Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars [Gluten Free]

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season and these Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars are my new favorite way to get my cookie fix!  Dare I say it – they taste better than the originals, plus they are gluten and dairy free and 21 Day Fix Approved! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with. 

This is my daughter’s first year not in Girl Scouts and we really do miss it…she especially misses setting up cookie booths with her friends on Saturday mornings, wearing her patch covered vest, best smile and selling cookies to kind hearted and cookie loving shoppers. 

As much fun as she was having, she also loves sports…and dance…and the violin…oh, and Spanish Club, so she made the tough decision to take a break from Girl Scouts.  

As much as we miss some aspects, one thing I do not miss is having hundreds of boxes of cookies sitting in my garage right now.  I am good at a lot of things. Saying no to cookies is not one of them.  

We bought a few boxes from the our little neighbor across the street, but I have to tell you…I have only had ONE cookie so far.  What’s my secret?  I’ll give you a hint…it’s not willpower. 

It’s these Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars

Guys…I am not lying when I say these Samoas Cookie Bars are even better than the original Samoas Girl Scout Cookie.  That one cookie I had this year?  It was a Samoa.  Since then, the box is still in my pantry and I haven’t touched it.  But I have eaten like 30 of these Healthy Samoas since I made them last month. 

I. AM. OBSESSED. 

What are Samoas Cookies?

A Samoas Cookie is basically a shortbread cookie with the bottom dipped in dark chocolate, and topped with a coconutty caramel layer of deliciousness.  Oh – and some extra chocolate drizzled on top for good measure. 

I should also mention that these cookies are sometimes called Caramel deLites depending on which baker is making your cookies, but I am a child of the 80s and these will always be Samoas to me. 

Why are these Homemade Samoas made into bars?

It’s just much easier and faster to make bars than to cut and layer individual cookies.  I love to take shortcuts when the taste is otherwise completely the same.  You feel me?

How are these Samoas Cookies Healthy?

These copy cat Girl Scout cookies are made with all clean, real food ingredients that you can feel good about eating!  Just gotta remind you of that because you are going to forget once you taste how amazing they are.  They are loosely based on another cookie recipe of mine – my 21 Day Fix Easy Chocolate Macaroons (Allergy Friendly), but they are like next level crazy…you just wait. 

You only need 8 pantry staples for these Samoas Bars: 

• unsweetened shredded coconut 
• coconut flour 
• coconut oil
• honey and maple syrup (for vegan, you can use all maple syrup, otherwise I 100% recommend using both of these)
• vanilla extract
• almond butter (can sub peanut butter or sun butter)
• cocoa powder (can sub cacao powder)

Recipe Swaps (explained): 

• I would not sub out a different flour or different kind of oil, as this recipe is dependent on both the coconut flour and coconut oil for 
• I prefer the honey for the cookie layer and maple syrup for the caramel and  
• You can sub peanut butter for the almond butter for a slightly different, but still delicious flavor.  And you can sub sun butter if there is a nut allergy. 
• You can use cocoa powder or cacao powder!
• You can use melted chocolate chips for the chocolate layer, but you will need to call these a treat swap.  Boo!

How to Make Homemade Samoas Cookie Bars

First and foremost, I want you to watch the video we made for this Samoas Cookie Bar recipe as it really shows you all the steps!  It’s not a complicated recipe at all, but it will be so helpful to see the entire process before you begin!

Now you are ready to bake some Samoa Bars!

First, bake your gluten free and dairy free shortbread base in an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. 

Then make your dairy free chocolate layer and spread it over the shortbread. Now freeze!

Next, while the chocolate and shortbread layer are in the freezer, whip up a super quick coconut caramel sauce.  This caramel sauce, by the way, is GOLD.  And I can’t freaking wait to use it on all the things.  It comes together with just a few pantry staples: coconut oil, maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and some salt.  You are gonna die!!!

Finally, you will carefully flip the bars over and spread that coconut caramel mixture on top…and back to the freezer it goes!

After the coconut layer is set, you are good to slice these bars into 16 equal squares. Each day you can enjoy one on the 21 Day Fix and it’s not even a treat swap!

How do I store these Gluten-free Samoas?

I keep them in a ziplock in my freezer…sometimes I make my husband hide them.  Sometimes I hide them from my husband. Either way. 

Are these Samoas Allergy Friendly?

Yes!!  While regular Girl Scout Cookies are not allergy friendly, these homemade Samoas are free of many common allergens. They are gluten, dairy, grain, refined sugar, peanut, and egg free!  It can also be made nut free if you sub sun butter. Those of you who are allergic to coconut, this isn’t a great recipe for you.  Sorry, friends!

What do these Samoas count as on the 21 day Fix? 

This is the best part!!!  They count as 1 Orange, 2 Oil Teaspoons, and 2 Sweetener Teaspoons each!  No yellow, no treat swap! I am doing cartwheels at this part.  

If you want to have more than one, you can have a second, but I would treat swap it. 

Can’t wait to work on more Girl Scout Copy Cat Recipes! 

Thin Mints?  Tagalongs? Lemonades?  What should I work on next?

Until then, here is a Healthy Thin Mint Recipe from Eating Bird Food and Healthy Tagalongs from Dexotinista.  

Looking for more Coconut | Coconut Flour recipes that aren’t treat swaps?  Check these out: 

21 Day Fix Easy Chocolate Macaroons (Allergy Friendly)

21 Day Fix Chocolate Coconut Mounds Cups

Coconut Macaroons {21 Day Fix}

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake | 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, Dairy-free, Gluten-free

Healthy Copycat Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups [Dairy Free | Gluten Free | 21 Day Fix | Weight Watchers]

Healthy Samoas

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Nancylynn
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Treat
• Method: Oven | Freezer
• Cuisine: American

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Description

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season and these Healthy Samoas Cookie Bars are my new favorite way to get my cookie fix!  Dare I say it – they taste better than the originals, plus they are gluten and dairy free and 21 Day Fix Approved!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the cookie layer: 

• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate layer: 

• 3 T real maple syrup (you can sub honey, but I definitely prefer the syrup)
• 3 T coconut oil
• 2 1/4 T cacao or cocoa powder

For the coconut caramel layer: 

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (you can sub peanut butter)
• sprinkle of sea salt
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ – ⅓  cup of shredded coconut

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, combine shredded coconut and coconut flour.
3. Pulse in salt, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until mixed well…mixture should form crumbs and be easy to press together.
4. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with 2 sheets parchment paper layered on top of each other in opposite directions.
5. Place cookie mixture at the bottom of the lined pan, spreading with a spoon, and then pressing with the sides of the parchment to even the mixture out.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. While cookie layer is baking, melt coconut oil over low heat or in the microwave. Remove from heat and whisk in maple syrup, then slowly whisk in the cacao powder until smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness or a deeper chocolate flavor.  If chocolate is too runny, add a sprinkle more of cacao powder to thicken it up.
8. When the cookie layer is finished, spoon chocolate over the shortbread spreading it as even as possible, reserving a few tablespoons to drizzle on the topping at the end.  Freeze for 20 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
9. While the bars in the freezer, make the caramel sauce.
10. In your microwave, melt the coconut oil and maple syrup together in a microwave safe glass container for 1 minute. Carefully remove (glass will be hot) and whisk in the 2 T of almond butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract and continue to stir.  Sauce should start to thicken. Set aside until the chocolate layered cookies are ready.
11. After the chocolate is set on the bars, remove baking pan from freezer.  Using the top layer of the parchment paper to help, lift and flip the bars so the chocolate later is on the bottom.
12. Stir caramel sauce, then add in ¼ – ⅓  cup of shredded coconut. (My kids like a little less, but a true Samoa has a lot, so go for the full 1/3 if you want!)  Spread the coconut caramel sauce on top of the plain side of the cookie. Sprinkle with some extra shredded coconut and a bit of sea salt, if desired, and drizzle with the remaining chocolate sauce.
13. Allow to set in the freezer for 30 minutes.
14. Cut into 16 bars and enjoy!!

Equipment

food processor

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Parchment

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Notes

Makes 16 cookie bars

21 Day Fix: 1 Orange, 2 Oil Teaspoons, and 2 Sweetener Teaspoons per cookie bar

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 square

Keywords: samoas cookies, healthy samoas copy cat recipe, gluten free samoas, samoas recipe, girl scout copy cat recipes, gluten free dairy free samoas