Samoa Cookie Bars are inspired by the adored Samoa girl scout cookies with layers of brown sugar shortbread, caramel, coconut, and chocolate.
For nearly all of my life we have looked forward to “girl scout cookie season”. I was in scouts and my mom was my troop leader for a while too. I also can’t turn down a cookie – so it is only natural for me to LOVE those famous cookies.
While my favorite flavor has changed many times over the years, the favorite of the majority in this house are the Samoas. That crumbly cookie layer with chocolate, caramel and coconut hits all the craving points for sure.
But our girls are too old for scouts and now we don’t really live in an area where the cookies are sold. So I figured it would be great to just make my own “copycat” version.
What I love about these bars vs the cookies – you get the equivalent of like 4 cookies in just one bar. Since I can’t ever eat just one cookie – this works perfectly for me.
This bar recipe is super simple to make too. Check it out. If you are a lover of the Samoa cookies – you will love these bars.
Samoa Bars
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is the best way to store leftover Samoa bars?
Place any extra cookie bars in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. I like to leave them out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying again.
The easiest way to do this is to set out your portion and leave it on the kitchen counter while you have dinner. Then by the time you are done, they are the perfect temp for enjoying again.
What is the easiest way to melt chocolate?
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe container like a glass measuring cup and microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each time. The total time with vary depending on the volume of chocolate you are melting.
Samoas Recipe
How do you toast coconut?
Toasting coconut is super simple. I like to do it on the stovetop because all you need is the coconut and a skillet. Check out my recipe for How to Toast Coconut here. While there are other ways to do it in the oven as well – I have found that the stovetop is not only the easiest but the fastest too.
Can Samoa bars be frozen?
Yes, I do it often. Place the bars in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then microwave for about 15 seconds to reheat.
Samoa Bar Recipe
What is the best way to cut these bars?
There are a number of ways to get the best cuts when it comes to portioning out the bars – check out my tips below.
- Use a hot knife, wiping clean after each cut.
- Use a plastic knife – this is my favorite. Not sure why, but they work better.
- Make sure the bars are completely cooled after baking and adding the caramel layer.
Why didn’t my chocolate melt correctly?
When your chocolate becomes chunky rather than creamy, it is said that the chocolate seized. This is typically due to overheating or contact with water or steam.
In the first case, the chocolate is just burning from excess heat, but in the second case, there is a negative reaction between the chocolate (which is waxy and has many oils that are hydrophobic, or “water-fearing”) and the water, causing the components of the chocolate to separate.
Be sure to refer to the package directions when melting chocolate to prevent this from happening.
Homemade Samoas Bars
Ingredients for Samoa Bars
Cookie Layer
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar
- butter – melted
- pure vanilla extract
Coconut Layer
- soft caramels
- water
- shredded coconut – toasted
- chocolate chips
- Flake sea salt – optional
How to make Samoa Bars
Cookie Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Mix just until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Set aside to cool completely before continuing.
Coconut Layer
- In a small saucepan, combine the caramels and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the caramels are fully melted.
- Add two cups of the toasted coconut to the melted caramel and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and top with the remaining ½ cup of coconut.
- Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until the caramel layer has set.
- Once the caramel has set, slice the samoas into bars.
- Melt the chocolate chips (either in the microwave or a double boiler) and drizzle it over the bars.
- If desired, dip the bottoms of the bars into the chocolate as well.
- Transfer the bars to the fridge and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What else can I make with shredded coconut?
Shredded coconut is one of my favorite things to make goodies with. Here are just a handful of the recipe that get made again and again in my house.
- Coconut Bread
- Banana Coconut Bundt Cake
- Coconut Cream Poke Cake
- Toasted Coconut Flourless Brownies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Best German Chocolate Cake
- Monkey Muffins
Samoas Cookie Bars
Tips for making Samoa Bars
- You can use either milk or semi-sweet chocolate for the top.
- Some like to also dip the bottoms of the bars in the chocolate to make them even more like the cookies. You can do this – but it does make them very rich (& this is coming from someone who can handle her sweets) My recommendation would be to only do this if you make the bars into bite-sized squares instead.
- You can sprinkle some chocolate chips on top while the caramel is warm for an added chocolate flavor.
How many bars does this make?
That will depend on how you cut the bars. This recipe usually makes 9 large cookie bars for me. It depends on how small or large you want them. I like to make 2 cuts lengthwise making 3 rows. Then I make 3 cuts going the other direction to make the 12 bars or 2 cuts to make 9. But you can cut them however you like.
Homemade Samoas Bars
Products I love when making this Samoa Cookie bar recipe…
This bar recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made homemade dessert bars before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love them. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this treat recipe.
Cookie Layer
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- soft caramels
- shredded coconut
- chocolate chips
- Flake sea salt optional
If you love this easy bar recipe, you’re going to love these other bar recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
More Great Cookie Bar Recipes
Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookie Bars
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Samoa Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Layer
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup butter melted (1 stick)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Coconut Layer
- 1 11 ounce bag soft caramels
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 ½ cups shredded coconut toasted
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Flake sea salt optional
Instructions
Cookie Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Mix just until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Set aside to cool completely before continuing.
Coconut Layer
- In a small saucepan, combine the caramels and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the caramels are fully melted.
- Add two cups of the toasted coconut to the melted caramel and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and top with the remaining ½ cup of coconut.
- Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature until the caramel layer has set.
- Once the caramel has set, slice the samoas into bars.
- Melt the chocolate chips (either in the microwave or a double boiler) and drizzle it over the bars.
- If desired, dip the bottoms of the bars into the chocolate as well.
- Transfer the bars to the fridge and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Jennifer says
I doubled the recipe and my crust was too crumbly.. they fell apart when I cut them and the caramel peeled right off. It might have needed a little more butter
Gina Kleinworth says
How did you measure the flour? Did you spoon and level or scoop it from your container?
Linda Turner says
Going to make these today. When you say a bag of “ soft” caramels, are you talking about the 1/2” square Kraft caramels?
Gina Kleinworth says
You can use those if you cut them into smaller pieces. But if you look at the ingredient picture you can see we used a bag of the soft caramel bits for baking. (you can find them here – https://rstyle.me/+GUURPVKHxKsQl_vVrmM96g )
Christine says
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?
Gina Kleinworth says
I used sweetened coconut
Lisa says
Can you use store bought caramel sauce?
Gina Kleinworth says
No – a sauce will not set when making these bars. Baking a sauce only makes the sauce thinner. You need caramel that is firm ensuring that it will firm again once cooled.