Healthy Samoa Cookies
Looking for a Girl Scout cookie with a healthy twist? These Healthy Samoa Cookies taste like the real deal and are made with a gluten-free cookie base and a date caramel sauce. This dairy-free dessert is simple to make and will have you thinking you’re eating cookies out of a purple box!
Is there anything better than Girl Scout Cookie time?!
Teaching third grade, I always have a few Girl Scouts in my class. Since we are still teaching virtually, I did not have the opportunity to buy Girl Scout Cookies this year. I wanted to make my favorite one and put a healthy twist on it. They taste just like the ones you get from Girl Scouts but are gluten and dairy-free! The mixture of caramel and toasted coconut with a dark chocolate drizzle screams the flavors of Spring to me.
Ingredients needed to make Healthy Samoa Cookies
These cookies have three layers of goodness! The crunchy cookie layer is topped with toasted coconut and caramel and then dipped and drizzled in decadent chocolate. Each part is easy to make and takes only a few minutes to assemble.
Cookie Layer
- Almond Flour- Almond flour is a great gluten-free flour. It is not very sweet and takes on the flavored of everything else.
- Coconut Flour- What is a Samoa cookie without that delicious coconut flavor. Coconut flour is another gluten-free flour that is a little sweeter than almond flour and has that dreamy coconut flavor.
- Maple Syrup- You can substitute the maple syrup for honey if you want to. They are both natural sweeteners that will hold the cookie together.
- Coconut Oil- Coconut oil is a healthy fat that will help keep the cookie moist. If you do not need a dairy-free cookie you can sub for butter.
Date Caramel Sauce and Toasted Coconut Layer
- Dates- Make sure you soak the dates in water for at least a half-hour. They are easier to blend when soaked.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk- Can substitute for regular milk if you do not need the recipe to be dairy-free.
- Maple Syrup- Add a little more natural sweetness!
- Vanilla Extract
- Flaky Sea Salt- Is there anything better than salted caramel!?
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes- You do not need sweet coconut flakes. This cookie is plenty sweet without them.
Chocolate Base and Drizzle
- Chocolate Chips- Look for paleo options like Hu Chocolate Gems or Enjoy Life.
- Coconut Oil- Use refined coconut oil. It does not have a coconut taste but will help melt and mold the chocolate.
How do I make these Samoa cookies?
Begin by making the cookie base.
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt and gently mix together with a fork. In another bowl, mix maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. After that mix wet and dry ingredients until a dough ball forms. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. When the dough is chilled, it is easier to roll out. Once the dough is chilled, cut two pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Place the dough between the parchment paper pieces and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter or mason jar lid, cut circles out of the dough. Move circles to the baking sheet and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Using the end of a rubber spatula or spoon, poke a hole in the center of the cookie dough circle. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before you assemble.
While cookies are baking, make the Date Caramel Sauce and Toasted Coconut Layer.
Soak dates in water for half an hour. Once soaked, take the pits out and chop dates into pieces. Next, add dates, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and sea salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until all ingredients are combined.
Now toast the coconut! Add unsweetened coconut flakes to the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil for 2 minutes, mix and then broil again for two more minutes.
Add toasted coconut to date caramel sauce and mix together.
Then to assemble! Add 1 – 2 tablespoons of the coconut caramel mixture to cooled cookies. Use your fingers to spread the mixture around the center of the cookie.
Prepare the chocolate!
Add chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and then mix together. If it is still clumpy, microwave for another 30 seconds.
Dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate and then place the cookie back on the parchment paper to cool. Using a spoon, sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top of the cookies.
Enjoy your new favorite version of a classic cookie!
Healthy Samoa Cookies
Ingredients
Base Cookie
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Date Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup dates soaked 1/2 hour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Chocolate
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Begin by making the cookie base
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt and gently mix together with a fork. In another bowl, mix maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. After that mix wet and dry ingredients until a dough ball forms.
- Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. When the dough is chilled, it is easier to roll out.
- Once the dough is chilled, cut two pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Place the dough between the parchment paper pieces and roll out 1/4 inch thick. Using a circle cookie cutter or mason jar lid, cut circles out of the dough. Move circles to the baking sheet and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Using the end of a rubber spatula or spoon, poke a hole in the center of the cookie dough circle.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before you assemble.
While cookies are baking, make the Date Caramel Sauce and Toasted Coconut Layer.
- Soak dates in water for half an hour.
- Once soaked, take the pits out and chop dates into pieces.
- Next, add dates, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and sea salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until all ingredients are combined.
- Add unsweetened coconut flakes to the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil for 2 minutes, mix and then broil again for two more minutes.
- Add toasted coconut to date caramel sauce and mix together.
Assemble
- Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of the coconut caramel mixture to cooled cookies. Use your fingers to spread the mixture around the center of the cookie.
- Add chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and then mix together. If it is still clumpy, microwave for another 30 seconds.
- Dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate and then place the cookie back on the parchment paper to cool. Using a spoon, sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top of the cookies.
- Enjoy your new favorite version of a classic cookie!
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