These Samoa Cupcakes are the ultimate treat and are inspired by your favorite Girl Scout cookies! Rich, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with salted caramel frosting, salted caramel sauce and toasted coconut. An incredible combination of flavors and textures, these cupcakes are sweet and salty and perfect for any occasion!
Love cupcakes? Make sure to try these favorites: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Strawberry Cupcakes and these Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Samoa Cupcakes Recipe
Chocolate, caramel and coconut… these Samoa Cupcakes have all of my favorite flavors in one amazing cupcake!
Inspired by Girl Scout Samoa cookies, these cupcakes start with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, then are topped with salted caramel frosting, toasted coconut and a finishing drizzle of caramel.
I shared these cupcakes a few families at (my girls) school and I’m pretty sure I’ve sealed our friendship for life! =)
These Samoa Cupcakes start with my favorite Chocolate Cupcake Recipe <– click for recipe
Top the cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting (recipe below), and then finish with toasted coconut.
Toasted Coconut
The toasted coconut is the perfect garnish to these cupcakes and really is what transforms them into Samoa Cupcakes! Toasted coconut is quick and easy and adds a ton of flavor to this recipe.
To toast the coconut, spread about 1 and 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 3 to 8 minutes.
Check after 3 minutes and stir, then check (and stir if needed) about every minute after.
The coconut can burn very quickly, watch it closely!
Salted Caramel Sauce
Garnish the finished cupcakes with a drizzle of salted caramel. I used Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Sauce (labeled Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce) in the recipe and for the drizzle and it’s my favorite store bought caramel ever!
Feel free to make your own salted caramel sauce, I have included my recipe in the recipe card below. It’s important to chose a salted caramel sauce (or add a bit of good quality sea salt), or the recipe will be overpoweringly sweet.
These Samoa Cupcakes are simply amazing! My husband has already requested I make another batch of these for him to share at work. I’ll be happy to fulfill that request… and I’ll be sure to keep one (or two) aside for myself! =)
More Caramel Recipes
- Salted Caramel & Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Homemade Pecan Turtles
- Banana Caramel Cream Dessert
- Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart
- Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip
Samoa Cupcakes Recipe
Samoa Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa best quality
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract best quality available
- 1 cup boiling water
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 4 ounces cream cheese 1/2 block
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce recipe below or use high quality store bought
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Garnish
- 1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup salted caramel sauce recipe below or use high quality store bought
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
- Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
- Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
- Bake cupcakes for approximately 18-22 minutes.
- Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Allow butter to set out at room temperature about 15 minutes (you can gather your other ingredients in the mean time).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
- Add cream cheese and continue to beat until fully smooth and well incorporated.
- While slowly mixing, pour in caramel sauce (should not be warm). Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Continue slowly mixing and add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, allowing the sugar to blend a bit before adding each additional cup.
- Scrap down the sides of the bowl and then blend the frosting an additional 30 seconds or so. The frosting should be fluffy, and all ingredients fully incorporated.
- Frost cupcakes.
Garnish
- Drizzle cupcakes with salted caramel sauce and then prepare the toasted coconut.
- Spread about 1 and 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for 3-8 minutes. Check after 3 minutes and stir, then check (and stir if needed) about every minute after. The coconut can burn very quickly, watch it closely! Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the cupcakes. Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Warm the heavy cream in a bowl in the microwave and then set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir gently to incorporate the ingredients.
- Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring gently, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.
- Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil undisturbed until it begins to darken in color. You want the mixture to reach a honey color, but no darker. The syrup will change from light in color to dark very quickly, so it’s important to watch closely and remove the pan from the heat as soon as it’s light-medium honey color.
- Once removed from heat, carefully and slowly pour in the warm heavy cream (the mixture will hiss and bubble). Stir to full incorporate the cream.
- Add butter and salt and stir to combine. Add vanilla.
- Allow sauce to cool a bit, then pour into a jar. Cool at room temperature, then cover jar and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Originally published March 22, 2015.
Best cupcake flavor ever, OBVI. Pinned!
you make me want to bake cupcakes, and I don’t really like baking cupcakes, but I feel the need for a samoa cupcake ASAP
These look amazing! I’m studying in Germany right now and left right before my samoas came in 🙁 I’ll just have to try and make these to make up for the loss!
Glory, you just keep outdoing yourself! These look absolutely divine!
Thanks so much Sherrill!
Hi Gloria, I went to Trader Joe today and I bought the caramel but it is NOT salted. They said, they don’t sell it salted. I did purchase the caramel sauce anyway. Can you please advise how much salt and what kind to add to the jar or a serving size? That would be most helpful. Thank you. 🙂
Hi Maria,
Sorry for the confusion! Looking at my jar now, I can see the confusion… the caramel is labeled “Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce” Fleur de Sel is French sea salt. You have the right stuff =) I’ve added that note to the recipe as well to help others. So glad you’re going to give the recipe a try! Enjoy!
**** these look amazing! the richness of the chocolate really stands out. and the frosting is just immaculate!
Caramel buttercream.. Yummy! These cupcakes look incredible!
yummy ! I pick you the recipe my boyfriend would love it ^^
I’ve never heard of the Samoa Girl Scout cookies, but holy moly I want one of these cupcakes! They look incredible Glory 🙂
OOh,you’re missing out on Samoa cookies… on the other hand, I think these cupcakes might be even better! Samoa cookies are a shortbread type cookie covered in chocolate and caramel and topped with coconut. They’re only available in the spring, when Girl Scouts sell them. Luckily, you can make these cupcakes all year round! =)
Best looking cupcake. Ever!
Thanks Amy!