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    Home » Gluten Free » Keto Samoa Cookie Bars

    Published: Jan 27, 2019 · Modified: Jul 8, 2019 by Carolyn

    Keto Samoa Cookie Bars

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    16.1K shares
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    Keto Samoa Cookie Bars! You won’t crave Girl Scout cookies with these delicious low carb bars. An almond flour shortbread crust topped with coconut caramel and chocolate, and easy to make too.

    Easy Samoa Cookie Bars in a pile with shredded coconut

    This Samoa Bar recipe was first published in 2011. Whoa, dudes, that’s a long time ago now. So they are deserving of an update, and are now lower carb. And prettier photos too!

    Good old Samoa cookies. What do they call them now? Caramel Delites or some such silliness. Okay, much more politically correct and all that jazz, but practically no one know what you are talking about. However, if you say Samoa Cookies, everyone knows exactly what you mean.

    So I am calling this recipe Samoa Cookie Bars. It’s got better name recognition and it rolls of the tongue much more easily. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

    Keto Samoa Bars in a pan with chocolate drizzle

    Why Samoa Bars?

    Now, I could have made these as low carb cookies instead of bars. But let’s examine that a little more closely. The original Samoa cookie is a circular shortbread cookie with a topping of coconut and caramel. The bottom is then dipped in chocolate and more chocolate is drizzled overtop.

    That’s a lot of work, my friends!

    Rolling out the dough, cutting it out into circles, cutting out a hole in the middle, and then trying to top those delicate cookies with the caramel and dip them in chocolate?

    Tasty and pretty, I am sure. But far too laborious for my taste.

    Taking all those same elements and turning them into bars is far easier and you get the deliciousness into your mouth that much fast. Win win, I would say.

    Drizzling chocolate over low carb Samoa Cookies

    Way back when I first created this Keto Samoa Bar recipe, I thought I was being pretty darn original. I wanted that delicious coconut caramel flavor with a shortbread crust and I realized quickly that a bar cookie would be far less work.

    Then I did a Pinterest search and I quickly realized that many others have hit upon this same idea. Great minds, right???

    Making Keto Samoa Cookies

    But while I may lack in coming up with completely original ideas, I make up for it by taking those ideas and making them keto friendly. As far as I can tell, this is the very first low carb Samoa Cookie Recipe. There are certainly more now, but my samoa bars were the first of their kind!

    Does that win me any awards? Maybe in my own mind.

    Obviously a lot has to change to make Samoa cookies low carb and sugar-free.

    The Shortbread Base: I’ve made a fair bit of low carb shortbread in my day and almond flour makes the best crust by far. When it’s baked with butter, sweetener, and salt, it becomes both tender and crisp, just like conventional shortbread. The crust on these Samoa Bars is my favourite and I’ve used it over and over in many recipes.

    Three samoa cookie bars on a white plate and teal gauze napkin

    The Chocolate Dip and Drizzle: To make things even easier in this recipe, I decided to do a layer of chocolate on top of the crust. Real Samoa Cookies have bottoms that are dipped in chocolate. But that would mean cutting up the bars after they were finished and carefully dipping them. It would be far messier too.

    Would your tastebuds really know the difference between a layered Samoa Bar versus a dipped Samoa Bar? I think  not.

    So I simply poured about two thirds of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust, before topping it with the coconut caramel.

    The Coconut Filling: Samoa Cookies are now called Caramel De-Lites because of that delicious coconut caramel topping. I’ve got one of the best sugar free caramel sauce recipes and it’s perfect for these bars. Stir in some toasted coconut and spread it over top, and drizzle on a bit more chocolate.

    And Voila! A delicious low carb Samoa Cookie Recipe. In bar form. Trust me, your tastebuds won’t care!

    So if you’ve been missing Girl Scout Cookies on your low carb diet, try this easy recipe. You won’t regret it.

    Three samoa cookie bars on a white plate and teal gauze napkin

    Samoa Cookie Bars - Keto and Sugar-Free

    Keto Samoa Cookie Bars! You won't crave Girl Scout cookies with these delicious low carb bars. An almond flour shortbread crust topped with coconut caramel and chocolate, and easy to make too.
    4.83 from 39 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Samoa Cookie Bars, Samoa Cookies Recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 216kcal

    Ingredients

    Crust

    • 1 ¼ cups almond flour (125g)
    • ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup butter, melted

    Chocolate Filling and Drizzle:

    • 4 ounces sugar free dark chocolate , chopped
    • 2 tablespoon coconut oil or butter

    Coconut Caramel Filling:

    • 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
    • 3 tablespoon butter
    • ¼ cup Swerve Brown
    • ¼ cup Bocha Sweet or additional Swerve Brown
    • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Crust:

    • Preheat the oven to 325F. 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 8x8 baking pan and press firmly 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 coconut oil 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 ⅔ of the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. 

    Coconut 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 and then bring to a boil. Boil 3 to 5 minutes, until golden.
    • Remove from heat and add the cream, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal. 
    • Stir in the toasted coconut. Spread the mixture over the chocolate-covered crust. Let cool completely (about 1 hour), then cut into squares. Gently reheat remaining chocolate mixture and drizzle over the bars.
    Nutrition Facts
    Samoa Cookie Bars - Keto and Sugar-Free
    Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
    Calories 216 Calories from Fat 190
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 21.1g32%
    Carbohydrates 6.5g2%
    Fiber 3.1g12%
    Protein 2.9g6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    16.1K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Debi says

      February 06, 2021 at 8:38 am

      Looks fabulous, can’t wait to bake them!
      Quick question – how many squares do you cut out of the 8×8 pan or what size squares do you cut? 1 inch, 2 inch?
      The serving size only says 1 square. Please clarify, TIA.

      Reply
    2. Karen Moran says

      February 02, 2021 at 8:57 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing! I love Samoas! Your blog and recipes are the best! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lois Russell says

        February 07, 2021 at 2:05 pm

        The recipe yields 16 bars. 2″x2″ square if in an 8 x 8 pan.

        Reply
    3. Michelle says

      November 20, 2020 at 11:34 am

      5 stars
      ***UPDATE***
      I made these bars with the first batch of caramel sauce I had made and let them sit in the fridge overnight before I cut into them. A little wet but tasted incredible! A keeper recipe for sure!

      Reply
    4. Michelle says

      November 06, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      Hi Carolyn,
      I too had trouble with the caramel sauce. The first batch did not boil over medium heat but instead began to smoke so I quickly poured it into a separate bowl, added the heavy cream, and noticed it was very thin so I set it aside and started over. However, my second attempt began to separate as it heated and burned over medium heat, and after 10 minutes had still not come to a boil. Little bubbles began to form on the surface of the butter sugar mixture but it never boiled. I used 1/2c Swerve brown, I couldn’t find the other sweetener, and on my stove I have numbers 10-1 so I cooked both batches over 4. Any other tips or tricks you could offer? I do love Samoa’s and would love to amend this recipe to make it work. Next time should I add the heavy cream to the pan immediately after the sugar melts but before it boils? Do you think that would that help keep the sugar from burning?
      Thanks in advance,
      Michelle

      Reply
    5. John Gallaugher says

      September 04, 2020 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      These bars are fantastic!!! I screwed up the first caramel sauce but immediately redid it and it turned out fine. Too much heat on the first batch. I have to keep these in the far back of the freezer!! lol.

      Reply
    6. David Smith says

      June 10, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      5 stars
      Samoas and Caramel D-lites are two different cookies. One did not replace the other. They co-exist. Samoas are baked by the “real” bakery (with exciting, exotic names like tagalongs, do si dos, and trefoils) and have dark chocolate. Caramel D-lites are baked by the “fake” bakery (with bland, generic name like peanut butter patties, peanut butter sandwich cookies and shortbread cookies) and are made with imitation kiddie candy “milk” chocolate. If all you can get is the unsatisfying Caramel D-lites, you need to patronize another troop.

      Reply
    7. Danielle Baker says

      May 18, 2020 at 5:44 pm

      I have never had a dessert fail until now! This sauce smoked like crazy and had s burnt taste. I followed the recipe exactly so I’m not sure what went wrong but such a disappointment

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 18, 2020 at 8:12 pm

        You clearly had the heat too high… easy to do if you have an electric stove and not very good saucepans. Also… did you use different sweeteners?

        Reply
    8. Diane says

      April 14, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Has any one used coconut flour instead of almond flour?… if yes how much do I use?..

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 14, 2020 at 4:27 pm

        It won’t work very well. Coconut flour doesn’t make a nice shortbread crust.

        Reply
    9. Erin says

      February 17, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! They do taste just like the Samoa Cookies! Thanks for the low sugar version. One is filling and just perfect for a sweet treat.

      Reply
    10. wilhelmina says

      February 17, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      Oh wow! These bars are amazing. I can’t wait to make them again!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        February 17, 2020 at 6:45 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    11. Laura Reese says

      February 17, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      Really love a keto recipe. This one is totally delicious. Thanks.

      Reply
    12. Melissa says

      February 17, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Low carb and gluten free – amazing! These were gone off the counter top in flash!!!

      Reply
    13. Kim says

      December 25, 2019 at 11:22 pm

      2 stars
      Super bummed. Made these for Christmas and the caramel coconut layer never formed up. Shortbread and chocolate were yummy but caramel was superb runny even after putting in fridge. I put in freezer hoping but would help but 5 minutes out and the caramel layer starts melting. Shortbread was great. Not sure how to firm up caramel as recipe was followed exactly

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 26, 2019 at 9:11 am

        5 stars
        You didn’t cook the caramel long enough, then. OR you used different sweeteners than I specified. Because this is my standard caramel sauce and it works for almost everyone who tries it.

        Reply
    14. Gale Dacalio says

      October 05, 2019 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      I made these today ad they are yummy and very filling. One small one is plenty. Mine do seem a little soft, but I am going to put them in the fridge so that will make them sturdier. The crust is very sturdy just the filling seems soft. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks.

      Reply
    15. Elita from L.A. says

      August 23, 2019 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      These are hands down the most delicious bars, keto or not, that I’ve had probably ever! Checks every box for me, chocolatey, gooey, sweet, just perfect! I cut my pan into 24 squares, because they are so rich (and it’s easier to share that way, because believe me, everyone who tries them loves them!), and with such a low net carb count, I don’t even feel guilty if I eat more than 1! THANK YOU FOR THESE, YOU NEVER CEASE TO PLEASE!!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 24, 2019 at 8:06 am

        So glad you liked them!

        Reply
    16. Penny says

      July 14, 2019 at 12:44 pm

      I am making these as I post. I have a question, I used ghee with the brown sugar sweetener. The two never really combined and it got very hot, smoking in fact, but did not boil. I carefully added the cream and it behaved as described. [I’ve made lots sugar based caramels and I’m desperate to find a good substitute] I’d post a photo if i could.

      Do I need to use butter, not ghee, for the caramel? I’m thinking there needs to be some milk solids to get the right chemical process?

      Although they taste good, I’m feeling the carmel-y love I was expecting. [I used finely ground coconut rather than flaked, and I think it absorbed the caramel. I was excited to try the recipe and used what I had on hand.] I’ll make them again, but with butter and flaked coconut.

      Thanks for all your great recipes! I’m going to hunt down your caramel recipes too!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        July 15, 2019 at 9:31 am

        It’s the ghee, probably. Coconut oil does the same, where it never boils but smokes. Butter is not just oil, it has water and milk solids in it. So yes, it makes a very different caramel than ghee or coconut oil.

        Reply
    17. Susan says

      June 19, 2019 at 6:36 pm

      4 stars
      I just discovered your website. Wow! This is the first recipe I’ve tried. Soooo yummy! My filling didn’t set up as much as I would’ve liked, but totally able to eat it as a bar. My husband loves them.

      Reply
    18. michelle says

      April 11, 2019 at 6:36 pm

      Thank you, thank you! Enjoy these so much, along with the Tagalongs! I love the shortbread dough. I’m wondering if you have a similar shortbread recipe for thumbprint cookies? I miss those being in the low carb world :). thanks so much, really appreciate all you do!!!

      Reply
    19. Liz says

      March 27, 2019 at 9:11 pm

      5 stars
      This were absolutely amazing. These are my fave Girl Scout cookie so I was so excited to try this. I was Keto for year before getting preggers and now I’m back post baby. After countless Keto recipes being made and my non Keto husband being forced taste tester he declared these were thd best of anything I’ve ever prepared. They are delicious and pretty foolproof. By far the best dessert recipes I found are on your site. Thanks!

      Reply
    20. Karen says

      March 03, 2019 at 1:28 am

      The absolute BEST sugar-free dessert we’ve tried since going low-carb. This was a hit at the potluck party we attended tonight. Even the non-low-carbers loved it. Thank you thank you thank you!!

      Reply
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