For a paleo twist on iconic Girl Scout samoa cookies, these Samoa bars contain soft shortbread, gooey caramel, and toasted coconut coated in chocolate and finished with a chocolate drizzle!
I felt the worst yearning for Girl Scout Samoas lately, however there were two difficulties with that urge:
- I couldn’t find any.
- For at least a couple of months, I couldn’t obtain any (via my friend Google I learned that Girl Scout cookie season out here doesnt start until winter).
I guess there’s a third issue here: even if I did have some, they’re SO NOT paleo. Let’s have a look at the components.
or cottonseed oil, soybean oil, and palm oil), enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], folic acid), corn syrup, coconut, sweetened condensed milk (condensed milk, sugar), contains two percent or less of sorbitol, cocoa, glycerin, invert sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, Sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm kernel and palm kernel oil),
Sweetbabyjesus. The first component is sugar, the second is an unknown oil mixture, and the third is flour. So, no. This is not paleo.
I sometimes despise worrying about what I eat. Do you understand why? Because everyone who has tasted a samoa knows how delicious they are. And you’re well aware that if you eat one, you’ll end up devouring the whole packaging row. But then you’ll feel like crap and repeat the same error the following day.
As a result, I am concerned about what I consume.
Contents
Adapted from Bakerita
Despite all of this, all I needed was a samoa. STAT. I did some Pinterest surfing and found this fantastic recipe from Bakerita.
I modified her recipe somewhat since I wanted a thicker shortbread layer and an exposed toasted coconut topping (instead of stirring it all into the caramel layer).
And a thicker shortbread layer indicates that the bottom requires more chocolate coating. Oh, no.
Mine are messier than hers, but I really love it that way. After all, the domain name is Bluebirdcafela.com. It screams “Come here for pastry excellence!” and it shouldn’t.
Since my life isn’t ideal, I don’t aim to make my pastries appear beautiful.
Don’t worry about making them perfect!
I’m sure if I spent an hour cutting them with extreme accuracy, making sure each chocolate drizzle was precisely the same on each one, making sure the chocolate coating on the bottom was a perfect line all the way around each one, I’d be fatigued.
Second, I’d feel more worried while editing my images since I’d be so concerned on making sure there wasn’t a crumb out of place.
And if I did all of that, it would take all of the joy out of it for me, and I’d worry that you guys don’t think they’re lovely enough, and I’d wind up putting my anxieties onto a pan of brownies, which is much too much pressure for a pile of chocolate and caramel.
The tl;dr here is that Bakerita is responsible for the recipe’s genesis, and I am responsible for making it thicker and messier, as well as adding some more calories to your day.
I’m content with my place in life as a baker.
Paleo Samoa Bars
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Description
Ingredients
Shortbread layer:
- 1 cup coco flour
- 1 cup solid coconut oil
- 6 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, plus a sprinkle for garnish
Caramel layer:
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
- almond butter cup
- maple syrup in a cup
- a cup of coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Chocolate layer:
- 1 cup chopped and split dark chocolate
Instructions
Shortbread layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 88-square-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, 2 cup coconut oil, 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 cups shredded coconut, 1
Combine coconut flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Mix until the mixture resembles a dough.
1 1 - Place the dough in the prepared pan and sprinkle with a bit of salt on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the sides are just beginning to turn golden brown; don’t overbake! Let to cool fully in the pan.
Caramel layer:
- Spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes - 2 tsp. kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 3 cup coconut oil 12 cup almond butter, 13 cup pure maple syrup 1
Combine almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat until thoroughly blended. Turn off the heat.
1 - Add 3 tablespoons of toasted coconut to the pan and stir to mix.
Add 1
- 3 toasted coconut. If preferred, season with a pinch of salt. Put in the refrigerator to set and chill fully.
Pour the caramel filling over the prepared shortbread layer and top with the remaining 2 pieces of shortbread.
- Cut the dough into 16 squares. Put in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate.
Chocolate layer:
- Set aside a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- 4 cups bittersweet chocolate
2 cups dark chocolate (in the shallowest basin possible) in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
1 3\sMelt 1 1 - Remove the bars from the freezer and dip the bottoms of each into the dark chocolate before placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
- Transfer 4 cup dark chocolate to a tiny piping bag and drizzle over the bars.
Melt the last of the 1
- Refrigerate in an airtight container (or freezer). Enjoy!