Samoas. My favorite Girl Scout cookies. I didn’t care about any of the others. Well, maybe the Thin Mints. Those were also hard to resist. I was just drawn to the combination of coconut, caramel and chocolate. All layered on top of a crispy shortbread. Whoever thought of such a glorious cookie is my hero.
Why have I waited until 2016 to recreate this cookie in an allergen free form? No clue. I have CRAVED this cookie for years and have never attempted it’s deliciousness. Until today.
These homemade samoa cookies are worth every step. The gluten free shortbread with the must-have hole in the middle. The chewy, gooey coconut caramel topping. To die for. Don’t forget about dipping the cookie in dairy free chocolate and drizzling even more on top. Every layer of these cookies goes with the next. I can hear all of the coconut lovers rejoicing!
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered cane sugar
- 1/4 cup So Delicious unsweetened coconut or almond milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups Let's Do Organic finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 cups unwrapped Cocomels dairy free caramels {about 50 caramels}
- 3 tablespoons So Delicious original culinary coconut milk, full fat
- 1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips
- Sift together flour blend, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In large bowl of stand mixer, beat together softened vegan butter and powdered sugar. Add coconut milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add flour mixture and continue to mix until dough comes together, 1-2 minutes.
- Pat dough into disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and chill 1 hour or until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into 1/4-inch thick. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Use smaller round cookie cutter to cut out center {opposite end of piping tip works well).
- Place cookies on cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes. Do not overbake cookies, as cookies will not brown. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.
- Spread coconut on cookie sheet in even layer. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees to toast. Be sure to watch carefully, as coconut can burn quickly.
- To make coconut caramel topping, place unwrapped caramels and coconut milk into double boiler over low heat. Slowly melt until smooth.
- Remove about 1/2 cup of caramel mixture. Use to carefully and quickly spread thin layer of caramel on top of each cookie {this will help coconut mixture adhere to cookie}.
- Add toasted coconut to remaining melted caramel, leaving over double boil so it doesn't harden. Top each cookie with coconut caramel mixture.
- Place cookies on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate 15 minutes to chill.
- When caramel on cookies has set, melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl on low in 30 second intervals, until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip bottom of each cookie in melted chocolate, scrapping off excess. Place back onto parchment paper.
- Pour remaining melted chocolate in piping bag or ziploc bag, cutting tip. Drizzle over top of cookies. Place in refrigerator 15 minutes to set.
I’ve partnered with some of my favorite baking brands to bring you these gluten free vegan samoa cookies! A big thank you to JJ’s Sweets Cocomels, So Delicious, Bob’s Red Mill, Enjoy Life, Let’s Do Organic, and Earth Balance for providing all of the ingredients for this recipe. You all know these are brands I love and trust as some of the best for providing allergen free baking essentials. They have even offered to send one lucky winner the products you see here!
Enter this giveaway in the widget below and be sure to leave a comment. Tell me, “what is your most favorite Girl Scout cookie?“ This giveaway ends Friday, February 12 at midnight. I hope you’ll give this yummy cookie recreation a try!
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This post has been sponsored by JJ’s Sweets, So Delicious Dairy Free, Bob’s Red Mill, Enjoy Life, Let’s Go Organics and Earth Balance. All of the opinions are my own.
These were the best!!! It’s been years now! But allergy-free? Now I can 😉
These look amazing! I’m newly GF and it’s so hard to find tasty baked goods.
Samoas have always been my favorite girl scout cookies! I would always beg my mom to get some when I would sell them 🙂
Thin Mints are my most favorite Girl Scout cookie
My favorite are Tagalongs!
My favorite Girl Scout cookies are Shortbread/Trefoils
I love all of them. But, my favorite Girl Scout cookie is Shortbread/Trefoils
my fave has always been samoas!!
These look JUST like em. Wow. Way to do a fabulous copy cat recipe! 🙂 🙂 🙂
These were always my favorite! I love this allergy-friendly option. Thanks!
Thin Mints
ohhh goodness me yes its good for me gfree cookie i can hear the crunch already sign me up plese
That’s a lot of caramels to unwrap! LOL!
Yummy recipe, Sarah!
~jules
thanks, Jules! all the unwrapping is totally worth it!
OMG Sarah! I LOVE this! Making Girl Scout cookies available to the masses – love it. I just did a week of Girl Scout cookie copycats last week – I tackled Tagalongs and Do-si-dos 🙂
I’m newly gluten free after a not so great diagnosis. I’ve been sulking about everything that I’m going to miss out on. This recipe sure does cheer me up! Samoas are my absolute favorite.
Oh good, I’m so glad!
THIN MINTS!!
thin mints are my fav
The peanut butter sandwiches
Got to be the Samoans. Your recipe looks delish also.
I too was captivated by the samoa…and now, decades later, I can have them again!! Can’t wait to try your recipe!! Thanks Sarah
Classic Girl Scout Thin Mints are my favorite~
These look delicious! I used to love Thin Mints!
My favorite are Tagalongs
I can eat through a sleeve of Thin Mints in no time at all!
Somoas for the win!!
Somoas alll daaay! I am a caramel lover and they are just so caramelly good!
What a great recipe Sarah!!
My favorite is the peanut butter patties
Definitely the Samoas!!! It’s so bad but I could eat almost the whole box at one time….they are just that good! 🙂
The Samoas are my very favorite Girl Scout Cookie.
Thin Mints! I could eat a whole case of them!
Love Girl Scout Thin Mints!! ♥♥♥
Lemonades!
These look AMAZING! Samoas are my favorite girls scout cookies.
samoas is my favorite
Thin mints!
Thin Mints were my favorite!
Samoas!!
I used to love the samoas and the peanut butter tag alongs!
Thin mints without a doubt! Thanks for the chance!
My Favorite GIRL SCOUT COOKIE is hands down TAGALONGS!
I think they are called Thin Mints? We don’t really buy them as Girl Scouts is a big supporter of Planned Barrenhood. Thanks and God bless! ILuvTheEucharist (at) aol.com
I love samoas!
My favorite is Thin Mint
wow
Samosas!
Before I went vegan, definitely Samoas! But in the last few years they actually have a few vegan cookies, and my favorite is the Thanks a Lot.
These look amazing! Samoas have always been my favorite 🙂
Sarah, I’ve just made this recipe and all I can say is THANK YOU! Wow, these are perfect and I can’t even tell they’re vegan/ gluten free. Every recipe I’ve made of yours exceeds all expectations. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
These are delicious and taste just like the originals! My oldest son LOVES these cookies, and I have a lot of family members who are vegan, and I cannot tell how thankful I am that this recipe has been brought about! Thank you so much!