Whole Food Vegan Samoa Brownies

(Note: this post was originally published on March 11, 2021. The date above reflects migration to the new platform.)

Samoa Love!

I'm very happily celebrating Girl Scout Cookie season with these brownies. Inspired by Samoas (or Caramel Delites, depending on who you ask), these brownies are unbelievably decadent yet also incredibly nourishing for the body. Actually, I'm pretty sure they're magic.

I really can't describe in words the immense love I feel for these brownies. A rich, fudgy brownie gets topped with a delightfully sticky caramel coconut layer and then finished off with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt. If there's a more fun, nostalgic dessert out there, I haven't found it.

These bars are inspired by Samoas, which are the ring-shaped Girl Scout cookies with the chocolate bottom and coconut caramel top. I love how Samoas are a bit sticky, a bit chewy, and have lots of different flavors. Plus I just adore coconut, so they're definitely my favorite Girl Scout cookies. My version stays completely faithful to the flavors in Samoas; there's no need to mess with a good thing! The coconut caramel layer on the top is also remarkably like the texture of Samoas; sort of chewy and gooey. The coconut layer sits on top of the most delightful, fudgy brownie, which in my opinion is a major upgrade from the cookies.

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Nourishing Ingredients

Despite their decadence, these brownies are essentially just fruit and nuts. They're entirely fruit-sweetened except for the chocolate drizzle and entirely flourless. The fat comes from nuts. The concept for these brownies is based on my Whole Food Vegan Snickers Brownies, which you all went crazy for this past fall.

The brownies themselves are just dates, peanut butter, nut milk, flax seed meal, cocoa powder, and leaveners. Miraculous, right?? The dates give them sweetness and the most delightful fudgy texture, while the peanut butter provides richness. In all seriousness, these are some of the most incredible brownies I've ever had.

The coconut layer is a date-based "caramel" (yes, dates again, they're amazing!) and toasted coconut. So, like the brownie layer, it's all just fruit and nuts.

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Tips and Tricks

These brownies require a few different steps, but nothing challenging. You'll make the brownie batter in the food processor and bake it. Meanwhile, you'll make the date caramel, toast some coconut, and mix up the second layer. Let the brownies cool partially, add the coconut layer, drizzle with chocolate, and chill. They're well-worth the extra effort.

This is quite a sticky dough, so make sure to oil your pan very well! Or, to be extra safe, line the pan with parchment paper. Date-based brownies are delightfully fudgy and decadent, but those sticky dates make the batter a little tricky to work with.

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Timing

These brownies definitely need to be chilled before you cut them, which makes them the perfect make-ahead treat! They can happily sit in the fridge for a day or two. If you're pressed for time, you can even make them over a couple different days, adding each subsequent layer whenever you have a spare moment. If you want to go that route, I suggest making the brownies and keeping them in the fridge, then adding the coconut layer and chocolate drizzle the next day, then eating them on the third day!

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Let's Talk Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Dates. Dates are the magic behind these brownies! You'll use them in both the brownie layer and the coconut layer to provide sweetness and binding power.
• Peanut butter. Or feel free to use any other nut or seed butter.
• Milk. I usually bake with unsweetened soy milk since it has such lovely richness, but whatever you have on-hand is fine.
• Cocoa powder
• Flax seed meal
• Apple cider vinegar. I know this sounds bizarre, but trust me! You can't taste it at all and it reacts with the baking soda to give these fudgy brownies some loft.
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Vanilla extract
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Coconut oil. You'll use this both to bind the coconut together and to thin out your chocolate drizzle.
  
• Dark chocolate chips

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Closing Thoughts

These brownies are a celebration of Samoas in all their glory. Dave and I are smitten with these and have been absolutely cherishing every bite of them. I'm so thrilled with this recipe, I really can't wait for you to try it! These brownies are such perfect proof that indulgent food can also be good for the body. They're made with only whole-food ingredients and are fruit-sweetened, yet they taste like the most decadent over-the-top treat.

Given the ingredients in these bars, we've actually been bringing them for lunch! They're filling and protein-rich thanks to the peanut butter and coconut, and nutritionally they're actually way better for you than most packaged protein bars. And, nothing against Samoas, but this homemade version is so much more nourishing than the boxed version.

Happy baking! I'll definitely be making these again and again all throughout Girl Scout cookie season and beyond.

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.