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These Girl Scout Copycat Vegan Samoa Cookies (also known as Caramel DeLites) are crunchy, chocolatey, and topped with a homemade, gooey caramel mixed with toasted coconut.
Why You’ll Love these Vegan Samoas
Samoas (also known as Caramel Delites) were my favorite Girl Scout Cookie growing up. Unfortunately, unlike Thin Mints, these cookies aren’t accidentally vegan.
Since I can’t order these chewy, chocolatey, coconut cookies, I decided to make my own which ended up being just as delicious! Here are a few more reasons why we love this recipe and you will too:
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Homemade Coconut Milk Caramel: This recipe includes how to make your own vegan and dairy free caramel made from creamy coconut milk.
- Toasted Coconut Flakes and Rich Chocolate Drizzles on Top: These cookies are complete with aromatic, golden brown, toasted coconut flakes that are topped with a rich drizzle of dairy free chocolate.
- Crunchy Shortbread Cookie Base: This recipe includes a homemade dairy free shortbread cookie base that will have you wanting just one more bite.
Ingredients
To make these homemade vegan Samoas, you only need a few ingredients and components. This recipe uses a homemade vegan caramel (linked below) but you can of course use a store-bought alternative if you’d like. Here’s what you’ll need to make these cookies:
- Homemade Vegan Coconut Milk Caramel
- Shredded Coconut
- Vegan Butter
- Granulated White Sugar or Coconut Sugar
- All-purpose Flour
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips or Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- Baking Powder
Helpful Equipment
- Cookie Sheet or Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack or Wire Rack
Make the Cookie Base
STEP 2: Cream the vegan butter and sugar together to make the shortbread base. Then, add the vanilla extract.
STEP 3: Next whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
STEP 4: Stir the vegan butter mixture and the dry ingredients together until they form a crumbly texture (see the picture above). To make the dough into a smooth ball, you may need to use your hands at this point to gently knead the dough. The warmth from your hands will melt the vegan butter slightly, helping the dough come together better.
Shaping the Cookies
STEP 5: To shape the cookies, roll out the dough into a thin sheet, about ⅛” to ¼” thick. Using a 1-2” circular cookie cutter cut out the cookies. Then cut out the centers with a smaller cookie cutter.
STEP 6: Next, place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes.
Assembling the Girl Scout Cookies
STEP 7: To toast the coconut, spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast coconut for 5 minutes at 350F. It should be just barely golden brown when done.
STEP 8: In a medium-sized bowl, mix ¾ of caramel sauce with coconut. I recommend starting with about 1/2 of a cup of caramel sauce and incrementally add more until all of the coconut is coated in caramel.
STEP 9: Dip the bottoms of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Then, set the cookies bottom side down onto a parchment-lined tray.
STEP 10: Once the chocolate has set up slightly, spread 1 tsp of cooled caramel on top of each cookie. This should be a thin, even layer- just enough to help the coconut mixture stick to the tops of the cookies.
STEP 11: While the caramel is still wet on the tops of the cookies, press the coconut caramel mixture onto each cookie. Top everything off with a dark chocolate drizzle and these copycat Girl Scout Cookies are ready to enjoy!
Serving & Storage Suggestions
These homemade Vegan Samoas (Caramel DeLites) are the perfect combination of crispy shortbread cookie, rich chocolate, fresh toasted coconut, and homemade caramel sauce.
If you’d like to jazz these up even more, feel free to add a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. I swear they taste just like the real thing and the best part is that they’re completely vegan friendly.
I recommend storing these cookies in the fridge or the freezer to keep the caramel and chocolate firm and fresh! Let them come to room temperature before enjoying!
Helpful Tips For The BEST Vegan Samoas
- Make the Caramel Ahead of Time: Homemade caramel sauce takes a while to set up and thicken. I recommend make the caramel recipe the day before you make these cookies for the best results.
- Roll the Cookie Dough Out to ⅛” to ¼” Thick: For a thin crisp shortbread cookie base, make sure to roll the dough out thin enough.
- Store the Cookies in the Fridge: Because these cookies use homemade caramel and melted chocolate, keep them in the fridge to help prevent them from melting at room temperature.
these help create the best flavor & texture!
More Amazing Vegan Cookies and Treats:
Vegan Samoa Cookies (Caramel Delites)
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Cookie:
- ½ cup salted vegan butter, room temperature – Earth Balance
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100g
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 150g – spooned into the cup and leveled off
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch table salt
Caramel & Coconut:
- 8 oz Homemade Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce, 1 cup
- 1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
Chocolate:
- 8 oz vegan dark chocolate
- 2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
The Vegan Caramel
- Prep the caramel sauce according to this recipe's instructions. Be sure to let the caramel come to room temperature before applying it to the cookies. I recommend making this recipe a day in advance.8 oz Homemade Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce
The Cookies
- Cream the room temperature vegan butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla extract.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup salted vegan butter, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Then, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix together until it forms a crumbly texture. You may need to use your hands at this point to gently knead the dough into a smooth ball. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp baking powder, 1 pinch table salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet, about ⅛” to ¼” thick. Using a 1-2” circular cookie cutter cut out the cookies. Then, cut out the centers with a smaller cookie cutter (¼"-½" in diameter).
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Do not over-bake the cookies. They will appear slightly soft when coming straight out of the oven, but they will firm up once cool. (See note 1 below.)
The Coconut
- Spread the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 5 minutes at 350°F. It should be barely golden brown when done. Watch it carefully- the coconut can go from golden brown to burned very quickly. Let the coconut cool for about 5 minutes.1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- In a medium bowl, mix ¾ of caramel sauce with the toasted coconut (start with about ½ of a cup and incrementally add more until all of the coconut is coated in caramel).
Assembly
- Melt the chocolate and the coconut oil together in a double boiler or in the microwave.8 oz vegan dark chocolate, 2 tsp coconut oil
- Dip the bottoms of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Set bottom side down onto a parchment-lined tray. (See note 2 below.)
- Spread 1 tsp of cooled caramel on top of each cookie. This should be a thin, even layer.
- Press the coconut and caramel mixture on top, then drizzle melted chocolate on top of each cookie.
- These cookies are best stored in the fridge or freezer. (See note 3 below.)
Recipe notes
- The cookies should be barely golden brown when done baking. If they aren’t golden, that is okay! If they bake too long, the cookies will be too crispy & crunchy.
- To make the cookies easier to work with, you can place the chocolate-dipped cookies into the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up before applying the caramel and coconut.
- To store your cookies, place them in a single layer on a tray and flash freeze them for 5 minutes. Once they are firm, remove them from the freezer and place them in either a freezer baggie or a freezer-proof container. If you’re placing them in a container, I recommend placing layers of parchment in between your layers of cookies (if stacking them) to prevent them from sticking together.
Did You Make This?
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Will make at least once a month – best to make a big batch and freeze!