Description

These Homemade Samoas cookies are a decadent recreation of the beloved Girl Scout classic, featuring a buttery shortbread base topped with a luscious caramel-coconut mixture, all dipped and drizzled in rich chocolate. Perfectly sweet, chewy, and crunchy — they taste just like the real thing (maybe better!) and can be made in your own kitchen any time of year.

Ingredients

Scale

Shortbread Cookie Base

½ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold milk or water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1 ½ cups coconut flakes (preferably unsweetened, toasted for best flavor)
2 cups soft caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Make the Cookies

Preheat Oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the Butter & Sugar – In a bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix Dry Ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture.
Add Milk & Vanilla – Stir in the milk (or water) and vanilla until a soft dough forms.
Roll & Cut – Roll dough to ¼-inch thick. Cut into rounds and use a small cutter or bottle cap to cut a hole in the center (like a donut).
Bake – Place cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool completely.

Make the Topping

Toast the Coconut – In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coconut flakes until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.
Melt Caramel – In a saucepan or microwave, melt the caramels with heavy cream until smooth. Stir in salt and vanilla.
Mix Coconut & Caramel – Combine toasted coconut with caramel mixture.

Assemble the Cookies

Top Cookies – Spoon or spread coconut-caramel mixture over cooled cookies.
Dip in Chocolate – Melt chocolate chips. Dip cookie bottoms into chocolate, and place on parchment paper.
Drizzle – Drizzle remaining chocolate over the top of cookies.
Cool & Set – Let cookies sit at room temperature or chill until the chocolate hardens.

Notes

Toasting the coconut adds a deep, nutty flavor that mimics the original Samoas.

You can use store-bought soft caramels or make your own.

If the caramel mixture thickens, reheat gently with a splash of cream.

For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert, Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: samoas, girl scout cookies, caramel coconut cookies, homemade cookies, copycat recipe