One of my favorite Girl Scout Cookies are the classic Samoas.
I can polish off a purple box in no time.
From the chocolate-dipped undersides to the chewiness from the coconut, they’re amazing. But they’re not exactly lite. How they’re called Caramel DeLites in some areas is mind-boggling.
Although these bars aren’t as healthy as a cup of steamed broccoli, they’re vegan, gluten-free, no-bake, and made in one bowl without a mixer in under 5 minutes.
And they taste lots like the Samoas Cookies I can gobble up. Full of coconut flavor, lots of chewiness, and enough chocolate to satisfy my cravings.
These days most major grocery stores carry coconut oil in the baking aisle. I’ve tried at least 10 different brands and generally find most to be pretty comparable. For these bars, I used Nutiva Coconut Oil that I picked up from iHerb.com
Code AVE630 at checkout saves you $10 off your order. I love iHerb for everything from probiotics to face cleanser to stevia.
In addition to coconut oil, the bars are made with shredded coconut and quick-cook oats. If you normally buy whole-rolled oats, pulse them in a food processor, and you’ll have quick-cook oats in 10 seconds.
After making a syrupy glue in the microwave with coconut oil and sugars which serves to bind the bars together, stir in the shredded coconut, oats, and press it into a pan.
Brands of coconut oil, shredded coconut, and oats vary widely, so use your judgment if you think your mixture is too wet or too dry and adjust accordingly. Because coconut oil solidifies as it cools, don’t worry if your is fairly wet.
I was going to dip the underside of the bars in chocolate like Samoas cookies have, but I didn’t want the mess.
Plus, in an effort to keep them lighter, swirls rather than a solid wall of chocolate seems like a better call.
The bars are dense but soft, very moist, incredibly chewy, loaded with texture. Between the shredded coconut and oats, your jaw gets a workout.
You’ll be picking little bits and pieces from your teeth for the next few hours. The bars that keep on giving.
They’re satisfying, filling, hearty, and unlike storebought granola bars where you feel like you just ate air and need at least two, one is more than plenty with these.
While they’re sweet, they’re more granola bar than cookie. They’re less sweet than these Samoas Cookie Bars, and are a nice revamp to the No-Bake Coconut Oil Granola Bars I made in early 2010.
They’re perfect for lunch boxes now that school is starting up. And they’re cheaper than buying storebought.
Vegan, gluten-free, easy, no-bake, and a healthier, homemade alternative to Girl Scout cookies or storebought granola bars.
Yes, please.
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No-Bake Samoas Cookie Granola Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted or in liquid state
- ½ cup light corn syrup, light in color – not lite; honey; or brown rice syrup or yacon syrup to keep vegan may be substituted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- about 2 1/2 cups quick-cook oats (use Certified Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine oil, corn syrup, sugars, and cook on high power for 90 seconds. Stop and stir the mixture.
- Return bowl to microwave and cook for 90 more seconds. Stop and stir the mixture.
- Stir in shredded coconut, oats, cinnamon, vanilla, and optional salt. Note – when adding the shredded coconut and oats, add them slowly, bit by bit, rather than all at once. I found the measurements worked perfectly, but because coconut oil, coconut, and oats vary, add dry ingredients until mixture combines, noting it will be quite wet. It solidifies and firms up as it cools.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down with a spatula.
- Optionally, melt the chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl, about 1 minute on high power, or until chocolate can be stirred smooth.
- Even drizzle chocolate over bars. I followed the swirling pattern outlined here.
- Cover pan with foil to prevent frigde smells, and refrigerate until set and firm, about 2 hours. Slice bars into desired shapes. Especially in warmer months, I prefer to store the bars in the fridge rather than at room temperature so the coconut oil stays solid and bars are firmer. They will keep for up to up to 1 month in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you like Samoas? Coconut or coconut oil? Favorite homemade granola bar recipe?
Ok! Know what I was JUST thinking this morning?! I must preface this by saying I never ever ever ever use coffee creamer (I just don’t like it and I don’t like drinking my calories), but I was so fixated on the Samoa creamer for MONTHS and had to finally break down and buy it. Just to try. I put some in my coffee, and of course it doesn’t taste that good and I’m disappointed. All I could think was “I really just wanted a Samoa to tumble out of the creamer bottle…like a real actual cookie” because I love them so much.
Anyways, I will HAVE to make these because they’re my favorite GS cookie and I obviously need some right now. :)
I tried that creamer for the first time a few weeks ago and I thought it was pretty good but it’s a VERY small bottle and at the rate I use creamers, bottles that size are not budget-friendly! And it’s truly like drinking your calories. A ‘splash’ is like 100+ calories, bam. Crazy, actually!
Love Love Love these!!!!
Oh my word. I’m in love with these!
I love samoas, what a great idea to turn them into granola bars!
Yum! Yum! Yum! My coconut loving daughter would squeal with (caramel) delite if she found these in her lunch box.
I love your cute comment :) Thanks!
I normally am not a fan of coconut but can easily polish off a purple box of Samoas as well. This looks like a great and healthier way to satisfy my cravings!
Glad you’re a fan of the purple boxes, too. Those cookies are so small and go down so easily! These bars aren’t as easy to just inhale!
No bake means that these get to make it to my mouth SO MUCH faster!
Exactly!
You are the queen of no bake goodies!
I hear you on the “can polish off a box in minutes”
I can too!
These are just super creative girl!!
Those cookies are so small and go down so easily! These bars aren’t as easy to just inhale!
Yum! Samoas are my all time favorite Girl Scout cookie. Love that you made these vegan.
As far as someone’s question about caramel drizzle, it is possible to make vegan caramel, I think Ashlae from Oh, Ladycakes has a recipe on her blog. Yep, here it is: https://www.ohladycakes.com/2013/03/easy-caramel-sauce.html
It definitely is possible but it’s one of those things that was just more time/labor intensive than I wanted for these quickie little no-bake bars. I’ve made homemade vegan caramel years ago and used a recipe I found online (long before Ashlae’s post) and it turned out good!
I just want to cradle these.
I wish we had samoas over here in the UK. I will defo be making these so I can just imagine what they taste like.
Awesome & enjoy!
I love Samoas! This sounds like a nice, lighter way to get all those great flavors. And I love that they’re no-bake! I use coconut oil a little bit here and there — mostly with baked oatmeal.
Coconut oil with baked oatmeal sounds so good!
Oh, what a treat! I love Samoas…who doesn’t? ;)
Exactly. They are just so good and go down so fast and easily!
As always you rocked my morning and have me craving your recipe!
Thanks, Tracy! Glad to hear that :)
It’s funny that I’m not a coconut fan but always loved samoas. Maybe it was the caramel. MMMM. These sound perfect. Love the addition of the coconut oil too. Is there anything you could sub for the corn syrup or would that totally throw off the consistency?
In the recipe I wrote:
1/2 cup light corn syrup (light in color, not lite; honey or yacon syrup to keep vegan may be substituted)
Can’t remember if you eat honey or not? If you do, that’s your easiest bet or search out some yacon if you don’t want to use corn syrup. I feel like agave won’t quite be sticky/tacky enough to behave like glue but haven’t tried it. LMK if you try these and what you use!
My bad – I should have read closer. I know you’re good about putting subs –
should have searched if nothing else!! Sorry. And you’re probably right about agave. It can be pretty loose.
No worries girl! I am just grateful you stop by every day! xoxo
And it came to me on a run. Brown rice syrup!! Updating the post now!
Loving these no-fuss bars! Samoas without cutting each cookie out and all the work so I can enjoy them in no time!