What’s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? My favorite, hands down, is the Samoa. I just love everything about it. 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, Brownie Samoa 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! During my younger years (before I was even old enough to go to school), Mama was the den leader of my brother’s cup scout group. Since Mama was in charge and we didn’t have things like babysitters back in the day, my sister and I went to every single meeting. To keep us occupied, we did all of the same things the Cub Scouts did, too. So many fun crafts and adventures! We loved it.
I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to be a Girl Scout. So as soon as that day came, Mama signed me up. We bought the handbook, ordered the uniform, the whole nine yards. But before the first meeting even took place, our troop leader resigned. So I put all of that away and anxiously waited until next year when we dusted it all off and signed up again. That time, there was a first meeting but we missed it because we were out of town. Still, I anxiously awaited the second one when I would get to attend. Well that year, the troop leader resigned after the first meeting. lol. I took the hint and found other interests. However, I can honestly say that my kids are the only ones we know who can say their mother was once a Cub Scout.
To make these, you’ll need: Brownie Mix (the size to make a 13×9), evaporated milk, Dulce De Leche*, Chocolate Chips, and sweetened (or unsweetened) flake coconut.
*Dulce De Leche is getting easier and easier to come across. Used to, I could only find it next to the Mexican foods and such. Wal Mart still has it there but my Krogers has it right next to the Sweetened Condensed Milk.
It is basically Sweetened Condensed Milk that has been caramelized. I know that you can do this with Sweetened Condensed milk in the can by boiling it but that is extremely dangerous and I don’t recommend it. If you have to use sweetened condensed milk, the best way to caramelize it is to take it out of the can and cook it in a heavy bottomed sauce pot or bowl in the microwave, stirring often in the microwave and constantly on the stovetop, until it caramelizes. It will take a bit longer but you won’t have to deal with the potential aftermath of a can exploding in your face with molten hot liquid spraying you. Trust me, it ain’t pretty and it has happened to many people. BETTER YET, save all that trouble and just go buy a can of Dulce De Leche! See? I save you time, third degree burns, and permanent scarring. Just another one of the services that I offer :). Tune in next week when I will teach you how to prevent squirrels from carting you off by giving them your entire pecan harvest.
To begin with, spread your coconut out on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in a 350 oven to toast. This will take about ten 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, like 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.
You’re going to have some leftover evaporated milk even if you use the small can. What do you do with this? Well, it makes excellent coffee creamer. Me though, I just drink it. From the can. Because I’m all classy like that.
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 that 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 it across the top of your iced brownies. Allow to cool completely for chocolate to set.
Enjoy.
And believe me, you will!
Ingredients
- 1 package brownie mix of your choice the size for a 9x13 pan, with ingredients called for on box
- 2 cups sweet or unsweet flaked coconut
- 12 ounce can Dulce De Leche*
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
Topping: 1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Prepare brownies in a 9x13 pan according to package directions. Let cool.
- On large, rimmed baking sheet, spread out coconut and place in a 350 degree oven until toasted lightly golden, stirring often, about ten minutes.**
- While coconut is toasting, place caramel and evaporated milk in a microwave safe bowl or small sauce pot (if melting on stovetop). Heat at 45 second intervals, stirring after each, until just soft enough to blend well.
- Stir toasted coconut into caramel mixture until well combined. Place dollops of this all over top of cooled brownies and then spread to ice.
- Melt Chocolate Chips in microwave the same way you did the caramel. Once fully melted, allow to cool 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.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
** If you're feeling adventurous see post for faster way to do this
Nutrition
“Find yourself, and be that.”
~Anon
Yum 
Can’t wait to try these because Samoas are my favorite girl scout cookie too. Also me and my brother where mascots at each others scout meetings he came to many of my girl scout meetings because my mother was the leader and I went to his cub scout meetings because my mother was also his den leader so for several years I got the best of both worlds.
Ha! I’m not alone!!! And you definitely have me beat, with a brother who was a girl scout and a sister who was a boy scout. Overachievers if ya ask me ;).
Have a great day!
These look terrific! I definitely plan to make this recipe for the weekend! (if I can wait that long!)
Thank you so much Betty!! You may find yourself in the kitchen whipping up a batch tonight 😉 Hope you enjoy them no matter when they get made! Have a blessed sunny day!
These brownies look SO good! I will be making them soon. 🙂
Thank you so much, Melissa! Great to get to see ya today!
Just when I thought I couldn’t love & adore you more, you went & combined my favorite Girl Scout cookies with brownies!!!! You are amazing!!
Melissa
Ahh see now you and I would make a great team – but I imagine it wouldn’t be good on our waistlines, lol!
Cannot wait to try this recipe! Made the Watergate cake for St. Patrick’s Day and its been a big hit. I bet these Brownies will also.
Oh I’m so glad they liked it!! That is the moistest cake and the not-too-sweet icing is just perfect!! You are so sweet and I’m so glad you’re here!
I made the Watergate cake, too! My family adored it, and it was just the ticket after a heavy meal of corned beef hash and roasted broccoli. So light and moist! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us, Christy!
I am so glad you liked it Bronda!!!
Is it any wonder that we love you so much? Yum…Samoas in a brownie. I can’t wait to make those for someone special. I love that you’re so honest and unpretentious, traits that surely come from above. Your admission to drinking evaporated milk (from the can) made me giggle, if you lived nearby we’d surely be friends.
Thank you Stephanie! To be able to count myself as loved by good folks like you means the world to me. I truly appreciate the great compliment! Someone saying I’m unpretentious is a huge bonus in my book!! (Pretentious people drive me half mad) Thank you!! And seriously, that stuff is too good not to drink! 🙂
Oh, these sound delicious! I think I would rename them “Sin in a baking dish,’ lol. I am definitely going to try them. I think we must have went to the same school of manners, you know, where they teach you to drink straight out of the can with your little pinkie finger raised, haha 🙂
YES! Must raise the pinkie finger!!! lol Like your new name ;).
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 😉
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!
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 🙂
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 🙂
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.
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!
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!
The best parts of the Samoa Cookie teamed up with the chocolatey brownie? What a wonderful idea! Can’t wait to whip some up! You’re one smart cookie, Christy! Or should I say, one smart BROWNIE!!
🙂 I hope you enjoy them Debbie!!!
I don’t see the YUM button??
I’m sorry! It is there but it takes a few seconds longer than everything else to show up. It is up at the very top and at the very bottom. Check out this post to see exactly where it will eb on every post: https://www.southernplate.com/2015/03/new-features-recipe-box-shopping-list-nutrition-information-apps-and-more.html
Its right next to the pin it symbol, took me a minute to find it too.
I think it hides from ya for about a minute and then pops up and goes “BOO!” just to make us feel silly 🙂
Also, when you sign up for Yum, you have the option of putting a “Yum” button on your bookmark bar (at least for Google Chrome), so even if you can’t find the “Yum” button on a post, you can click the button in the bookmark bar and still add the recipe to your collection.
Oh, that is great to know!! Thanks Bronda!!
These look yummy!!! I have everything & will bake some tonight!!
I hope you enjoy them Sandy!!
Hey, Christy! Mercy me…I may as well just rub this on my hips! Yum, sounds so good. I so enjoy your blog, and find many recipes from my childhood in the NC mountains, as well as new, interesting ideas. To Elizabeth: get a grip…this is good, honest food here on Southern Plate, and we Southerners know that recipes like these Samoa Brownies are an occasional treat. Momma would say “mind your manners” before posting a negative comment such as yours! Keep up the good work, Christy!
Thank you Davina!! I hope you get to try the brownies at some point!!
These look WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS! Thanks for being creative and for making your recipes simple for busy people! I know that I will always get a finished product that tastes great and looks like your photo. Bought your cookbook and it is a Godsend. Thanks so very much for being one of the Steel Magnolias!
We LOVE YA, HONEY!
You are too sweet Janell, but thank you so much!! I love you too!!
Mine is cooling right now!!! Can’t wait!
I hope you enjoyed the brownies Tara!!!
Hosting a kitchen shower this weekend as we marry Texas with Kentucky…I am giving the bride both your cookbooks and a set of Pryrex cookware….Passing on the traditions to the younger generation, and I hope she enjoys your stories as much as I do!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for sharing my cookbooks Laura!!! Please send my best wishes for a long and happy marriage!!
This recipe sounds great, Christy. I think I’ll make it for Easter when I have family around.
You sure brought back memories… my only daughter had to endure three brothers’ worth of me being the boys’ Cub Scout leader. My husband did one year as Boy Scout leader. I was able to do the Brownie/Girl Scout thing, as well as room mother for a few years, taking turns amongst the kids… and their dad was Little League coach for a couple of years! And when my husband was in Vietnam for the second time, I proudly stood in as their Little League coach!! Yes! We had so much fun…
My mother always said, “if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.” I mean, Elizabeth, if you can’t find any recipes that you like… then move on…. don’t be rude.
Nancy
WOW Nancy, I am exhausted just hearing about how crazy your schedule was! I bet it was a chaotic, fun time though!!!
I had been wanting a Samoa like recipe and this sounds quick and easy. Think I will try it on blondies too.
I can’t wait to hear what you think Becky!!
Whoa! Are these legal??? Haha! They look absolutely STUPENDOUS.
~giggles~ I just love you Becky!!! Thank you for making my day!!
Speaking of changing a receipe to fit the situation, I mad
e the pistachio cake(sugar-free) for my daughter(diabetic) this past weekend and you cannot tell the difference in the original. So good – we cannot tell the difference.
Used a box of Pillsbury sugar-free vanilla cake mix, 2 boxes pistachio sugar-free pudding mix, low carb, fat free milk, diet 7-up and sugar-free cool whip along with the normal ingredients.
.
Excellent!
Thank you
Peggy
Oh WOW Peggy!!! Thank you so much for letting us all know how it turned out. There will be so many readers thrilled to hear this news!
I guess I’m missing something because I don’t see any mention of caramels in the ingredients list. How many?
There aren’t any little packaged caramels. The dulce de leche is canned caramel. You can check it out to see a pic in the post. 🙂
My wife, Karen would have have loved this. She was the mascot for her brother’s boy scout troop. She even out sold the troop members one year selling Christmas Wreaths. Who could say no to an adorable little girl helping her brother’s troop. I cannot wait to make these for our daughter Rachel and we can eat them in memory of Karen.
Oh, Christy, I was just scrolling through the Southern Plate home page and I saw at the bottom, on your facebook link, that Sweetie is back! I am sitting here in Orlando, Florida, in a hotel room, crying tears of joy for you and your family! You just made my day! I didn’t think today could get any better, sitting here looking out the window at the warm Florida sun and palm trees swaying, but this beats all! Praise God! Give that pup a hug for me, will ya? I have been praying for your family, especially your Katie Rose, to get her beloved Sweetie back. I have two daughters, 13 and 12, and they would be devastated if we lost either our German Shepherd, Daphne, or our tortoiseshell kitty, Sarabi. You are a testament to faith, the way you have somehow managed to get through these past 12 days, trusting God and living life. I am so very, very happy for you and your family. Up at my church in southern New Jersey, we have a saying that we like to use…’God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!’ Amen to that! Now, go girl, and feed that hungry baby!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers Sharon!!! God IS good…ALL the time! It hasn’t been an easy 12 days, but we are so blessed to be able to celebrate today!
I don’t like coconut. Do you think if I left that out the caramel would be to thin and runny? Thanks for the receipe!
My husband was a “girl scout” for much the same reason you were a “cub scout”, his mother was a troop leader.