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.
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes) says
Yum! I was always a Thin Mint girl growing up, but in my adulthood, it's all about the Samoa. So very tasty and comforting.
PS - I was a TERRIBLE Brownie. I barely earned badges. I think I was only in it for the cookies!
spabettie says
haa haa, OF COURSE you were. 😉 all I wanted to do was go on adventures. whatever that means.
Rhonda (@diningalone) says
I am a girl scout drop out too, didn't make it past brownies. I think your cookies look better than the real thing.
spabettie says
thank you Rhonda! 😀 cheers to a fellow drop out!
beti says
this is just cruel, they look amazingly good
spabettie says
cruel, perhaps - they aren't difficult to make, but they are several steps that take some time. worth it though! 😀
Cookin' Canuck says
Love the bridge fashioned out of Playboys!
As much as I feel like I'm cheating on Thin Mints, I have to say that Samoas are my favorite Girl Scout cookies. This recipe is going to be very dangerous in our house!
spabettie says
that bridge, I can laugh about it now. I think I was MORTIFIED then. 😉
it is actually kinda difficult to pick a favorite... I really love Samoas, I really love the chocolate peanut butter ones, I really love the shortbreads. Mmm, those classic shortbreads. 🙂
Shannon Roche says
I was a Girl Scout from Brownies to Seniors. I even earned all of the possible Junior badges. I think my sister and I use to sell around 800 boxes of cookies. They would fill my parent's dining room for weeks.
spabettie says
dang, 800 boxes? that is awesome!! and great for you going so far... I don't know anyone that went that far in girl scouts... we had a couple guys who were still in during high school - pretty neat. I loved selling cookies!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
these rock!
spabettie says
thank you, Alison! 😀
christina says
you stop it.
no, wait. please don't. girl scout drop out and still making kickass cookies? YES YOU DID.
spabettie says
hmm... maybe it was baking that took place of my sad non camping girl scout days... 😉
natalie (the sweets life) says
i made samoa bars last year and fell in love with them! these look delish as well--so gorgeous!
ps. where did you get that milk jar? i need a bunch of those for a baby shower i'm hosting 🙂
spabettie says
that is funny, I almost made these into bars! 🙂 I didn't want to cut holes in them, so I was thinking they weren't going to look original anyway. I'll remember that for next time!
those milk bottles are vintage - actual half pint bottles they used to serve in grade schools... I got that one at an antique store ages ago. I bet you could find some on eBay or etsy? they aren't cheap, though, for cute ones like these. good luck! (and what a FUN idea for a baby shower!!)
Lisa says
Damn you. 🙂
Those are my favorite Girl Scout Cookies. The ice cream is fantastic too!
spabettie says
I've SEEN that ice cream... damn YOU, now I must go find some! 😀
Lisa says
The ice cream is decadent. OMG
katie says
Holy crap! In a good way, haha! I just got home from hot yoga and I come to your post, bad idea! I want a samoa cookie now for lunch! Well cookie (s) not just one!
These look amazing! Samoas and thin mints were my favorite!
Happy Wednesday! Hope all is well, hope your dad is doing ok! xo
spabettie says
happy Wednesday to you, Katie!! I wish I could share these with you! 😀 Dad is okay right now, having a good week, feeling good. starts chemo again tomorrow, and that usually wears him out for a couple weeks. thank you XXO