What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie?! Growing up, I always loved Peanut Butter Patties, but over time I became more fond of Samoas. Samoa brownies have layers of coconut and chocolate caramel squares in the middle of gooey brownies! They're delicious just like Samoa cookies (without the shortbread layer).
This recipe uses both melted chocolate and cocoa powder in the brownie batter but you don't need to buy special baking chocolate for it, chocolate chips work just fine! I use semi-sweet, but you're welcome to use dark or milk chocolate depending on your preference. The coconut layer is a quick mix of shredded coconut, powdered sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. For the caramel layer, I use chocolate caramel squares. Ghirardelli's milk chocolate caramel squares are my favorite (they also have a dark chocolate version), but any brand with caramel in the center will work!
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You can whip these brownies up in less than 30 minutes, and they bake for around 20! In the time it takes to go out and find Girl Scout cookies (or these days, have them delivered!), you could have fresh, warm Samoa brownies made in your own home! These are made using an 8 inch square pan which can be divided into 16 perfectly bite-sized brownies. If it's cut this way, each brownie will have its own chocolate caramel square!
How to Get the Best Brownie Top
I really wanted to get the perfect flaky, crinkly brownie top for these bars. After days of research and testing, I finally figured it out! A lot of brownie recipes just tell you to mix until combined and whenever I follow those, I don't get the crinkly top. I found that the crinkly top forms as a meringue layer, which results from whisking together the sugar and eggs until they form almost soft peaks. The best way to do this is with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer. It'll take about 5 minutes or so of mixing, but it's worth the extra few minutes in my opinion!
Serve & Store
- These brownies are best served warm so the chocolate caramel squares in the middle melt and caramel drips out in every bite! I recommend heating them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds right before diving in.
- You know what else would go great with these brownies? Ice cream! After heating them for a few seconds, toss a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top!
- Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Did you try this recipe?
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Samoa Brownies
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Scale or measuring cups
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (141g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes
- ¾ cup (~8 oz/230g) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 16 chocolate caramel squares
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray an 8x8" pan with oil and line with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edges.
Brownie Batter
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips (stir every 30 seconds until melted, ~1-2 minutes total).
- Using a stand or hand mixer, whisk together the butter/chocolate mixture and sugar for about 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they're slightly foamy. Then, add them to the butter/chocolate/sugar mixture and whisk until it's light and slightly thick (5 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Then, gently fold them into the wet ingredients just until all flour streaks are gone.
Coconut Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and powdered sugar together with a spatula until well combined.
Assembly
- Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it around with a spatula so that it's even across the bottom.
- Add the chocolate caramel squares on top of the brownie batter in an even layer.
- Carefully spread the coconut filling over the chocolate caramel squares.
- Finally, spread the remaining brownie batter on top of the coconut filling, covering it completely and evenly.
- Bake for 19-24 minutes or until the edges begin to harden and a smooth film sets across the middle.
- Let the brownies cool in the pan until they're sturdy enough to be lifted out and placed on a cooling rack.
I love Samoas. I seriously cannot stop eating them. When I saw "Samao Brownies" my mouth started watering. Combining two of my favorite desserts into one was sure to be a hit. I was not disappointed. The flavor in these is phenomenal. The texture in these makes you want more and more. This recipe is GENIUS. If you're reading reviews asking yourself if you should make these, just go do it. These are an incredible treat everyone needs to try.
I am so happy you like them so much!! They're one of my favorites 🙂