Homemade & healthy Samoas Girl Scout Cookies!
My computer has decided to come down with the flu.
And by flu, I mean some obnoxious error message that won’t let me go past the home screen to access my blog posts and pictures. Completely frustrating, and sad for me… But not at all sad for you, because it means you get to see a crazy exciting guest post today: Healthy Samoas Girl Scout Cookies.
About a year ago, I posted a recipe for Healthy Tagalongs Girl Scout Cookies, but Samoas were always my favorite… When I saw these beautiful homemade Samoas, I completely fell in love. Hopefully you will too!
Hi everyone! I’m Melinda from over at cooking ala mel, where I – just like Katie – share mostly healthy recipes, as well as a few geeky recipes/crafts and lots of kitties sprinkled in the mix! I believe in the “everything in moderation” rule, so while I do mostly try to make recipes healthier, it won’t stop me from treating myself to a butter and sugar filled treat every once in a while!
I am so excited to be here today; I’ve been following Katie’s blog for as long as I can remember. If I’m in a pinch for a healthy recipe at a moment’s notice, I always turn here, and I’ve never been disappointed! You can always trust Katie’s recipes to be tested and true.
Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite Girl Scout cookies made healthier! Samoas. Who can resist the combination of a buttery shortbread crust dipped in chocolate and covered with caramel and coconut?!But then you look at the box and see those pesky hydrogenated oils, and those little cookies seem a whole lot less friendly with all the trans fats and chemicals. I set out to make a healthier version, and they are just as tasty as the original.
I originally made these into little round cookies just like traditional Samoas, but if you value your time (and sanity), I recommend making these into bars. The dough is pretty finicky for cutting out into shapes, although it can be done if you’re determined like I was. The bars, on the other hand, are super easy and just as delicious! They are best straight out of the freezer (does anybody else love eating their Girl Scout cookies frozen?). Oh, and did I mention they’re also gluten free?
Healthy Samoas Cookies Or Bars
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup raw honey (or agave for vegans)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and coconut together until in fine crumbs. Add in the honey, vanilla, and sea salt, and process until a moist dough forms. Press the dough into a parchment lined 9×9″ baking pan.
- 1 1/2 cups dates, soaked 10 minutes in hot water
- 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
Toast the coconut at 350ºF for 5-8 minutes or until golden (be careful not to burn). Allow it to cool while you make the “caramel” topping. Drain the soaked dates and pulse in a food processor until a paste forms. Add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, and salt, and process until smooth. Add the coconut and pulse again until just combined. Scoop out the coconut “caramel” mixture, and spread it evenly across the top of the base. Cut into squares, then transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes, or until set.
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Melt on the stovetop, or place the chips in a microwaveable bowl, and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Remove the samoas from the freezer, and dip each into the chocolate to coat the bottom. Once dipped, transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat the process with each cookie. When all samoas are dipped, re-melt the remaining chocolate (if it has hardened), then transfer to a small ziplock bag, using a rubber spatula. Snip off one corner of the bag, and drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Return to the freezer for 15 minutes to set the chocolate, then transfer to an airtight container and store leftovers in the freezer.
*If you’d prefer cookies over bars, follow the above recipe but roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut it into circles. Use a smaller circle to cut out the centers to make a ring. The circles may crumble slightly, so just press them back together when cutting/transferring. If you make cookies, you’ll want to freeze the dough after cutting so the circles are easier to handle. Then top each individual base with the caramel mixture, freeze again, then dip and drizzle with chocolate. Enjoy the bars, and thanks for having me, Katie! For troubleshooting or recipe substitution questions, please ask at: cooking ala mel, or visit for more healthy goodies!
Link Of The Day:
The Ultimate Vegan Cheese Sauce
Melinda, these look marvelous! I love your attitude about treats. The world would be a rather lackluster place without treats now & then. And I love how simple & lovely these are–beautiful!
The samosa were the one cookie I tried numerous times but could never enjoy no matter how much I wanted to. It’s because my tongue is cursed with hating coconut for some reason.
S’too bad, because the ingredients for this are so damn simple that it’s criminal NOT to make them.
Poo.
Same here!! I try to like coconut but i just don’t 🙁 however these cookies look beautiful
I wonder if you could just use shredded/crushed nuts in place of both the nuts and the shredded coconut in the recipe (think crushed almonds or peanuts) and then maybe almond milk in a lesser amount. Peanuts would be fantastic for a peanuty/chocolate take on the samoa.
And this recipe version uses shredded sweet potato! Holy heavens that would be fantastic in Melissa’s version. http://risingmoonnutrition.blogspot.com/2012/12/paleo-samoa-cookies.html
Eva, I know it has been a while since you made this post but I just found the recipe in the hunt for something better but still indulgent for my dad to eat. 🙂 Anyway, when I read your comment I just couldn’t resist replying. I used to not be able to stand coconut either. BUT I found that the kind that is usually in the grocery store (sweetened and chemicals added) is FAR different from unsweetened (& no chemicals). Now I use the unsweetened and am able to enjoy many things I used to find awful. 🙂 So, you should at least try these & if you still don’t like them then you can share them at work or with neighbors! 🙂 I just thought maybe you had the same issue as me.
Samoas are my favorite! I am so trying this version. Thanks for having Melinda on your blog today, Katie. 🙂
These look great! I am always looking for ways to get more walnuts in my diet since I actually do not like them very much, but they are SO nutritionally beneficial for you. If they have to come in the form of dessert than so be it 😉
These look great! Though I would probably make three in the pretty shapes and then go for the bar route. It’s the same reason that the third tray of cookies always has a couple of giant ones – I just dump the rest of the dough.
Yum! I’ve been so sad that I can’t get Girl Scout cookies in France, but these sound like they might be even better than the original 🙂
I could hug you right now! You just took my favorite Girl Scout cookie that I avoid at all costs (because I could eat a whole box at one sitting!) and made it healthy? Yay! These look incredible! Sharing on Facebook now!
These look great, can’t wait to try them at the weekend. I made some Vegan Nanaimo bars from a recipe over on greedyvegangirl.com yesterday, so got to get through them first! They are delicious also!!
Oh my goodness, those look just amazing! Samoas were always my favorites and those look just like the originals… actually no, even better! 🙂 Lisa
Somoas are my absolute favorite girl scout cookie. I really will have to try these, thank you for the suggestion!