You can have these gluten free vegan Samoa Girl Scout cookies all year long! crunchy gluten free shortbread with sweet coconut caramel and chocolate.
recipe originally published March 7, 2012
Vegan Girl Scout Cookies
I was a Girl Scout.
First, a brownie. I wore the uniform (even though brown and orange are not my best colors), earned badges, sold cookies. Fun stuff.
As a brownie, I looked forward to graduating to a Junior. New uniforms – in green and more choices! I had visions of camping and all the fun adventures we would have. and camping. I really wanted to go camping.
I remember the “graduation ceremony” like it was yesterday. We had to “walk the bridge” from Brownie to Junior status, and… well… ours was a makeshift bridge.
A bridge made from magazines, over a reflective river of aluminum foil.
We rarely went camping. Those few camping trips are still the best scouts memories I have. After participating in events and earned badges for another year as a junior, I became a girl scout dropout.
If I could still earn badges, I’d try to earn all the cooking and baking badges.
My mom would still have to sew them for me – I never did earn a sewing badge.
Sweet Caramel Coconut Cookies
As any good childhood cookie salesman would attest, girl scout cookie season is a glorious time of year.
In recent years, the two bakeries handling the regional demand each year have also begun to answer the alternative diet question. Whether their aim is to fill an allergy demand or a lifestyle, there are more vegan and gluten free choices each year.
However...
My own favorite cookie has yet to surface on the vegan list. OR the gluten free list.
What is a cookie enthusiast to do?
Make their own vegan gluten free girl scout cookies.
These cookies really are easy. Several steps, yes - but easy and oh so worth it.
and you don't have to wait for girl scout cookie season.
More vegan dessert recipes
- Sugared Vanilla Snickerdoodle Bread
- Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
- Vegan Vanilla Crescent Cookies
- Vegan Caramel Twix Cookie Bars
- Caramelized Almond Rocky Road Bark
- Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Caramel Chocolates
Were you a Scout?
What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Did you make this recipe?
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Vegan Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
You can have these gluten free vegan Samoa Girl Scout cookies all year long! Crunchy gluten free shortbread with sweet coconut caramel and chocolate.
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie
- ¾ cup dairy free butter
- ¼ cup vegan granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or paste
- 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup dairy free milk, as needed
Caramel Coconut Layer
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons dairy free butter
Chocolate Drizzle
- 3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line baking sheets with parchment, set aside.
Shortbread Cookie
- Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla.
- Stir in flour ½ cup at a time. Add salt with one of the rounds of flour.
- Add milk by the tablespoon as necessary.
- Combine until dough forms, do not over mix.
- Knead dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll dough to ¼ to ⅓ inch thickness.
- Cut dough into circle shapes (I used a glass about 2 ½ inches diameter). Cut a small circle in the middle of each cookie. Carefully transfer cookie rounds to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 °F for 10 - 12 minutes, until just golden brown on edges. Cool completely and set aside. Keep oven set to 350 °F.
Caramel Coconut Layer
- Spread coconut in even layer on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 °F for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and return to oven. Bake for another 3-4 minutes or until toasted, watching closely so the coconut does not burn.
- In saucepan over medium low heat, combine sugar, coconut milk and cornstarch. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until melted and combined. Let cool.
- Combine toasted coconut and caramel sauce, top each cookie with about a tablespoon.
- Transfer to refrigerator to set.
Chocolate Drizzle
- Once caramel coconut layer is set, melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler.
- Transfer to piping bag (or plastic sandwich baggie) and slice a very small hole at the tip.
- While cookies are still on parchment, drizzle melted chocolate across each cookie.
- Allow chocolate to set before storing.
Notes
Shortbread cookie recipe based on Vegan Caramel Twix Bar recipe.
Store in a covered container for up to 7 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 8gSodium: 107mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food! Read more...
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Laura Podrasky says
I was a brownie and graduated to girl scout but then we moved to another state and that was that. My daughter did was both a daisy and a brownie but now has no interest. Well, she'd like to just sell the cookies and then go on the retreats.
I think we'll try to make these, too. She is really getting interested in cooking and working in the kitchen so they would be fun.
spabettie says
this would be really fun to make with your daughter, if she is showing interest in cooking! they are easy but take several steps, and it would be a great thing for her to learn! and tasty rewards, too! 🙂
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
One of the very first raw/vegan/GF things I ever made for my blog was Samoas. I couldnt take pictures back then, I had no idea a chocolate drizzle could go so far to make something look pretty, and I was new with my dehydrator, too.
So that's my way of saying, what you just made blows my mind, it looks GORGEOUS!, and also....delicious. I'll take 2 dozen 🙂
spabettie says
oh, I'm going to have to look those up, I never thought of a raw Samoa!! Mmm... 😀
Heather @ Better With Veggies says
I was only a girl scout through elementary school really. I tried one year in middle school and it wasn't for me. BUT - I was a girl scout leader for 4 or 5 years in my 20s, which was SO much fun. My troop was so much fun - we went whitewater rafting, skiing, and I tried to encourage the kids to be active as much as possible (you're surprised, right? ;)).
These cookies were my favorite in my pre-plant-based days and I really need to make your version. I bet your recipe will be even better than the original. 🙂
spabettie says
AW, see??? I wanted YOU for my GS leader!! shoot, your girls were SO LUCKY to have you!! (yeah, so surprising - gosh, you weren't inside teaching them to sew??) 😀
you should make these!! so SO good! and fun too. XO
Jess says
Um hi, you're a genius - these look incredible!!! Like my sis said, these are BOUND to be way tastier than some pre-packaged girl scout cookie EVER could taste. We were both girl scouts and made it all the way to junior - girl scout pride! LOL. Although, we both HATED camping, it was like the worst thing ever to us - spiders in the tents, dirty bathrooms, etc. hehe 😉
spabettie says
ah, well, I could definitely do without the spiders... but YOUR troop is the one I wanted to be in!! 😀
Joe says
these are the best Ive seen, gorgeous pics as well. cant wait to try the recipe
Cara says
Um you can't mention that you walked the bridge with Playboy-lined pictures and not explain what the hell that is about??? BAHAHA! That is some serious messed up GS group! I was never a part of them but I also do the Scout's Honor whenever I'm giving my word, does that count? 🙂
spabettie says
shhhh... I already feel like I shared too much. yeah, it was a low point for the Girl Scouts, for sure. Scout's Honor really should only be used by those who have walked the bridge, missy. get yourself some foil and some magazines, NOW!!
jobo says
O
M
G.
you have outdone yourself. I LOVE samoa cookies and have some in my cabinet and these look WAY better than the girl scout version by a long shot. Set up that etsy shop... 😉
spabettie says
hee! I know, I KNOW. one of these days, you know, with all my free time! 😉 and thank you... your cheerleading always makes me smile! XO
Evan Thomas says
Yep. These are getting made.
spabettie says
😀
Allie says
Boy Scouts sell popcorn. Quite mediocre popcorn. Because tinned popcorn is just never that good.
I did the whole Daisy/Brownie/Girl Scout thing! I was a terrible cookie seller though--I'd get my parents to buy a box or two, and that would be it. While other girls would come in with sales sheets with hundreds of boxes. I guess that's when I knew I was destined to be an English major with a tech job, not a salesperson or politician...
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
I never did the girl scout thing. I was so vehemently opposed to it as a kid. No idea why but I wanted to play sports and be "tough" instead. No badges or stickers for me. But I sure as heck loved their cookies 🙂
spabettie says
haa haa, I suppose I should have been too! 😉 I liked it as a brownie, though... I think it was the leader, or lack thereof... yeah, the cookies rock.
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
I was a Brownie and Girl Scout very briefly. I only remember camping one night actually. I love love thin mints and the samoa cookies. MMMMM I think the boys sell popcorn - or they do around here.
spabettie says
I was ROBBED. 😉 we went to "girl scout camp" in the summertime, but that's different. I think I was expecting to do more "cool stuff" in general... so I quit! 😀
Mickey says
it depends on the troop lol i know a lot of troops that do real camping and hiking and stuff (they're badasses) i'm actually trying to earn my gold award at the moment
Kristina Sloggett says
well, you Mickey, are one of the lucky ones then! 🙂 good luck with the Gold Award!