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–+ servings
A coconut chocolate shortbread bar on a white plate.
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3.65 from 14 votes

Samoa Cookie Bars

A salted caramel coconut topping drizzled with chocolate over a buttery shortbread crust for the most irresistible homemade version of the Samoa girl scout cookie!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 8x8 pan
Author: Erika Kwee

Equipment

  • 1 8x8 or 9x9 pan

Ingredients

For the shortbread

  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened slightly or cold 170g
  • 6 tbsp brown sugar 80g
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 200g

For the caramel coconut filling

  • 7 oz sweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold 85g
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream 57g
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

For assembling

  • 2.5 oz semisweet, milk or dark chocolate chips or bars 70g
  • Flaky salt, for finishing (optional)

Instructions

For the shortbread

  • Preheat oven to 325 and line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper lining the bottom and sides.
  • Cream together the 12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened slightly or cold, 6 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt on low speed to incorporate, then on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  • Add 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and mix on low until flour is combined and dough has mostly come together--a few crumbly bits are okay. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, then dock all over with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are turning golden and the top looks matte.

For the coconut filling

  • With the oven still at 325, spread 7 oz sweetened, shredded coconut evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, stirring halfway, until coconut is golden. (Uneven browning is totally fine--just make sure no parts get scorched). Pour the toasted coconut into a large mixing bowl.
  • In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup granulated sugar over medium heat. Let cook until the sugar starts to liquify around the edges. Stir occasionally to evenly distribute the unmelted sugar until the sugar has mostly melted into a golden syrup (a few clumps of sugar are okay).
    Turn the heat down to medium low if the mixture starts to smoke or is darkening past a golden amber while there's still unmelted sugar. You do NOT want to let the sugar reach a dark amber color at this point--overcooking the sugar will lead to an excessively firm caramel.
  • Once the sugar is almost entirely melted (again, a few clumps are okay) and is the color of light maple syrup or a golden amber, add 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold all at once and quickly whisk until incorporated. The mixture will sputter and bubble up, but just keep whisking until the butter is melted and the mixture mostly comes together.
  • Once the butter has melted, immediately add 1/4 cup heavy cream (again, mixture will bubble up) and whisk until fully combined. Let simmer for about 10 seconds, then remove from heat and whisk in 1 tsp kosher salt. The caramel should look very fluid and thin; it will thicken as it cools.
  • Pour the warm caramel over the coconut and fold together until well combined.

To assemble

  • Immediately spread the caramel coconut caramel evenly on top of the shortbread crust. Chill for at least 20 minutes or overnight in the fridge to let mixture set.
  • Once set, cut the shortbread into bars (I usually cut 21 bars in a 3x7 grid but you can even cut into smaller squares if you like). Melt 2.5 oz semisweet, milk or dark chocolate chips or bars and drizzle over the top. Finish with flaky salt if desired. Let the chocolate set in the fridge for 15 minutes (or room temperature for 30 minutes) before serving.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Bigger Bolder Baking. Caramel adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.