Home » Desserts » Gluten-Free Vegan Samoa Bars
by Rachel Conners on Apr 4, 2016 (updated Nov 21, 2023) 74 comments »
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★★★★★from 10 reviews
These Samoa Bars have a shortbread crust, a layer of toasted coconut caramel, and a dark chocolate drizzle! They’re a gluten-free, Paleo, vegan, and guilt-free way to enjoy your favorite Girl Scout cookie.
What are your favorite Girl Scout cookies? Mine have always been a strong tie between Thin Mints and Samoas (or Caramel DeLites to some of you). They’re so different that I could never pick a fave and always ended up with both – sometimes with a box of Tagalongs thrown in for good measure.
Samoas have always had one of my favorite flavor combinations, though. For someone who absolutely adores shortbread cookies, caramel, chocolate, and toasted coconut in most forms, putting them all together was a genius move. In fact, it was one that was long overdue to be replicated in my kitchen.
I did make these Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies a while back, but those weren’tSamoa-inspired.These Samoa Bars…well, they definitelydefinitelyare.
So, let me tell you all about these beauties. Because although they are no doubt Samoa-inspired, there are some key differences. First, these are WAY healthier. As in, gluten-free + grain-free + refined sugar-free + vegan healthier.
Second, they don’t taste like they’re all those healthier things, but they also aren’texactlylike the kind you get out of the box, which I think is a good thing. They’re thicker in all respects: thicker crust + thicker caramel.
How to make healthier Samoa Bars
The shortbread crust is made with coconut flour. Because coconut flour is super absorbent, it gives the crust that telltale shortbread texture. Be sure to bake until golden so it replicates that crispy texture similar to Samoas.
The caramel coconut filling comes together quickly and simply. It’s made from almond butter, maple syrup, coconut butter, vanilla extract, salt, and toasted coconut. The toasted coconut iskeyto that Samoa texture and flavor.
The coconut butter also helps add to that awesome coconutty flavor. If you don’t have it on hand or don’t want to make it yourself, some coconut oil will do the trick.
Once the “caramel” layer is set, you cut up the bars anddip them in chocolate, and then drizzle more chocolate on top.Because otherwise it just wouldn’t be a Samoa. The chocolate totally makes these and makes me want a second.
I adored these at room temperature and after being refrigerated, but I hoarded some in the freezer and I think my favorite way to enjoy these isfrozen!The shortbread gets extra crunchy and you can really taste the toasted coconut. If you’re craving Samoas but want them a little more guiltlessly, you must try these! Enjoy ;)
Want more chocolate coconut desserts?
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These Toasted CoconutButter Cups are made with just four simple ingredients. Toasted coconut butter is the star of the show, encased in decadent dark chocolate for a healthy homemade candy. These are reminiscent of my favorite discontinued Eating Evolved coconut butter cups!
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Gluten-Free Coconut Caramel Brownies
Gluten-Free Coconut Caramel Brownies are rich, fudgy, and topped with a scrumptious coconut caramel topping! These vegan brownies are easy to make and allergen-friendly. Inspired by Samoa cookies!
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Paleo Almond Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These Paleo Almond Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies are made with almond butter and big chocolate chunks for super gooey, decadent cookies! These gluten-free and refined sugar-free cookies will definitely satisfy your cookie craving.
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Gluten-Free Vegan Samoa Bars
★★★★★4.9 from 10 reviews
- Author: Rachel Conners
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Samoa Bars have a shortbread crust, a layer of toasted coconut caramel, and a dark chocolate drizzle! They’re a gluten-free, Paleo, vegan, and guilt-free way to enjoy your favorite Girl Scout cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
For the shortbread crust
- ⅔ cup coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (solid)
For the caramel coconut filling
- ½ cup creamy almond butter
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut butter (coconut oil can be subbed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (toasted)
- ¾ cup dark chocolate (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8” square pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil.
- Combine coconut flour and salt in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil and stir until fully combined and a large dough ball forms, making sure to press out any clumps of coconut oil. I used my hands at the end to bring the dough fully together – you want it to be completely smooth. You can also mix it in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool completely.
For the filling
- Combine the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut butter or oil, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until all of the ingredients are melted and throughly combined. Alternatively, you can heat the ingredients in the microwave for 45 seconds, or until melted and smooth. Add the toasted coconut and stir in. Pour over the crust and let cool in the refrigerator until set. Cut in 16 squares.
- Melt 1/2 cup of the dark chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave, and stir until smooth. Dip the bottom of each bar into the dark chocolate, scrape off the excess chocolate on the side of the bowl, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to set.
- Melt the remaining 1/4 cup dark chocolate in the microwave and transfer to a small piping bag or ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer – they’re delicious frozen!
Notes
Honey can be substituted for the maple syrup in equal amounts.
Keywords: samoa bars, gluten-free samoa bars, vegan caramel, coconut caramel bars
originally published on Apr 4, 2016 (last updated Nov 21, 2023)
74 comments Leave a comment »
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74 comments on “Gluten-Free Vegan Samoa Bars”
Leave a comment »
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Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven — Reply
So would I be breaking any rules if I were to eat these bar beauties for breakfast?? Holy MOLY, Rachel!!! These samoa bars are nothing short of incredible. All that layer-y goodness is screaming my name and I must listen! ;) Gorgeous photos too, girl!
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Rachel — Reply
Uhh…I may or may not have had one for breakfast! Haha. Thanks so much, Sarah!
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My all time favorite is the thin mint out of the freezer but I never met a samoa cookie I didn’t like either, lol. These look amazing and the photos are beautiful, it looks like I could grab one through the screen (if only…). Take care.
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Rachel — Reply
Thin Mints are definitely best in the freezer :) Thanks so much, Stacey!!
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Annie — Reply
Holy freaking smokes!!! I am dying over here! Samoas were my all time fave but I haven’t had any since my husband was diagnosed with Celiac. I have GOT to make these….like today! :)
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Rachel — Reply
Annie, you need your Samoas back!! :) I hope you love them!
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Jen | Baked by an Introvert — Reply
These bars look amazing! I love the samoa cookies so I know I’d go to chow town on these bars!
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Mary Frances — Reply
Gluten free and vegan? Wow! That sounds amazing!! Can’t imagine how good it must taste.
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Medha (Whisk and Shout) — Reply
Coconut everything is in these bars! Deliciousness- I can’t get enough of samoas :) Pinning!
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Ashley — Reply
Samoas, thin mints and the peanut butter ones were always my favorites!! These bars look sooo good! That crust! And the filling! haha Hope you had a great weekend!
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Manali @ CookWithManali — Reply
These bars sound absolutely delicious! wow and they are vegan too! yum!
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annie@ciaochowbambina — Reply
This is a treat and a half! So sweet looking and filled with some of my favorite flavors! Done! And pinned! :)
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Ashley | The Recipe Rebel — Reply
I am definitely going to try these the next time I need a gluten free treat! I love how the ingredients are all simple! I LOVE Samoa everything!
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Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice — Reply
I always called those cookies Caramel Delights, and then it seemed like the name disappeared! Anyways, those and thin mints were always a favorite of mine. These bars look gorgeous, Rachel! I wish I could reach through my screen and grab a few!
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Danielle — Reply
You always make the most incredible desserts that are gluten free, vegan, and paleo! I feel like I need to experiment a little more because these bars look incredible, Rachel!
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linda // the baker who kerns — Reply
Ever since you posted a teaser of this on your Instagram, I am been totally looking forward to this recipe! I am also torn between thin mints and samoas, they are seriously best of the Girl Scout Cookies no doubt. I got so much respect for you for doing all these paleo desserts! It’s amazing how you do it! Can’t wait to see more of your paleo recipes!
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marcie — Reply
My two favorites are Thin Mints and Samoa, too, and you’re a genius for making Samoa inspired bars that are Paleo! These look so good, Rachel, and I’m loving those pretty layers!
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Amy | Club Narwhal — Reply
Okay, can I just say that you are evil! In the best way possible, of course! These babies look absolutely amazing–and like a gift from above, they are gluten free–perfect for this weekend when my GF mother-in-law is in town. Thank you!
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Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry — Reply
These bars of goodness don’t look heathy at all, which I think is a sign you won in the dessert department.
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My Dish is Bomb — Reply
Thin mints and tagalongs were my favourite girl scout cookies when I lived in the states. But when I moved back to Canada, I realized I would forever miss out on the wonder that are the multiple flavours of american girl scout cookies. We only have three — vanilla sandwich, chocolate sandwich, and mint chocolate. And they’re not even sold at the same time!! :( These samoa bars look amazing!
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Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary — Reply
Samoas were my favorite GS cookie when I was little, back before I developed an allergy to cocoa. Sad, I know! And these bars are making me drool, big time! They actually look way better than the cookie, girlfriend! So much deliciousness! Pinned! Cheers!! ;)
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Izzy @ She Likes Food — Reply
The caramel delights were always one of my favorites too! But, honestly, these look like 100 times better than them! And they sound so healthy! I love your photos :)
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Claudia | The Brick Kitchen — Reply
These look amazing! I hadn’t heard of coconut butter but must get my hands on it – that + almond butter sounds perfect. And chocolate! We don’t actually have ‘samoa’ bars in NZ – do they actually have origins in the pacific island Samoa or were they just named that? Stunning photos too <3
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Rachel — Reply
Thanks Claudia!! Samoa bars are actually the name of a type of Girl Scout Cookie – I don’t actually think they have anything at all to do with the island, haha!
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Kelly — Reply
Samoas are hands down my favorite but these bars look 1000X better! They are gorgeous, Rachel and I love that they are healthier and gluten free too! Seriously swooning over these!
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Melody — Reply
LOVE! Now I’m craving this cookie…:D Looks absolutely divine, Rachel!
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Layla | Gimme Delicious — Reply
OMG I can’t believe these are gluten-free they are unreal!!! I can’t wait to try them!
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Kayle (The Cooking Actress) — Reply
I looove Samoas and these bars are AMAZING!
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Anahi — Reply
Hi, these look amazing! I was wondering if I could substitute vegan butter for the coconut oil in the shortbread? Or do you think that would ruin it? Thank you!
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Anahi, I haven’t actually ever used vegan butter, but I assume it will work just fine! Make sure it’s at room temperature. Enjoy.
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Sarah | Well and Full — Reply
These look amazing!! Samoas were my favorite cookies when I was in girl scouts :)
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sarah — Reply
can i use chia seeds instead of the almond butter? I do not like the test of nuts in my desserts!
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Sarah. No, chia seeds are very different than almond butter. You can’t really taste the almonds distinctly in these bars, but really the only thing that would work here is any nut butter or sunflower seed butter.
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Ana — Reply
So mine were a total FAIL. They cracked, I couldn’t even cut them into squares. Mine also are not thick like yours.. mine came out super thin for some reason. I followed your exact directions. What did I do wrong :( Please help! Thank you!
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Ana. So sorry to hear you had trouble! Unfortunately, without more info, I’m not sure exactly what went wrong. As for why they would be thin, did you use the correct sized pan? That’s the only reason I could think of why they would be thinner. When you say they cracked, do you mean the chocolate when you cut them? If you can provide any more info, it would help me figure out what went wrong.
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Sweet Treats by Dani — Reply
I am always looking for tasty gluten-free baking recipes. Thanks for sharing :D
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Ann Pierce — Reply
They look so yummy, and who can resist coconut?! Almost reminds me of twix bars
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Annette — Reply
I made the samoa bars and they are wonderful! My only challenge was that the topping (caramel) separated from the base. The top does get soft quickly so I think I would freeze them up until serving time.
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Rachel — Reply
I’m so glad you liked them, Annette! They definitely do need to be kept cool in the fridge or freezer to keep the top from softening too much. Thanks for your feedback!
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deanna walimaki — Reply
I made this recipe for camping last weekend and I love it. I got compliments on it too for those that tried it and don’t actually eat Paleo. Best of all my hubby is eating off the leftovers and its a healthy dessert. So Win Win Win!! I actually think it tastes better at room temp versus cold. The pictured bars above looks like she made extra caramel coconut sauce because these came out thin for me. Which was totally fine. I didn’t dip the bottoms in chocolate but I poured the chocolate on top because my choc sauce came out thinner (I added raw cacao butter to my chocolate). Also I had my homemade almond butter -still tasted really good. I wonder if its different with store bought almond butter. I will be making these again! :)
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Deanna, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! I loved these at room temperature too, but I recommend keeping them cool just because the filling can get soft if it’s too warm out. The amounts listed are what was photographed, but it’s possible your pan may have been a bit bigger than mine, which could have made them thinner. Thanks for your feedback! :)
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K — Reply
I just made these and they are DIVINE!!!
Seriously, even better than the real thing! I don’t think I’ve ever made a “knock-off” version of something that tasted so real! YUM!-
Rachel — Reply
Aw, thank you!! I’m so happy to hear that K! Thanks for sharing your experience with me :)
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Rande Moss — Reply
I made these tonight and they were AMAZING! My wife, who doesn’t usually care for desserts with a significant amount of coconut oil, loved them as well.
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Rachel — Reply
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them, Rande! Thanks for sharing your feedback. A note for the future – do you use virgin coconut oil? Virgin has coconut flavor, and if that’s what your wife doesn’t love, refined coconut oil can always be used in it’s place.
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Rande — Reply
Oh I’ll take a look at that, thank you!
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Kim — Reply
Recipe sounds awesome… Quick question- can I use sea salt instead of kosher salt?
Thanks!-
Rachel — Reply
Hi Kim! Most definitely, just use a little bit less because the granules are smaller. For the filling, I recommend adding it to taste. Enjoy :)
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Kim — Reply
Great! Thank you!!
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Kim — Reply
One more question! Did you use salted or unsalted almond butter? Thanks!
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Rachel — Reply
I pretty much always use unsalted so I can control the salt amount – if you only have salted, just don’t add any extra salt (or salt to taste). Enjoy!
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Saroj — Reply
Anything which is gluten free eat it :P liked your samoa bars recipe :D. Bookmarked this page to learn some awesome baking stuff :D
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Lauren — Reply
These are AMAZING one of the only treats my son with tons of food allergies can eat. Thank you so much!!!! We can’t have any tree nuts so we substituted Sunbutter and used dairy free chocolate. We will keep our eyes out for more egg free, dairy free, nut free, and gluten free recipes!!
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Rachel — Reply
I’m so happy to hear your son enjoys them, Lauren!! That makes me so happy. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and changes with me!
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Aga — Reply
Very delicious. I only used 5 tablespoons of maple syrup in entire recipe and they were the perfect sweetness. I added some more coconut flour and coconut oil to make the crust since the first time I made them, the bottom was way too thin. Will make time and time again!
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Rachel — Reply
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Aga.
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Olivia — Reply
Should I be using refined or unrefined coconut oil?
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Rachel — Reply
Either works – unrefined will leave more of a coconut flavor though, so if you prefer less of a coconut flavor, use refined.
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Susan — Reply
Hello your recipe looks amazing….i am doing keto at the moment and was wondering if you could replace the maple syrup with a sugar free no carb substitute…
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Susan, I don’t use sugar free products so I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard from readers who have successfully used sugar free maple syrup in my recipes. Hope this helps!
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Ann — Reply
Hi. I absolutely love these bars. Can they be frozen with success?
★★★★★
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Rachel — Reply
Yes just make sure they’re stored in an airtight container!
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Shannon — Reply
What does it mean to leave in fridge until it sets? About how long is that? Thanks.
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Rachel — Reply
Hi Shannon, it usually takes about an hour or two for it to firm up, depending on how cold your fridge is and where it’s placed in the fridge.
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Jill — Reply
I love this recipe, it’s one of my go-to’s!!
★★★★★
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Rachel — Reply
So thrilled to hear that, Jill!
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Tamara — Reply
Wow,made these today They are phenomenal!
I am so making these for Fathers Day!
Thank you so much !!★★★★★
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Rachel — Reply
So thrilled you’re loving them Tamara!!
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Emma — Reply
Holy Moly!!! These are amazing! So so so delicious. And relatively easy to make too. I didn’t have a ziplock bag to do the drizzling on the top so I just grabbed a spoon, scooped some melted chocolate and then whipped it back and forth high above the bars. They still look pretty and nicely finished. These are gonna knock the socks off my friends and family. Fantastic recipe. Thanks for creating and sharing.
★★★★★
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Rachel — Reply
So thrilled you’re loving them, Emma!! Enjoy :)
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Kristi K Payne — Reply
Carb counts?
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Bakerita | Rachel Conners — Reply
I don’t include macros with my recipes!
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Jennifer Beam — Reply
Loved it!!!
Will definitely make these again.
QUESTION- I’d love to use the shortbread crust for another recipe that requires baking at 350 for 20 minutes…
Should I make the crust and add the filling and just bake it once? Or would it stand up to baking twice?
Thank you!! Jen :)★★★★★
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Rachel Conners — Reply
Hi Jennifer, so glad you’re loving it!! It should be ok to just bake it once as the recipe calls for, as long as you’re using a metal pan that will conduct heat well into the bottom. Perhaps par bake for 8-10 minutes if using a glass pan.
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