If you are a Girl Scout Cookie fan, you need to drop whatever you are doing and make these Keto Samoa Bars. Easier than making individual cookies, these sugar-free cookie bars are topped with gooey keto caramel sauce and toasted coconut. And some rich dark chocolate doesn’t hurt either!
They really do taste like the original Samoa cookies, as confirmed by my husband, kids, and multiple friends. So you won’t succumb to the siren’s call of the popular sugary treats. And if Samoas aren’t your jam, you can make my Keto Thin Mints or Keto Tagalong Cookies instead.
I first published this recipe in 2011, way back in the dawn of my keto baking days. I recently got the urge to make them again and see if I could make them even better. I kept the recipe mostly the same, but created a chewier caramel coconut filling.
You are going to be thrilled with this updated recipe!
Why we love this recipe
I could have made these as keto cookies, but making them as bars has several advantages.
- They are easy to make, and don’t require rolling out dough and cutting individual cookies. Simply press the crust into the pan and bake until golden.
- Less mess! This recipe dirties fewer utensils and you don’t have the messy process of dipping them in chocolate. Instead, the chocolate is spread on top of the easy keto crust.
- They are extra gooey. I used a combination of sweeteners to achieve a caramel topping that was more like the real Samoas.
- Less fragile and crumbly. These delicious bars hold together super well.
And these wonderful low carb dessert bars have only 3.3g net carbs per serving. Compare that to regular Samoa Cookies, which have 19g of carbs per serving. What a difference!
Reader’s Thoughts
“Wow! I would never know these bars were missing the sugar. They certainly are not missing on flavor. Much better than a Girl Scout cookie (and I can have these year round). This is the sort of treat that will keep me keto for the rest of my life.” — Gisele Smith
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: I really prefer almond flour for the shortbread crust for both texture and flavor. Other nut and seed flours can work but don’t look as fine and may be a bit more crumbly. Coconut flour really won’t work here.
- Sweetener: You do need an erythritol based sweetener in the crust if you want it to crisp up nicely. For the filling, you want to use some allulose or xylitol to keep the filling a little more gooey and chewy. Please see the Tips for Success for more information.
- Butter: For the shortbread crust, nothing beats the flavor and texture that butter offers.
- Sugar free dark chocolate: Both Lily’s or ChocZero dark chocolate chips will work in this recipe.
- Shredded coconut: Make sure to get unsweetened, finely shredded coconut.
- Heavy whipping cream: This helps create the luscious coconut filling for these samoa bars.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
- Prepare the crust: Combine the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to come together. Turn out the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and press firmly into the bottom. Bake at 325ºF for about 15 minutes, until just golden brown.
- Prepare the chocolate layer: Melt the chocolate and butter in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt it double boiler style over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread about 2/3 of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.
- Toast the coconut. Spread the coconut over a skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently until light golden brown. Set aside.
- Make the caramel: Combine the butter and sweeteners in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until deep amber. Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal. Return to medium low heat and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Assemble the bars: Stir the toasted coconut into the caramel and spread the mixture over the chocolate-covered crust. Chill 1 hour before cutting into squares.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Gently reheat remaining chocolate mixture and drizzle over the bars.
Tips for Success
In the past, some readers had difficulties with the caramel not setting properly. This usually means it wasn’t cooked quite long enough to thicken. I have adjusted this version of Keto Samoa Bars so that you return the caramel sauce to medium low heat until it thickens more. You want the mixture to be bubbling thickly before you remove it from the heat.
Keep a close eye on the coconut when you are toasting it, as it can burn easily. You want to stir it almost constantly, until it becomes lightly browned. Once most of the shreds are golden, remove the pan from over the heat. Stir it a few more times as it cools, since the heat of the pan will continue to toast the shreds.
Sweetener Options: If you want the crust to be crisp, you need to use an erythritol-based sweetener that contains no allulose or xylitol. But the filling turns out best with a mix of allulose and erythritol. I like to use some of my brown sugar replacement for a rich caramel flavor.
If you can’t access allulose, the next best substitute is xylitol. Do note that if you use all erythritol based sweeteners for the filling, it will harden and recrystallize as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the bars in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
I find the easiest way to toast shredded coconut yourself is in a pan over the stove. Use medium heat so you don’t burn the coconut and stir it very often until evenly golden. Remove from heat before it’s too dark, as the heat of the pan will continue to cook it for a little bit.
This keto samoa cookie bar recipe has 6.4g of carbs and 3.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs per bar.
More keto cookie bars to love
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Keto Samoa Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup erythritol sweetener
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Chocolate Filling and Drizzle:
- 4 ounces sugar free dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
Coconut Caramel Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup allulose, or xylitol
- 3 tbsp brown sugar replacement
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture begins to come together.
- Turn out the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and press firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake about 15 to 18 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
Chocolate Filling/Drizzle
- In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt it double boiler style over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Spread about two thirds of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.
Coconut Caramel Filling
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, spread the coconut. Stirring frequently, toast until light golden brown. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sweeteners. Cook until melted, stirring frequently, and then bring to a low boil. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until deep amber.
- Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal. Return to medium low heat and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Stir in the toasted coconut. Spread the mixture over the chocolate-covered crust. Chill 1 hour and before cutting into squares. Gently reheat remaining chocolate mixture and drizzle over the bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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I’m definitely giving these a try tonight! Except now I think we are calling the MOMOAS ????????. I’ll probably add pumpkin spice, because I add it to everything. But I love your blog and your recipes.
Not sure what happened, but the caramel didn’t thicken & was thin & runny. I’ve made your caramel sauce before & it turned out great. I followed the directions exactly, but for some reason it never thickened. If this happens again, would ¼ tsp of xanthm gum save it? The bars are tasty but are missing the soft chewiness of the caramel.
Sure, you could try that.
Hey Carolyn!
Thank you so much for always providing amazing, easy-to-follow recipes that turn out delicious every time. I want to make these for my grandparents since they are diabetics and love the traditional GS cookies, but I don’t have Bocha Sweet. Could I substitute xylitol instead like you have suggested for your turtle candies?
Yes, it should be fine for this.
Love them! I’m on batch two prep, think I’m going to use bigger pan. Trying to thin out bars and stretch this out a lil bit. First batch gone in a jiffy!
The “Sugar-free Chocolate”…is that sweetened (non-sugar sweetener) or not sweetened?
Unsweetened chocolate, with no sweeteners whatsoever, is always listed as unsweetened chocolate. Sugar-free is sweetened… just not with sugar. If you click the link, it will take you to the example of what I used.
RE Chocolate Filling and Drizzle:
Carolyn you might want to correct Drizzle recipe?
2 (ounces) coconut oil or butter should be 2 T I think
Love this recipe!
You are correct, thanks for catching that!
I made them with the ounces. It made for some very runny chocolate. I next time I will make it with T instead of ounces 🙂
Could I double this recipe and use a 9×13 dish? Or would it better to go through the steps twice? Also if you use extra swerve instead of BochaSweet does it still stay soft? Thanks much!
Yes, you should be able to double it. The area of a 9×13 pan is 117 and of an 8×8 pan is 64 (2×64 = 128). So your bars will be a little thicker because you have a little less area. But close enough. Without Bocha Sweet, your topping will harden.
These are DELICIOUS! I made them this morning and just ate two of them! Egads. I don’t want hubby to see that two bars are missing when he gets home. lol They were really easy to make and so delicious. And, guess what? I don’t even care for the “real” samoa cookies!! However, they are hubby’s favorite GS cookie so I knew I had to make this recipe when I saw it. It is worth buying the right sweeteners for this. I was a little concerned when making the caramel part because not being super experienced with keto baking, I thought it was too runny and then worried I cooked it too long and burned it – but I didn’t. So happy. Thank you Carolyn, this one is a major keeper and will help hubby on his keto lifestyle!! <3
How long do these keep? And does the caramel layer harden? I’d want it to still be a little chewy. Definitely wanting to try these!
As long as you use Bocha Sweet for half of the sweetener, they will be soft and a bit chewy. They can keep on the counter for up to 5 days.
Sadly not a bit of this recipe worked for us. The short bread is super super dry and powdery. No real structure. The rest of it didn’t really firm up much. I think the main problem was the short bread. Had that worked out the rest of our would have been pretty good.
Sorry to hear they didn’t work but if your crust was “super dry and crumbly” then something went very wrong. What brand of almond flour did you use?
These are so good! I may have eaten the entire pan myself… so good!
Girl scout cookie time is a dangerous time of year – love this recipe!
Samoa’s are my favorite cookie! I’m so glad I found this Keto version!
Dream come true! Keto friendly samoas. Turned out perfect 🙂
Can you get any closer to heaven with these bars! I mean seriously!!
The first time I made the caramel, it burnt after boiling for 4 minutes. The second time I made it, I probably underboiled it because it ended soup-like. Is there a temperature I should be aiming for? I have a candy thermometer. Thanks!
I didn’t do this by temperature. You simply boil until you see it become like a deep amber.
I made these tonight and they were amazing! To me they taste just like the Girl Scout cookie! My filling was a bit soupy at first, but it hardened nicely. I put mine in the fridge to speed up the process. Thanks, once again, for another favorite! I don’t think I’ve found one of your recipes I don’t like! ????
Glad to hear it!
I’m so excited, these are my fav GS cookies!!
BTW– They’re still called Samoas, kinda. The girl scouts used to exclusively use Little Brownie Bakers, the cookies from there are still Samoas. However a few years ago they started using a 2nd Baker, and the cookies from that company are the ones called Caramel Delights. Copywrite issue I guess?
Hi Carolyn,
Is there a dairy free way to make this recipe? Just found out I’m interolant to dairy and eggwhites (though I know there isn’t any eggwhites in this recipe. Could I use coconut oil or vegan butter and coconut cream fat fat in place of butter and whipped cream?
Thanks
I actually have a dairy free version of this recipe coming in a future cookbook but I am not allowed to share it at this point.
I had my daughter try these. She said that they taste more like an almond joy instead of a somoa/caramel delite. Is there a way to get them to taste more like caramel?
They taste like samoas to us. have you tried this upated recipe or the old one? You can always try a bit of caramel extract.
Melissa, I haven’t made these, but I have made many batches of Carolyn’s caramel sauce and different variations thereof. Be sure that you’re making the caramel sauce properly, allowing it to cook, caramelize, and deepen in flavor. It really will taste like caramel when it’s done. A weaker sauce makes a big difference in finished recipes. As an example, Carolyn has a salted caramel macaroon recipe, and I was able to make it taste like classic macaroons by cooking the caramel less, so it tastes like a rich cream-based sauce rather than caramel sauce.
My coconut layer looks soupy, I’m scared to pour it over the shortbread/chocolate. Is this normal
It should firm up as it sits. What sweetener did you use? If you’re truly worried, try adding a teaspoon or two of coconut flour to thicken it.