Samoas Cookie Pie Recipe

I reimagined the Girl Scout cookie classic as a Samoa Pie layered with caramel sauce, chocolate, and shredded coconut, and I’m sharing the recipe behind it.

I keep finding excuses to make this Samoa Pie. It took me a few tries to get the balance right, but when that rich caramel sauce meets a pile of toasted shredded coconut something weird happens.

It tastes like a grown up cookie that refused to be tiny, all layered and kind of messy in the best way. I’m not gonna lie I messed up the first batch, overcooked the caramel and still ate most of it.

The final pie still has that guilty, slightly ridiculous vibe that makes you curious why you waited so long to try it.

Ingredients

• Crushed shortbread cookies: Mostly carbs it adds buttery crunch and sweet cookie flavor.
• Unsalted butter: Pure fat makes crust rich and tender, helps bind crumbs together.
• Cream cheese: Provides tangy creaminess, adds protein and silky mouthfeel, slightly savory.
• Caramel or dulce de leche: High sugar, super sweet, makes a gooey deep caramel layer.
• Sweetened shredded coconut: Adds chew, fiber and sweetness, toasty when browned, chewy texture.
• Semisweet chocolate: Brings bittersweet balance small antioxidants, melts into glossy drizzle.
• Heavy cream: Adds richness and volume, helps whipping, boosts creaminess and mouthfeel.
• Vanilla extract: Tiny amount boosts aroma and sweetness perception, rounds flavors together.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 150 g)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese softened (226 g)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml)
• 1 cup caramel sauce or 1 (14 oz) can dulce de leche
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (about 120 g)
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 115 g)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional, for chocolate)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the crushed shortbread, melted butter and granulated sugar until it looks like wet sand, press into a 9 inch springform or pie plate, and bake 8 to 10 minutes until set; cool while you work on the rest.

2. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes; watch it closely or it’ll burn, then set aside and reserve a little for topping.

3. Beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla and the 1/4 teaspoon fine salt until totally smooth and no lumps remain.

4. Whip the heavy cream to soft to medium peaks, then fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture so you keep the air; don’t overmix or it will deflate.

5. If using canned dulce de leche, loosen it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and stir until pourable; if you have jarred caramel, stir it smooth too.

6. Spread an even layer of the caramel or dulce de leche over the cooled crust—leave a little room at the edge so it won’t ooze over when you slice.

7. Spoon half the cream cheese whipped mixture over the caramel, smooth it out, then sprinkle most of the toasted coconut over that layer; press lightly so it sticks. Save a bit of coconut for the top.

8. Spread the remaining cream mixture over the coconut, smooth the surface, cover and chill the pie at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture.

9. Melt the semisweet chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between each; stir in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil if you want a glossier, pourable drizzle. Drizzle or spread the chocolate over the chilled pie and sprinkle the reserved coconut.

10. Chill briefly so the chocolate sets, then let the pie sit 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing for cleaner pieces; store covered in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 350 F)
2. 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch pie plate
3. A couple of mixing bowls (one for crust, one for filling)
4. Electric hand mixer or a whisk
5. Rubber spatula for folding and smoothing
6. Dry skillet for toasting the coconut
7. Measuring cups and spoons
8. Small saucepan with a heatproof bowl for a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl for melting chocolate

FAQ

Samoas Cookie Pie Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Shortbread cookies: swap with graham crackers or vanilla wafers (use same volume, about 1 1/2 cups / 150 g). For gluten-free, use GF graham or GF cookies, just crush the same amount — crust might be a touch less buttery.
• Unsalted butter (melted): use melted coconut oil 1:1 (6 tbsp) for a dairy-free crust, or use salted butter 1:1 but cut the added salt to about 1/8 tsp. Coconut oil gives a slight coconut taste, which actually works here.
• Cream cheese (8 oz): replace with mascarpone 1:1 for a richer, silkier filling, or use blended firm silken tofu (about 226 g) plus 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar for a vegan option, it’ll be a bit lighter though.
• Heavy cream (1 cup): swap with full-fat canned coconut cream 1:1 (chill the can and scoop the solid part) to whip, or use a stabilized whipped topping if you cant whip cream at home; coconut cream amps the coconut/caramel vibe.

Pro Tips

– Press that crust like you mean it, using the bottom of a measuring cup to get it super compact, otherwise the caramel will find the crumbs and make a sloppy mess. Let the crust cool fully before you add the caramel layer, or the heat will melt the cream mix and youll end up with watery edges.

– Toast the coconut in a wide skillet and as soon as it hits golden, dump it out onto a plate or sheet so it stops cooking, because it goes from perfect to burnt in seconds. Save a little extra for the top, toasted bits make the pie look and taste way better.

– Chill your mixing bowl and beaters for 10 minutes before whipping the cream, it whips faster and holds air better. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese in thirds, gently, until just streak-free, dont overmix or youll deflate all that lovely air.

– For a glossy, pourable chocolate drizzle, warm the chocolate slowly and stir in a teaspoon or so of oil or butter to smooth it. When slicing, run a metal knife under hot water, wipe it dry and then slice, repeat between cuts for clean, pretty pieces.