Caramel Delights (Samoa Cookies)
It’s hard to say no. Especially when your favorite Girl Scout cookie flavor is Samoa's. You, too? That crunch, that coconutty vibe with chocolate, and caramel – it’s totally my jam. Love these delicious Caramel Delights! (I still call them Samoa's. Why did they change the name?!)Since I’m all about enjoying sweet treats with a healthy twist, I decided to give a homemade Samoa version a shot! And guess what? These healthy Samoa cookies are downright addictive and could not be easier to whip up. The biggest problem was the first time I made them, they were gone in the same day!Vegan, gluten free, and no bake, these Healthy Samoa Cookies are a big improvement from the kind you get from a box!Why You Will Love This Recipe...Easy and Quick Recipe: Who would say no to less than half an hour of prep time to get the most delectable cookies ever? Let me guess – NO ONE! This recipe is as easy as it gets and doesn’t take too much of your time. Most of the time is actually for chilling, so totally hands off.Extremely Similar to the Real Samoa's Cookies:. This ‘healthfied’ version is as good (or even better) than the real thing. There’s nuts, oats, shredded coconut, chocolate, caramel like flavor- classic! I omitted the shortbread crust layer and you won’t miss it a bit. This is SO much easier and it’s delicious without it.No Refined or Artificial Sweeteners: We are using honey and dates (or apricots) as our sweetener. Both are all-natural and a healthier alternative to processed sugar because they retain some nutrients instead of having them stripped away with processing.They also add a great caramel flavor to the cookies.Perfectly Shareable: A batch yields 12 cookies, so feel free to share them with your loved ones! You can even make multiple batches and gift them to friends and family.No-Bake Cookie Recipe: Dodge that oven heat with this no-bake cookie recipe! It’s perfect when you crave something sweet but don’t want to turn on the oven.Make Your Own Version: You can leave out an ingredient or swap out another one to make your own version of these delicious cookies. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find your perfect combination of flavors! Follow the recipe to start, and then have fun with different versions.Take them to work and gatherings, or stock up your own cookie jar – these are truly delightful. Serve them with your favorite beverage or eat them as your after lunch or dinner sweet treat – you can’t go wrong either way.The base of these cookies is made with all good for your whole food ingredients. It comes together super easily in a food processor. The "caramel" filling also comes together in the food processor and it's made out of dates, lemon juice and milk. That's all! The cookies are dolloped with the caramel filling and dipped/drizzled in chocolate, and voila! A better for you Samoa cookie!
Servings 12
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1 cup walnuts or almonds
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Center
- 1 cup dates, dried
- 1/4 cup any milk, plus more as needed
- Juice of one lemon
Chocolate Dip
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Cookie
- To the bowl of a food processor, add walnuts, oats, coconut, honey and vanilla and process until broken down, well combined and formed into a sticky dough.Use a cookie scoop to scoop out 12 mounds of dough. Roll the mounds into balls, then flatten slightly. Press the center with your thumb or finger to create an indent for the date caramel to sit in.Place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet and transfer to freezer.
Caramel Center
- To the bowl of a food processor, add dates, milk and lemon juice. Process until a date paste forms, adding additional milk as needed to create a smooth paste.Remove cookies from freezer. Spoon date paste into a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off. Squeeze a mound of caramel onto the centers of the cookies. Place back in freezer while you melt the chocolate.
Chocolate Dip
- Melt the chocolate by placing chocolate chips and coconut oil in small dish and microwave at 50% power with30 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Remove cookies from freezer. Dip the bottom of cookies into the melted chocolate and return to wax-paper lined cookie sheet to allow chocolate to harden. (After dipping, I put them upside down on the tray so the chocolate could set, then flipped them back over to the right side to do the drizzle.)Drizzle cookies with remaining melted chocolate.Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
