Samoa Bites
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I first made these Samoa Bites on a rainy afternoon when I wanted a no-bake cookie that tasted like the Girl Scout classic — coconut, caramel and dark chocolate — but in a bite-sized, party-ready piece. They’re chewy, slightly toasty from the coconut, and covered in a glossy dark chocolate shell. If you want a quick batch to bring to a potluck or tuck into the freezer for sweet cravings, this version is straightforward and satisfying. For a slightly different take with the same flavors, you can compare this to another home recipe for Samoa Bites before you start.
Why you’ll love this dish
These Samoa Bites hit nostalgia notes without the fuss of cookie-baking: no chilling dough for hours, no shaping dozens of rings, and they hold up well in a freezer bag. They’re excellent for gift boxes, holiday cookie swaps, or a last-minute dessert when you want something that looks special but comes together fast.
“The toasted coconut and rich dulce de leche make these addictive — everyone thought they were store-bought.” — a happy test-kitchen reviewer
What makes them practical:
- Minimal equipment: a baking sheet, a bowl, a microwave-safe dish, and a piping bag (or a zip-top bag).
- Pantry-friendly: most ingredients are shelf-stable until opened.
- Kid-friendly assembly: scooping and dipping are fun for helpers.
How this recipe comes together
Step-by-step overview before you get to the ingredients so you know what’s involved:
- Toast the coconut to deepen flavor and remove raw-coconut moisture.
- Warm the dulce de leche so it’s spreadable, then mix with coconut and crushed Nilla wafers for texture.
- Bind with sweetened condensed milk, portion into small balls and freeze to firm up.
- Melt dark chocolate, flatten the bottoms of the frozen bites, coat the base in chocolate, and finish with a chocolate drizzle.
- Let the chocolate set and store chilled.
This sequence keeps the coconut toasty, the filling stable, and the chocolate finish neat.
What you’ll need
- 7 oz sweetened shredded coconut (about one small bag)
- 14 oz can dulce de leche
- 7 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups crushed Nilla wafers (about 1 sleeve)
- 12 oz bag Ghirardelli dark chocolate wafers (or other high-quality dark melting wafers)
Substitutions and notes:
- If you can’t find dulce de leche, see directions in FAQs for a quick homemade alternative.
- Use gluten-free sandwich cookies crushed finely to make these GF — they’ll still bind well.
- For a lighter chocolate, swap to semi-sweet or milk chocolate; keep in mind milk chocolate melts softer at room temperature.
If you want another pantry-first version of Samoa-style bites for comparison, check this alternate Samoa Bites riff.
How to prepare it
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the shredded coconut evenly on the sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the coconut every 5 minutes so it toasts evenly and doesn’t burn.
- Transfer the toasted coconut to a large glass mixing bowl.
- Heat the 14 oz can of dulce de leche in the microwave for 1 minute (use a microwave-safe dish if you have transferred it).
- Add the warmed dulce de leche to the bowl with coconut and stir to combine.
- Mix in the 2 cups of crushed Nilla wafers until evenly distributed.
- Pour the 7 oz sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and stir until the mixture is cohesive and sticky.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop ping-pong–sized balls onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Freeze the scooped balls for 1 hour so they firm up and are easier to dip.
- Place a portion of the chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and melt on 50% power. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
- Remove the coconut balls from the freezer. Press each slightly on the bottom to flatten so they sit stable.
- Dip the bottom of each ball into the melted chocolate and set back on parchment.
- Transfer the remaining chocolate into a decorating bag or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Drizzle chocolate over the bites for stripes and decorate as you like.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until the chocolate firms, or speed it up in the fridge for 5–10 minutes.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F; line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Toast coconut for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Warm dulce de leche for 1 minute so it’s easy to stir.
- In a large glass bowl, combine toasted coconut and dulce de leche.
- Add crushed Nilla wafers and stir to combine.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk over the mix and stir until evenly sticky.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment; freeze 1 hour.
- Melt chocolate wafers on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each.
- Lightly flatten bottoms of frozen balls and dip the bottoms into melted chocolate; return to parchment.
- Place remaining melted chocolate into a bag and drizzle over the tops.
- Let the chocolate set (15 minutes at room temp or a few minutes in the fridge) and enjoy.
Best ways to enjoy it
- Serve a tiered platter at a party — the dark chocolate makes a great visual contrast with toasted coconut.
- Pair with a bold coffee or espresso to balance the sweetness.
- For a dessert sampler, arrange alongside thin chocolate-covered pretzels and shortbread cookies for texture contrast.
- Wrap a few in parchment and tie with twine for edible gifts.
How to store & freeze
- Refrigerate: Keep Samoa Bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5–7 days. The chocolate may bloom (a harmless white film) if refrigerated long-term, but flavor remains.
- Freeze: Place in a single layer on parchment in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1–2 hours before serving.
- Food safety: Because these treats contain dulce de leche and sweetened condensed milk (both high-sugar, low-risk), refrigeration is still recommended if you won’t eat them within a day at room temperature. Always use clean utensils when handling to avoid contamination.
Pro chef tips
- Toast coconut evenly: spread in a thin layer and don’t walk away — coconut goes from golden to burnt quickly. Toss every 5 minutes.
- Use a glass bowl: it retains heat when you stir in the warm dulce de leche and helps everything meld evenly.
- Freeze before dipping: frozen centers minimize chocolate smudging and give cleaner lines.
- Chocolate melting: 50% power in the microwave with frequent stirring prevents seizing. If chocolate does seize, add 1 teaspoon neutral oil or shortening and stir to loosen.
- For neater drizzles, use a piping bag; for a quick fix, use a fork or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut.
- For perfectly uniform bites, weigh scoops at about 18–20 grams each.
For a show-stopping presentation or a Samoa-inspired layered dessert, try converting the filling into a crust or topping following a Samoa cheesecake approach.
Creative twists
- Salted-caramel Samoa: sprinkle flaky sea salt onto the chocolate drizzle for contrast.
- Nutty crunch: fold in 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans for extra texture.
- White-chocolate version: use white chocolate for the coating and dark chocolate for drizzle for a two-tone look.
- Vegan swap: use vegan dulce de leche (coconut caramel), dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, and vegan cookies; coat with vegan dark chocolate.
- Bar form: press the mixture into a lined 8×8 pan, freeze, and cut into bars before coating the bottoms in chocolate for a different presentation.
Your questions answered
Q: How long does prep and total time take?
A: Active prep is about 20–30 minutes (toasting, mixing, scooping). Add 1 hour freezing plus 15 minutes to set the chocolate. Total time roughly 1 hour 45 minutes with passive chilling.
Q: Can I make dulce de leche from sweetened condensed milk?
A: Yes. Simmer an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water for 2–3 hours (keep water covering the can) to caramelize it into dulce de leche. Let the can cool completely before opening. Alternatively, you can use store-bought dulce de leche for convenience.
Q: My chocolate seized. What now?
A: If it becomes grainy, add a teaspoon of neutral oil (vegetable or coconut) and stir until smooth. Warm gently in short microwave bursts while stirring.
Q: Are these freezer-safe and do they lose texture after thawing?
A: They freeze well up to 3 months. Thawed bites may be slightly softer in texture but retain flavor. Thaw in the fridge to reduce condensation on the chocolate.
Q: Can I make these nut-free or gluten-free?
A: Yes. Use nut-free cookies (Nilla wafers are typically nut-free) and gluten-free sandwich cookies crushed in place of Nilla wafers for a gluten-free version — check labels to ensure cross-contamination hasn’t occurred.
Conclusion
If you want another reference for a very similar homemade treat, try this detailed version of Samoa Bites – My Incredible Recipes that breaks down measurements and presentation ideas. For a lighter, protein-focused spin that swaps a few ingredients, see Samoa Cookie Protein Bites – Kalejunkie. And if you’d like a truffle-style take on the same flavors, this Samoa Truffles Recipe – Shugary Sweets has beautiful plating inspiration.
Samoa Bites
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the shredded coconut evenly on the sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the coconut every 5 minutes so it toasts evenly and doesn’t burn.
- Transfer the toasted coconut to a large glass mixing bowl.
- Heat the can of dulce de leche in the microwave for 1 minute until warm and spreadable.
- Add the warmed dulce de leche to the bowl with coconut and stir to combine.
- Mix in the crushed Nilla wafers until evenly distributed.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the mixture and stir until cohesive and sticky.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop ping-pong–sized balls onto parchment paper.
- Freeze the scooped balls for 1 hour to firm up.
- Melt the chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power, in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
- Remove the coconut balls from the freezer and gently flatten the bottoms so they can sit stable.
- Dip the bottom of each ball into the melted chocolate and set back on parchment.
- Transfer the remaining melted chocolate into a decorating bag or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Drizzle chocolate over the bites for decoration.
- Let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until the chocolate firms, or speed process in the fridge for 5–10 minutes.
