Samoa Brownies
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My Samoa brownies recipe is basically a wonderful and delicious brownie version of the Samoa cookie, where chocolate, caramel, and coconut combine to make this decadent dessert.
What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie? My favorite, hands down, is the Samoa, which is how these Samoa brownies came about. I just love everything about the Samoa cookie. So a few weeks ago I was playing around with the thought of coming up with a homemade version of the cookie and my mind somehow shifted into brownie mode instead (my stomach was quick to egg on the idea). A little experimentation (along with two pans of brownies going to school with my son) and here we are: Samoa brownie heaven!
Of course, when it comes to being a Samoa expert, I am only one from a consumer standpoint. Despite my best efforts, I never got to be a Girl Scout. I was, a Cub Scout, though!
Now, back to this easy brownie recipe! All we need is 5 ingredients: chocolate fudge brownie mix, evaporated milk, dulce de leche, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and sweetened coconut flakes. A little bit of baking, a little bit of mixing, and a little bit of layering, and your brownies will be ready.
The taste and texture combination of the moist brownie layer, sweet caramel sauce, toasted coconut, and dark chocolate drizzle makes these brownies so deliciously flavorful and decadent. One bite and you’ll be joining me in Samoa brownie heaven!
Recipe Ingredients
- Brownie mix (the size to make a 13×9)
- Evaporated milk
- Dulce de leche
- Chocolate chips
- Sweetened (or unsweetened) flaked coconut
How to Make Samoa Brownies
First, make your brownie batter according to the box directions.
Pour the batter into a 13×9 baking dish and bake for the requested time.
Let them cool in the pan while you continue with the following steps.
To begin with, spread your shredded coconut out on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in a 350-degree oven to toast. This will take about 10 minutes or so and you’ll need to keep an eye on it and stir it a time or two.
If you have the patience of a caffeinated gnat, as I do, you can put it in the oven and put the oven on low broil, stirring very often, and have it done in just a few minutes. Be careful though because it burns really quickly.
While that is going on, place your caramel and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk in a bowl.
Heat this in the microwave at 45-second intervals, stirring in between each, until it is just warm enough to blend together really well.
This is our smooth and creamy caramel after we have thinned it a little bit with the evaporated milk.
Now stir in your coconut until it is all covered in caramel.
Oh, mercy. My mouth is watering just typing that!
Spread this on your cooled brownies.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 45-second intervals, stirring in between each, until smooth.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then put that in a zipper seal bag.
Cut the tip off and zig zag the across the top of your iced brownies.
Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Enjoy.
And believe me, it will be love at the first bite of these delicious Samoa brownies!
Storage
- Store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 4 days. The fridge is preferable to ensure the chocolate topping doesn’t melt.
- You can also freeze the brownies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Dulce de leche is getting easier and easier to come across. Walmart has it but my Krogers has it right next to the sweetened condensed milk. It is basically sweetened condensed milk that’s been caramelized. If you want to make homemade dulce de leche using condensed milk, here’s my recipe.
- If you’d prefer to use a homemade brownies recipe instead, check out this recipe for the best brownies ever!
- If you want a salted caramel coconut layer, stir a pinch of sea salt into the melted caramel.
Recipe FAQs
How do you serve Samoa brownies?
They taste deliciously decadent and fudgy as is, but for dessert, I can never resist serving them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Can I use something other than coconut?
Yes, you can either omit the coconut completely or substitute it for different chopped or ground nuts, like slivered almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, or walnuts.
You might also enjoy these brownie recipes:
One Bowl, No Egg Fudgey Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix of your choice for a 9x13 pan, with ingredients called for on the box
- 2 cups sweet or unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 12-ounce can dulce de leche
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare brownies in a 9x13 pan according to package directions. Let cool.1 box brownie mix of your choice
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread out coconut and place in a 350-degree oven until toasted lightly golden, stirring often (about 10 minutes).2 cups sweet or unsweetened flaked coconut
- While the coconut is toasting, place caramel and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepot (if melting on the stovetop). Heat at 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until just soft enough to blend well.1 12-ounce can dulce de leche, 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- Stir toasted coconut into the caramel mixture until well combined. Place dollops of this all over the top of the cooled brownies and then spread to ice.
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave the same way you did the caramel. Once fully melted, allow to cool for five minutes before spooning into a large zipper seal bag. Cut just the tip off and make zig zags all over top of coconut mixture. Allow brownies to sit until chocolate is set again and they are completely cool.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
“Find yourself, and be that.”
~Anon
This is one of those occasions that I wish I lived in America. So many of the recipies call for ingredients we do not get here (Ireland). I am going to try the Samoa Brownies by substituting what I can and see how I get on. They look delicious. Thank you.
Hey Deirdre! What is it that you don’t have? Maybe some of us can give you a good substitution. America has it’s charms, but Ireland is certainly not without strong charms of her own!
Yum,Yum,Yum Christy, these brownies look delicious,can’t wait to try them. Also the Watergate Cake was a hit with my family. You go girl! Thank you.
Thank you Anette!I sure do appreciate it! Hope you get to try them soon and also that you are having some pretty sun wherever you are today!
As a mother, I encourage my child to eat a healthy diet. If I interpret them correctly, most of your recipes are high in caloric content and smothered in cheeses and sauces. Would you consider posting some recipes that present a balance b/c they have healthy ingredients, less sauce and gravy, and fewer calories per serving? Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth, I’m afraid it sounds like the imbalance lies in what recipes you are choosing to look at. There are over 900 recipes on SouthernPlate and certainly many, many healthy options. I rely on intelligent mothers like yourself to choose a balance of the many options I offer (and other websites, cookbooks, etc). As a parent myself, I’m a big believer in personal responsibility and know that it is up to me (and my family) to make these choices for ourselves from the many resources available. If you look around, what you need is here, on the site, it all depends on where you put your focus. If you just can’t help but have brownies and cheese sauces jump out at you even after searching, it may be that, in your mind, Southern Plate isn’t the blog for you and I can certainly understand that. For me, this website is about far more than just recipes so there is a lot of other good stuff to dig into as well (healthy, both physically and mentally).
Have a great day and thank you!
Elizabeth, you surely are not from the South!! Southerners are not rude and love good food and healthy food. There are many healthy foods posted on this site, you just need to look for them!1
You are such a lady! There are many resources that tell you how to lighten up a recipe but I enjoy yours when I need to indulge and rewrite them when I don’t. I was a Cub Scout Packmaster for my son and friends when the men were all “too busy” to do so and then copped an attitude when I said yes. Go figure! By the way, Aldi has copycat Samoas for $1.29 and they are even better than the last I got for $4 from the GS.
Thank you Cheryl!! I am going to have to try the ALDI ones! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you for saying “everything is not for everybody” so well. Your kindness and Christian heart shows through in everything you write. I am so glad I found your web site.
Hello, Elizabeth! Welcome to Southern Plate!
There are HUNDREDS of blogs and websites out there that focus on eating healthy. In addition, there are many websites that teach a person how to convert a recipe to a healthier version.
This is “Southern Plate”, where the food is, above all, comforting. 😉 As such, it naturally is higher in calories, sugar, and fat. I lived in the South for 23 years, and this is the kind of food Southerners make and enjoy.
I hope not to offend you at all. Just being brief for the sake of time! =)
Have a great day!
Christy’s recipes are always good and if you read her comments she encourages you to adjust them according to your wants, likes, and needs. So you can try them with reduced fat and low caloric products and see how that works for your lifestyle. And of course a recipe likes these brownies is meant to be a special treat not to be served every day. When I need a good recipe that I am sure I will find easy to make and will probably have the ingredients for Christy’s ckbks are my go to books.
OH my yummy, Hint to all Moms thinking of being Girl Scout leaders DO NOT under any circumstances leave the room when they are choosing that years cookie chairman. NEVER EVER or you will have a house full of big boxes of girl scout cookies which you have to sort and get the girls mothers to pick up . Loved being a leader but cookie chair is not the high light of the year. But the little girls are so excited to sell it makes it worth while.
HA!! thank your for the wisdom gained by experience! I can only imagine 🙂
There’s some people in my house who will love these!
Sorry you didn’t get to be a Girl Scout – I ended up being a troop leader for 4 years so my daughter could be one (and then ended up in an administrative volunteer role for 8 years just because I liked it).
That’s so wonderful of you to give so much of yourself for the girls you lead/led. I know you impacted lives! My sister in law is a troop leader and my brother in law is a leader in Boy Scouts! My brother was in scouting for years and my sister was as well. It just wasn’t meant to be for me, but I spent all that time writing and reading and it worked out as it was supposed to! I still get to have these brownies, though 🙂
Samoa’s are my sons favorite girl scout cookie, he bought a box with his own money this year! He ‘s really going to like these brownies, thanks Christy!
Oh wow! His own money? That’s getting serious right there! Thank YOU for being there Constance!
Hi Christy, do you think shortbread would work for a base instead of brownies? I can’t believe I’m saying this but maybe too much chocolate?
Thanks, Patricia
~gasp~ lol.Shortbread would work and be delicious! Hope you get to try them as brownies soon 😉