Homemade Samoas Cookies
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Healthy homemade Samoas made with only four ingredients: coconut, dates, chocolate chips and coconut oil. They’re also vegan and gluten-free!
I’m excited to share these homemade Samoas. They are created in honor of everyone’s favorite Girl Scout cookie. Okay, so maybe Samoas aren’t everyone’s favorite, but they’re definitely mine!
Thin Mints are a close second over here. If you’re on team Thin Mint, I highly recommend you check out my recipe for healthier Thin Mints too!
I actually already have a recipe for Samoas energy bites, but this version is a bit more simple in terms of the ingredients (just 4) and looks almost exactly like the real deal.
The idea for these babies was actually inspired by Meaghan of Plant & Simple Eats. She brought similar cookies to an Instagram meet up we had awhile back and I knew I wanted to make my own version!
These Samoas couldn’t be easier to make so instead of having to wait for Girl Scout cookie season every year, you can make these year round. YES!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SAMOAS:
Healthier Homemade Samoas
Traditional Samoas, as much as we love them, are highly processed and made with lots of saturated fats and artificial flavoring. (Source)
We’re skipping all of those extra ingredients like white sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk and making them with just medjool dates, coconut and chocolate chips. I recommend using Lily’s chocolate chips or Hu Kitchen gems for less sugar!
These Samoas aren’t necessarily low calorie or low sugar, but they are made with natural ingredients including natural sugar from the dates and without preservatives. A big win in my book!
The medjool dates add such a nice caramel flavor and these Samoas legit taste like the real deal! Some have even said they taste better than the real deal. Shh…. don’t tell the Girl Scouts.
Ingredients Needed
- medjool dates – the medjool dates add such a nice caramel flavor and make these Samoas taste like the real deal! You can buy medjool dates that are already pitted or pit them yourself (it’s super easy). Two brands that I like are Natural Delights and Joolies. You can find Natural Delights in the produce section of most grocery stores (near the bananas) and Joolies are offered on Amazon and Thrive Market.
- unsweetened shredded coconut – be sure to grab unsweetened instead of sweetened!
- dark chocolate (chips or a chopped bar) – I like to use Lily’s dark chocolate chips to keep this recipe lower in sugar, vegan and dairy-free.
- coconut oil – this is used to help make the melted chocolate thinner, which makes it easier to dip the Samoas. The coconut oil also helps harden the chocolate in the freezer. You can skip it, but your melted chocolate will likely be pretty thick. I recommend using refined coconut oil if you don’t want any coconut flavor!
How to Make 4-Ingredient Samoas
Here’s how to make these easy samoas!
Toast coconut – Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet for toasting.
Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until coconut is a light golden brown color.
Warning! Keep any eye on the coconut: Make sure to stay in the kitchen watch the coconut, as it can easily burn. Alternately, you can toast the coconut in a pan on the stove-top.
Process – Add dates and coconut into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined and starts to form a ball of dough.
Form cookies – Remove from the food processor, roll 1 Tablespoon size pieces of dough into a ball and then shape into a round cookie. Using a straw or chopstick punch a hole in the middle of the dough. Move the straw or chopstick around a bit to make the hole wider, if needed. At this point you’ll likely need to reshape the cookie a bit.
Chill – Place all cookies on a sheet lined with parchment and transfer to the freezer to harden up a bit.
Melt chocolate – While cookies are in the freezer, add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-30 second increments until the chocolate is melted enough to drizzle.
Coat – Grab cookies from the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat the bottom. Place cookies on the parchment and use remaining chocolate to drizzle over top the cookies.
Freeze – Transfer cookies back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Once they’ve hardened you’ll be able to easily remove the cookies from the parchment paper.
Enjoy – If you want to enjoy them right away, let them sit out on the counter for a few minutes.
What to Do If Your Dates Are Dry
Fresh Medjool dates are usually soft and give easily when squished. If your dates are older or just seem dry and hard, you may want to soak them before using. Simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften and rehydrate them. Drain well and pat dry before using.
How to Store Samoas
If you want to enjoy right away, let your Samoas sit out on the counter for a few minutes. For enjoying later, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months… but I bet they’ll be gone before then Ha!
More Girl Scout Inspired Treats to Try:
- Tagalongs
- Thin Mints
- Samoa Energy Balls
- Thin Mint Protein Balls
- Date Caramel Apple Slices
- Banana Samoas Cookies
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Homemade Samoas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates, about 10 dates*
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate, I used Lily’s chocolate chips for low sugar
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet for toasting. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until coconut is a light golden brown color. Make sure to stay in the kitchen watch the coconut, as it burns really easily. Alternately, you can toast the coconut in a pan on the stove top.
- Add dates and coconut into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is combined and starts to form a ball of dough.
- Remove from food processor, roll 1 Tablespoon size pieces of dough into a ball and then shape into a round cookie. Using a straw or chopstick punch a hole in the middle of the dough. Move the straw or chopstick around a bit to make the hole wider, if needed. At this point you’ll likely need to reshape the cookie a bit.
- Place all cookies on a sheet lined with parchment and transfer to the freezer to harden up a bit, while you melt the chocolate. About 5 minutes or so.
- While cookies are in the freezer, add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-30 second increments until the chocolate is melted enough to drizzle.
- Grab cookies from the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat the bottom. Place cookies on the parchment and use remaining chocolate to drizzle over top the cookies.
- Transfer cookies back into the freezer (or fridge) for 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Once they’ve hardened you’ll be able to easily remove the cookies from the parchment paper.
- If you want to enjoy right away, let them sit out on the counter for a few minutes. For enjoying later, store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.
Video
Notes
- Hard/dry dates: If your dates are hard and dry, I recommend soaking them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Just drain them well before using.
- Coconut oil: This is used to help make the melted chocolate thinner, which makes it easier to dip the Samoas. The coconut oil also helps harden the chocolate in the freezer. You can skip it, but your melted chocolate will likely be pretty thick.
- Add protein powder: To make protein Samoas add 1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder and 1-4 Tablespoons of water in the food processor with the dates and coconut. Start with 1 Tablespoon and add more as needed. If you use a whey based protein powder you’ll probably only need 1 Tablespoon, but if you use a plant-based protein powder you’ll likely need 3-4 Tablespoons of water. I’ve made with these with Clean Simple Eats (use code EBF for 10% off) and Truvani (use code EATINGBIRDFOOD for 10% off).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Do you think these would turn out well if I substituted some maple syrup for the dates? I’m making them for someone on AIP for Valentines Day and dates give her a lot of trouble.
Hey Aaron – The dates are a big component to this recipe, so I don’t recommend subbing them for anything. I haven’t tried it, but you could try using another dried fruit, you just won’t get the same caramel flavor that the dates provide. Instead of these samoas you could try making one of these other recipes that don’t include dates: avocado truffles, chocolate macaroons or black bean brownies.
Just made these last week. Added some seeds (cause I love seeds). OMG! I’m in love…..
BTW: Healthy and low calorie are not generally related. Digestive health, vitamins, minerals as well as satiation are more important! I can eat one of these and am fine. A box of GS cookies will disappear in one day here. A difference in how our bodies processes “whole foods” is key.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Katherine! I’m so glad you enjoyed these samoas. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Yum! I had been wanting to make these but I don’t have a food processor…I tried it with a blender and voila! It worked! I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips and my drizzle/dips were a little heavy on chocolate so next time I may omit dipping the bottom so the chocolate doesn’t overpower the coconut.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Macy!! I’m so glad you finally tried this recipe and that it worked for you in the blender. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Just made these and they are amazing! I’m trying not to eat them all! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Yay!! So glad you tried this recipe and are loving them. It’s definitely hard to not eat them all in one sitting. 🙂 Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, Jessica. I really appreciate it!
I made these tonight and they are amazing! So easy to put together and they taste just like the Girl Scout cookie version, even my non chocolate loving husband said they were delicious!
Ahhh I love hearing that, Amalia! So glad these samoas were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Great recipe! Small and healthy desert after our meals!
Yay!! So glad you’re loving these cookies, Katerina. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
OMG! These are so like the real deal, only better for you! I made them smaller to get more servings out of them, but I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make! If you have a healthy recipe version for a Shamrock Shake let me know. I just printed your recipe for tag a longs for my daughter to try as she is not a fan of coconut. Thank you!
Ahh!! This makes me so happy to hear, Audra. I don’t have a recipe for a shamrock shake, but I’ll make note of it. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the tagalongs. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it!
These look good but I’m pretty sure it would cost less to buy the actual girl scout version. It also seems a little deceiving that the calories/fat/sugar nutritional values are almost double the girl scout version. I think most people would assume they can eat more of these since they are being labeled healthy. Also, dates are expensive. Have you thought of a similar recipe using a healthier flour substitute instead (i.e. ground oats, buckwheat, whole wheat)? I honestly think the nutritional values would be a little better. Kudos to coming up with a gluten free version and vegan option but I’d only ever make these to serve to someone with those dietary needs. I get the convenience and ease using 4 ingredients (albeit expensive) I just hope people don’t mistakenly assume these are healthy. In my opinion, these are for people with dietary restrictions.
Judging whether or not something is healthy based on the numbers in the nutritional facts is how people wind up thinking a can of diet cola is healthier than a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Samoas contain sorbitol, dextrose, sorbitan tristearate, carrageenan, artificial coloring, and artificial flavors; these cookies are made from four all natural ingredients, and will have significantly less long term impact on your body as they can be processed naturally and easily, unlike the chemicals in a boxed of processed cookies. If you are counting calories and carbs, you shouldn’t be looking at cookies at all, in my opinion. Or come up with your own recipe, if you think these are so bad for you.
Brittany, these are excellent. I made them in less than an hour and my coworkers loved them! Recipe has been added to my rolodex for future use!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Spenser! I’m so glad these cookies were a hit! 🙂
I am neither counting calories or carbs but I have a basic understanding of cooking/baking. I never necessarily said these are unhealthy. My point is this recipe includes ingredients that are either expensive or mostly reserved for people with dietary restrictions. With that said, this recipe beats the real cookie in sodium but contains more sugar and carbs. My comment was more intended for those thinking just because something is labeled healthy or has minimal ingredients doesn’t mean you don’t need to do your research or overeat the product. Alot of people just assume when something is labeled “healthy”, it can’t contain ingredients you may not had an adverse reaction to. Same concept with people assuming “gluten free” is good for them. It is intended for people with gluten sensitivity. If you don’t have it, you have no medical reason to seek out such products. “Watching your carbs” and having celiac disease are two very different things and shouldn’t necessarily be approached in the same manner. My rant is over. My comment wasn’t intended to be malicious, it was intended to be informative because people just assume when they read a buzz word like “healthy” and “gluten free” it can be consumed without limit. While I am perfectly capable of creating my own recipe using the above ingredients, it was merely a suggestion for those of us who do not have these same dietary restrictions. I wouldn’t buy such expensive ingredients for a cookie recipe which yields very little.
Agreed Spencer! All 4 ingredients have healthy nutrients. Erin, start doing some research, you’ll be surprised.
I love these cookies and so does my family! I love to make these for my sweet tooth! I let some others try them this week and they couldn’t believe how good they were and with way healthier ingredients than true Girl Scout cookies!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Kimberly! I’m so glad you and your family love these cookies. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
These cookies are SO good!! I made them for our annual cookie contest since I can’t have dairy or soy. Only FOUR ingredients and all good stuff!! It took me a little longer to make them because we have limited freezer space, but other than that I am really excited about them! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Yay! I’m so glad you love these cookies, Dawn!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers so I appreciate it. <3
Wow, yum! These were a crowd pleaser, even to those who do not like coconut!
Woot woot!! That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating, Jen. I really appreciate it! <3