray.
11. After dipping all the cookies, rewarm the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dip a chopstick or the tines of a fork into the melted chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the cookies.
12. Chill the cookies for 30 minutes before serving. 

What to Serve With Them 

Sip on a glass of ice-cold milk or your favorite hot beverage while enjoying these homemade Samoas. 

Pop a few in the freezer and try them frozen for something different.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Freezing: Wrap individually or store in freezer bags for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or enjoy frozen for a different texture experience.
• Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers with parchment between layers for up to 5 days. Keep refrigerated to maintain caramel texture.
• Room Temperature: Not recommended for extended periods as the caramel may soften and the coconut may become sticky.

More Girl Scout Cookie Recipes

• Lemonades
• S’mores
• Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties)
• Thin Mints

Favorite Cookie Recipes

• Almond Shortbread Cookies
• Black and White Cookies
• Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks
• Coconut Macaroons
• Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
• Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Popular Caramel and Coconut Desserts

• Marie Callender’s Coconut Cream Pie
• Turtle Brownies
• Turtle Pie

Check out more of my easy cookie recipes and the best DIY recipes on CopyKat!

Homemade Girl Scout Samoas Cookies Recipe

Rich butter cookies topped with caramel, toasted coconut, and chocolate drizzle. Tastes just like Girl Scout Samoas made at home!

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Girl Scout Cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Chilling: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 14

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons half and half

Topping

• 1 14-ounce bag shredded sweetened coconut flakes
• 3 10-ounce bags caramels
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup dark chocolate melting wafers
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening

Instructions

Cookies

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Mix well and set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric hand or stand mixer. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
• Add vanilla and half and half. Mix again until smooth.
• Add flour mixture, half at a time, and mix until fully combined and dough-like. It will be thick.
• Remove dough from the bowl and place it on the baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten the dough onto the baking sheet pressing downward.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about ¼ – ½ inch thick.
• Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill the dough for 1 hour.
• When the chilling time is complete, proceed with cutting your dough. Remove the cookie dough from the baking sheet and use a 2½ or 3-inch cookie cutter to cut rounds out from the dough.
• Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut the center out of each round.
• Line the baking sheet with a fresh piece of parchment paper.
• Place the cutouts on the baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan. Keep the oven on.
• Place coconut on a separate baking sheet, spread it out evenly.
• Bake the coconut to bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking and stirring often. Bake until the coconut is golden brown. Be sure to check often near the end of the bake time, as coconut burns quickly! When done, remove it from the oven and set aside.
• When the cookies have cooled completely, begin preparing your caramel.

Topping

• Add unwrapped caramels and evaporated milk to a large non-stick skillet over low-medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir caramel occasionally until they begin to break down and become smooth.
• Remove about ½ cup of caramel sauce from the skillet and reduce heat to simmer/low.
• Spoon out caramel sauce over the tops of the cookies, spreading gently. This layer of caramel will act as “glue” for the caramel and coconut mixture.
• Add the toasted coconut flakes to the skillet with the remaining caramel and mix using a rubber spatula until fully combined. Remove from heat.
• Using a spoon or your fingers, add the caramel and coconut mixture onto the caramel ring. Do this for each cookie, working one at a time.
• When all of the cookies have the caramel and coconut layer added, place the baking sheet inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Near the end of the chill time, begin to prepare your melting chocolate.
• Add the chocolate wafers to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.
• When done, stir well and add the vegetable oil. Microwave on 50% powder for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is silky smooth.
• Using two forks or dipping tools, lower the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate, coating until where the caramel and coconut begin.
• When done, place the dipped cookie back on the baking sheet. Repeat this process one cookie at a time.
• Add the remaining melted chocolate to a piping bag with a small round attachment. Pipe small chocolate lines back and forth over each cookie.
• Place baking sheet back into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

You will have leftover caramel/coconut mixture and chocolate mixture.

Cookie Cutting Tip: You can use various shaped cookie cutters for this recipe. However, you want to make the ring thickness about 1-inch. This will be best for applying the caramel and coconut.

Cookie Texture: Once the cookies are at room temperature, they should be able to stand up on their own, without folding over. The cookies will be firm on the outside and soft, chewy and moist on the inside.

These can get a little sloppy to make with the caramel but not as long as you’re neat.

You don’t need to spoon too much caramel out onto the shortbread cookie. Use your spoon to spread the caramel around evenly.

Don’t let too much time go by between adding the caramel and adding the coconut mixture.

Using your fingers to add the coconut mixer onto the caramel and cookie is easiest. The coconut and caramel mixture is malleable and you will be able to form the mixture where it needs to be, but using your fingers is absolutely the best bet. If you do, wash your hands every few cookies for best results.

After the cookies have chilled with the caramel and coconut mixture on for a few minutes, you can also use your hands to shape the top even more.

If you do not have a piping bag, use a small zip-top bag with a tiny hole in the corner (a very small hole, perhaps poke with a toothpick).
You may need to break off any excess chocolate from the piping process.

Girl Scout Cookie Trick: Girl Scout cookies are known to be most enjoyable when stored inside the refrigerator or even the freezer!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 422IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg