4.83 from 306 votes

Homemade Samoas Cookies

Name: Homemade Samoas Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup pitted medjool dates (about 10 dates*); 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut; ⅓ cup dark chocolate; ½ teaspoon coconut oil*

Brittany MullinsUpdated Mar 19, 2025

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Servings: 11

15 mins

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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!

Homemade 4-Ingredient Samoas Girl Scout cookies in a glass storage container.

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

Three bowls of dates, coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Teaspoon of coconut oil.

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!

Hand holding one homemade Samoas cookie with three cookies in the background.

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.

Food processor of dates and toasted coconut.

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.

Blended dates and coconut in a food processor.

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.

Donut shape no bake cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. A chop stick is making a hole in the middle of one of the cookies.

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.

Parchment lined cookie sheet with homemade Samoas. A bowl of melted chocolate beside the cookies.

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:

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

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4.83 from 306 votes

Homemade Samoas Cookies

By: Brittany Mullins

Healthy homemade Samoas made with only four ingredients: coconut, dates, chocolate chips and coconut oil They’re also vegan and gluten-free!

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: 11

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).