Healthy Samoa Bars

Dig into my healthy Samoa bars, made with a sweet almond crust, classic coconut filling, and chocolate drizzle. Naturally sweetened and perfectly decadent, this recipe is a must-try!

Healthy Samoa bar recipe

What’s your favorite Girl Scouts cookie? 

While Thin Mints are their regular best-seller, I’m a huge supporter of their 2nd place victor – Samoas! These crispy beauties layer coconut, caramel, and chocolate drizzle for a delightful combination. 

Inspired by this Girl Scouts classic, I wanted to create my own healthy Samoas, made with a natural sweetener for a lightened-up version. 

These healthy Samoa bars are easy to whip up on a whim – ideal for anytime you’re craving a sweet treat.

Craving more Girl Scout-inspired recipes? Be sure to try my Copycat Healthy Thin Mints and Healthy Samoa Cookies. But first, my Samoa bars!

Ingredients needed

Here’s a little bit about everything that goes into my healthy Samoa bars:

Almond flour crust

• Almond flour: The base of our healthy Samoa bars is made with 2 cups of almond flour. This makes the bars super chewy and naturally gluten-free!
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup is one of my favorite natural sweeteners; this recipe calls for ¼ cup. 
• Coconut oil: For binding and fat content, you’ll need ⅓ cup melted coconut oil.
• Vanilla: 1 teaspoon vanilla gives these bars a sweet warmth. 
• Salt: Finally, I add ¼ teaspoon salt to the base as a flavor enhancer. 

Samoa filling

• Maple syrup: ⅓ cup maple syrup makes these healthy Samoas perfectly sweet. 
• Coconut oil: I add another ⅓ cup of coconut oil to the filling; it complements the traditional Samoa coconut flavor.
• Almond butter: ½ cup almond butter helps bind while adding a tasty protein source to these bars. 
• Salt: You’ll need another ½ teaspoon salt to enhance this filling. 
• Unsweetened shredded coconut: 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• Vanilla: 1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate topping

• Chocolate chips: I complete my healthy Samoa bars with a drizzle of chocolate. You'll need ¾ cup of chocolate chips for this step.
• Coconut oil: I use just 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to help thin the chocolate topping. 
• Flaky sea salt: Top your finished healthy Samoas with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to make them really shine!

Kitchen tools required

To make these healthy samoas, you’ll need a few kitchen essentials, including:

• 8x8-inch square pan
• Small mixing bowl
• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon
• Microwave-safe bowl
• Kitchen knife 

You’ll also need measuring cups, including 1 cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, ¼ cup, 1 tsp, ½ tsp, and ¼ tsp.

How to make Samoa bars

To start, preheat your oven to 350F and prepare an 8x8-inch pan with a bit of parchment paper or grease. 

Next, add crust ingredients to a small mixing bowl. This includes 2 cups of almond flour, ¼ cup of maple syrup, ⅓ cup of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ teaspoon salt. 

Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan. Then, bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes. The finished crust should have a slight golden brown color. Allow it cool for 10 minutes while prepping your other elements. 

Heat a small saucepan on medium heat, adding ⅓ cup maple syrup, ⅓ cup coconut oil, and ½ cup almond butter. Whisk well and bring to a light simmer. Once simmering, turn off the heat. 

Add ½ teaspoon salt, 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the pan. Stir until combined. Then, pour this prepped Samoa mixture over the crust and press to cover. 

For the chocolate topping, microwave ¾ cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in 30-second increments until melted. 

Top your Samoas with drizzled chocolate and flaky sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing into squares and digging in.

Recipe tips

Below are some common Samoa bar questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

How to serve healthy Samoa bars

Enjoy these Samoa bars as a sweet dessert or anytime snack. They’re shelf-stable, making them the perfect treat to grab on-the-go!

For dessert, they’d be super delicious paired with a banana “nice cream.” Aka, frozen bananas blended with a spoonful of peanut butter (if you haven’t tried it, thank me later). 

What makes these homemade Samoa bars “healthy”? 

While I don’t love labelling any food group as “healthy” or “unhealthy” (everything in moderation, people!), these Samoa bars are lighter and more nutrient-dense than the classic Girl Scouts recipe. 

They include an almond flour base, providing more protein than wheat flour. 

Maple syrup makes a great replacement for anyone avoiding processed sugars, like the white sugar and corn syrup found in Samoas. 

Finally, this homemade version doesn’t include artificial flavoring or other additives that some folks like to avoid. 

Are these healthy Samoa bars gluten-free?

Yes! My recipe used almond flour to make these Samoas safe for celiacs to enjoy. As always, make sure to check the ingredients list on packaged items for risks of cross-contamination. 

How do I make these Samoa bars vegan?

These Samoa bars are already vegan, as long as you choose a dairy-free chocolate chip. I’m a big fan of the Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels because they’re super allergy-friendly. 

In short, these Samoas can be enjoyed by almost anyone, coconut allergies excluded. 

Storing leftovers

Store these homemade healthy samoas in the fridge or on the counter in an airtight container. 

In cool weather, these bars will last on the counter for 2-3 days. Past this, the coconut oil will begin to soften and make the bars quite greasy. 

They’ll last up to 7-10 days in the refrigerator, staying firm and chewy all week long! Be sure to separate layers with a bit of parchment paper to avoid sticking. 

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Dessert is mandatory in my house. For more sweet inspiration, check out these recipes next:

• Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls
• Healthy Cookie Skillet
• Almond Cranberry Biscotti
• Healthy Salted Caramel Cookies
• Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Recipe by Erin Antoniak and Photos by Bake and Bacon