These samoa cookie bars are a great alternative to the classic Samoa Girl Scout Cookies. These bars have an almond flour shortbread crust, a chewy caramel filling, are topped with toasted coconut and drizzled with dark chocolate. This recipe is paleo, vegan and gluten free.

I never truly appreciated Samoa Girl Scout Cookies as a kid, but now they're one of my top favorites! Or, at least this homemade version is.
While I can't get myself to buy traditional Girl Scout Cookies because of the terrible ingredients, I love making my own at home. I get to control what goes in them and my standards are making them gluten free, paleo and organic (where I can).
These paleo samoa cookie bars, along with my homemade samoa cookies are a must during the Girl Scout cookie season. They have an almond flour shortbread crust, a chewy caramel and coconut filling, are topped with toasted coconut and drizzle with dark chocolate. They're basically a samoa magic bar - layer upon layer of goodness with all the right flavors and textures! You won't miss Girl Scout cookies with these in tow.
Why You'll Love these Samoa Cookie Bars
- Paleo and Vegan - made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about
- Dairy Free - the caramel is made with dates, sunbutter and coconut cream
- No-Bake Option - while I baked the crust, you can keep it unbaked if you prefer.
- Easy to Make- no complicated steps
- Actually Healthy - none of those questionable ingredients that you'll find in a traditional Girl Scout Samoa
Ingredients
The full recipe for these paleo samoa bars can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of what you'll need:
- blanched almond flour - for the shortbread curst. You can use tigernut flour to make these samoa bars nut free.
- baking soda - you may omit this if you aren't baking the crust.
- salt - for flavor
- palm shortening - this is a great dairy free alternative to butter (both paleo and vegan friendly). However, if you tolerate dairy you can use butter instead.
- maple syrup - just a little to sweeten the crust.
- dates - I used Medjool dates, but any variety will work. These make up most of the caramel.
- coconut cream - for the caramel
- sunflower seed butter - may be swapped with any nut butter
- vanilla extract - to flavor the caramel.
- unsweetened shredded coconut - I toasted the coconut, but you can leave it raw if you prefer. You'll need coconut for both the caramel layer and the topping.
- dark chocolate - for the topping
- coconut oil - optional for thinning the chocolate topping
All of these ingredients are Paleo, Vegan and gluten free! Perfect for making a healthy Samoa cookie bar.
How to Make Samoa Cookie Bars
These vegan samoa bars are made layer by layer; the crust, filling, then topping. They do take time because the filing needs to set before you cut the bars and add the chocolate topping - but I promise it's worth the wait! Here are the steps:
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Crust
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda and salt.
Next, add in the shortening and maple syrup. I recommend first mixing with a spatula or fork (the dough will seem crumbly and dry), then using your hands to combine the dough.
Press the crust dough into a lined 8" x 8" baking dish (parchment or foil).
Place the crust in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. After baking, remove the crust from the oven and cool for about 20 minutes.
Make the Caramel Filling
While the crust is baking, make the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor. This includes the dates (pitted and softened), coconut cream, sunflower seed butter and vanilla. It's important that your dates are soft. If they aren't, then warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Blend the mixture, stopping every so often to scrape the sides, until it is well combined. There will be little chunks of date, but I promise it doesn't affect the texture.
Add a ½ cup of the toasted coconut (save the last ¼ for the topping) and pulse the mixture a few times to combine.
After the crust has slightly cooled, spoon the filling onto the center of the crust. Use a spatula to spread the filling from the center of the crust to the edges. Work carefully, as the crust is fragile until it has fully cooled.
Add the Toasted Coconut Topping
Now, add the remaining ¼ cup of the toasted coconut on top of the caramel filling. Press down gently with your hands.
Chill the Bars
The bars cannot be cut until the filling has set. Also, the chocolate topping will work best if it is added after the bars have been cut. So...chill the bars in the fridge overnight. (I know, I know, that's a long time. But like I mentioned earlier, totally worth the wait.)
Cut the Bars
After chilling, cut the bars. Remove the bars from the baking dish and cut into 16 equally sized pieces. Then, place the bars on a sheet of parchment paper so that they are slightly separated (not touching).
Add the Chocolate Topping
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a small sauce pan, over low heat. Once fully melted, drizzle the chocolate over the bars.
Want to know my trick for getting that perfect drizzle? Slightly cool the chocolate, then pour it into a small plastic baggie. Cut a hole at the end of the bag and pipe the chocolate onto the bars.
Since the bars were in the fridge, the chocolate should set pretty quickly. But if needed, pop the bars back in the fridge a few minutes for the chocolate to fully harden.
Storage
These paleo samoa bars can be kept in the fridge or freezer. They actually have a real nice texture right out of the freezer! Place them in an airtight baggie or container and keep them in fridge up to two weeks or the freezer up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! You do not have to bake these samoa bars. If you choose to make these no-bake, then feel free to omit the baking soda in the crust.
Toasted coconut is really easy to make. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the shredded coconut out on a baking sheet, then place it in the oven and bake for just 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool to room temperature before adding it to the caramel filling.
Yes! Tigernut flour would be a great nut-free replacement for the almond flour. Another option is to make a seed based crust; you can use my crust recipe for my Salted Caramel Cookie Bars (which uses sunflower seeds).
More Cookie Bar Recipes
PrintSamoa Cookie Bars (Paleo, Vegan)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 42 minutes
- Yield: 8" x 8" pan 1x
Description
Copycat Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, but in bar form! These samoa cookie bars are my spin on the classic Samoa Cookies. They have an almond flour shortbread crust, creamy date and coconut filling, are topped with toasted coconut and drizzled in dark chocolate.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 + ½ cups almond flour (150g)*
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup palm shortening (or butter)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Filling
- 1 cup pitted dates (about 150g)**
- ⅓ cup coconut cream (just the cream from a can of full fat coconut milk)
- ¼ cup sunflower seed butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup toasted shredded coconut
Topping
- ¼ cup toasted shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda and salt.
- Add in the shortening and maple syrup. First mix with a spatula or fork, then use your hands to combine the dough.
- Press the dough into a lined 8" x 8" baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- Cool for at least 20 minutes before adding the filling.
Make the Filling
- Combine the dates, coconut cream, sunflower seed butter and vanilla in a food processor. Blend, stopping ever so often to scrape the sides, until the mixture is well combined.
- Add the toasted coconut for the filling. Pulse the mixture a few times until combined.
- Spread the filling over the crust.
Add the Toasted Coconut Topping
- Sprinkle the toasted coconut for the topping over the filling. Press down gently with your hands.
Chill the Bars
- Chill the bars in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
Cut the Bars
- Remove the bars from the baking dish and cut them into 16 equally sized pieces.
- Place the bars on a sheet of parchment paper so that they are slightly spread apart (not touching).
Add the Chocolate Topping
- Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a small sauce pan, over low heat.
- Once fully melted, drizzle the chocolate over the cut bars.
- Place in the fridge a few minutes for the chocolate to fully set.
Notes
*sub tigernut flour for nut free
**make sure your dates are soft. If not, warm them in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.
Katie
These Samoa bars are one of my favorite cookie bar recipes. Hope you love them as much as I do!
Michelle
So excited to try this. Thanks for the recipe! Do you know what I can use instead of coconut cream? It’s hard to get canned coconut cream where I live, I only get to have coconut milk. Do you have any idea? Thank you!
Katie
Hi! I'm not sure there's a good substitute for the coconut cream in this recipe. A thick yogurt may work, but I haven't tried it myself.