Homemade Samoa Bars

Even though these bars do require several components and a lot of chill time, I assure you that each layer is very easy to make and will be well worth your time! Feel free to make these bars your own - switch out the coconut flakes for more traditional shredded coconut, drizzle chocolate on top, leave out the chocolate all together... No matter how you change these up, they are sure to be a household favorite!

For more homemade bar recipes, try S'mores Bars, Cherry Pie Bars, Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars, and Tahini Caramel Millionaire's Shortbread.

Ingredient Notes

• Unsalted Butter: In total, this recipe calls for 3 whole sticks of butter. Yes, it's a lot, but it's so worth it.
• Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is key to achieving that super soft, melt-in-your-mouth quality for the shortbread base. 
• All-Purpose Flour: You’ll need about two cups of flour for the shortbread base.
• Vanilla Extract: Add a little bit of vanilla in both the shortbread base and caramel filling to optimize the flavor!
• Granulated Sugar: You'll need about 1 ½ cups of sugar for the caramel.
• Light Corn Syrup: I know light corn syrup is not the best ingredient health-wise, but it is the only thing that has worked for me when making a chewy caramel. 
• Heavy Cream: For the caramel, you'll melt butter with the heavy cream so they are warm enough and will not seize up the hot sugar. 
• Coconut Flakes: I used coconut flakes because that was what I had on hand. Plus, I actually love the way it looks in the caramel! If you would like, you can use shredded coconut, but you may need to increase the quantity. 
• Chocolate: For dipping the bars, use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate.
• Neutral Oil: Add a couple teaspoons to the chocolate so it will set nicely without a chalky look. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this homemade samoa bar recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the crust. In a medium bowl, cream the butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, salt, and vanilla until just combined.Press the dough into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon or small measuring cup to pack it in and level it out. Prick the dough with a fork all over and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. While the base is chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the shortbread for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely before pouring the caramel on top. 

STEP 2: Make the filling. Heat the heavy cream and butter until the butter has completely melted and set aside. Heat sugar and light corn syrup over low-medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high until boiling, only stirring occasionally. Once amber in color, remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and butter mixture. Return the pan back to the medium-high heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 248 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then immediately pour over the cooled shortbread crust. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top of the caramel and carefully mix them around to evenly distribute them. Allow the caramel to cool down a little before placing in the fridge overnight, and dip with melted chocolate before serving.

Expert Baking Tips

• Use parchment paper and a small measuring cup to evenly flatten out the shortbread dough in the square pan. Press the dough out with your hands, then use the measuring cup to smooth it out.
• If you would like, you can toast your coconut to bring out the flavors a little more! Simply place the coconut in a frying pan and heat on low heat, stirring frequently until the coconut is lightly browned and aromatic. 
• The caramel gets very sticky, so before cutting and dipping in chocolate, I recommend chilling them in the fridge or freezer. If they ever get to soft to handle, pop them in the freezer for a few minutes. 
• The caramel can also get very hard when it's chilled, so when you are ready to eat them, be sure to set them out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x