If you love Caramel deLites or Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, then these easy Samoa Truffles are going to drive your taste buds crazy! Chewy delicious candy made from scratch, no girl scout cookies needed.
Love homemade truffles? Our easy chocolate truffles are a must make, any time of year. Or give our delicious coconut truffles a try! They’ll remind you of our favorite coconut macaroons!
Why I love Samoa Bites
Raise your hand if you LOVE Girl Scout Cookies. Through the years I’ve been slightly obsessed. And each member of my family has a favorite flavor. My husband loves Tagalongs, and the kids love thin mints.
Mine, obviously, is the box of Samoas. I think now they are called Caramel deLites but maybe it varies by region.
That’s where these Samoa Truffles came into play.
A sweet, delicious truffle packed with the best parts of my favorite cookie, in an easy to eat truffle. And….these can be stored in the freezer. Perfect, right?
- This truffle is the delicious marriage of coconut, chocolate and caramel.
- I used a can of dulce de leche sauce for a thick, toothsome caramel texture that is even better than the caramel in Samoas.
- Some crushed wafers, melted chocolate and sweetened coconut flakes turned the caramel sauce into delicious cold truffles, perfect for popping into my mouth whenever a Samoa craving strikes!
Only 5 Ingredients
- Coconut- the star of the show! I prefer sweetened, shredded coconut. But this candy is definitely sweet enough should you use unsweetened coconut.
- Nilla Wafers- You’ll need a whole box of cookies, and crush them. Not completely fine, keep some larger crumbs (see photo above). Golden oreos or Butter cookies work great too.
- Sweetened condensed milk- one can provides the perfect amount of sweetness, but also helps the mixture combine to a delicious texture.
- Dulce de Leche- This is a very thick caramel sauce. Do not use milk.
- Chocolate- I prefer using Ghirardelli melting wafers here, they melt smooth and taste amazing, and no need to add any shortening to thin or temper the chocolate.
How to Make Coconut Caramel Truffles
First, you’re going to toast your coconut flakes! This gives them a nutty flavor and a little bit of crispiness.
- To toast coconut: Spread it out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, flipping the coconut flakes after every 5 minute increment, until they are golden brown.
Combine.
- Meanwhile, mix together Nilla wafer cookie crumbs with dulce de leche and sweetened condensed milk.
- Add in the coconut flakes when they’re done toasting and mix until well combined.
To form the Samoa truffles:
- Scoop the mixture by the tablespoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Freeze the truffles for 30 minutes.
Last but not least: the chocolate drizzle!
- Melt dark chocolate wafers in the microwave. Mine took 3 rounds of 30 seconds each (stirring between each one) to get smooth and melty.
- Dip the bottom of each frozen truffle into the melted chocolate. When all the truffles are dipped, pour the remaining chocolate into a ziplog bag. Snip a whole in one corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the top of all the truffles.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure you’re using canned dulce de leche in this recipe! Bottled caramel sauce will NOT work! I recommend this brand.
- If you don’t have candy wafers, dark or semi sweet chocolate chips will work as a substitute.
- These keep well in the fridge for about 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months. I find it hard to resist eating them all within a matter of days, though. They’re just that good.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Samoa Fudge: this creamy fudge packed with coconut, caramel and chocolate is a take on the classic cookie!
- Samoa Cookie Cups: delicious shortbread cookie cup with a surprise center!
- Thin Mint Puppy Chow: no actual cookies are used to make this muddy buddy treat!
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf: copycat recipe!
- French Silk Brownies- layers of deliciousness.
Homemade Candy Recipes
See all Candy recipes
Samoa Truffles Recipe
If you love Caramel deLites or Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, then these easy Samoa Truffles are going to drive your taste buds crazy! Chewy delicious candy made from scratch, no girl scout cookies needed.
Ingredients
- 7 ounce sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 can dulce de leche 14 ounce
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounce
- 1 box Nilla Wafer cookies, crushed 11 ounce (about 2 cups crushed)
- 16 ounce Ghirardelli dark chocolate wafers
Instructions
- On a large baking sheet, spread coconut into a single layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Be sure to turn and flip the coconut every 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
- In a bowl, combine coconut, dulce de leche, sweetened condensed milk and cookie crumbs. Stir until well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop one tablespoon of mixture (I use this scoop) onto the parchment paper. Repeat until all mixture is used. Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Melt chocolate wafers according to package directions (about 1 1/2 minutes in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds). Dip bottom of each truffle in melted chocolate and return to parchment paper.
- Once all truffles are dipped, put the remaining chocolate into a small ziploc bag. Snip off the corner and drizzle over truffles. Store in refrigerator (or freezer) in airtight container.
Notes
- Make sure you are using 1 can of dulce de leche (the thick caramel). Many people who have had issues with this spreading are not using the right can. You can see the correct product here!
- If you don’t have candy wafers, dark or semi sweet chocolate chips will work as a substitute.
- These keep well in the fridge for about 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months. I find it hard to resist eating them all within a matter of days, though. They’re just that good.
- See blog podt gor more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1truffle, Calories: 51kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 13mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!
Very sticky….added another bag of coconut and box of crumbled wafers. Tried to dip in chocolate, forget it, After my additions thats all I can figure out what to do. they dont hold now, Im out about $12.00.
I have figured out that some people are use la lechera milk not dulce de leche (which is a thick caramel). Could this have happened?
I have a question on the wafers. The recipe says use the whole box and that this is about 2 cups crushed. My 11 ounce box yielded 3.5 cups. So do I use 2 cups or use the entire box? For those folks who are mentioning stickiness, perhaps they used the 2 cups and not the whole box?
It’s 2 cups of crumbs.
Made as written and it was a little sticky . I also didn’t feel like it had enough coconut flavor. I had purchased supplies to make 2 batches. And enough coconut to have extra to help resolve any sticky issues.
I ended up adding another can of dulce de leche and used 1.5 bags (11 oz each) of toasted coconut. I buttered a jelly roll pan, added toasted coconut, pressed in the truffle mixture and topped with more coconut.
I froze this then cut into bite size squares. I dipped in chocolate then topped with the extra coconut that was left in the pan. Yummy.
Now I’m dreaming of making these in other ways. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Update: I made a second batch using homemade caramel recipe. Pressed into a pan and they set up very nicely. I was able to cut them into bars.
I’ve never used sweetened condensed milk…do I need to cook in the can befor using, it just open and dump in?
These truffles use one can of sweetened condensed milk, and one can of dulce de leche.
I followed the receipe exactly as written, and the truffles are very good, but still sticky. Is there any way to remedy this?
The recipe may work perfectly for some but for me and maybe it’s weather related, using 1/2-3/4 can of the condensed milk solved the stickiness.
Perfect thank you for this
I followed the recipe to a T and even used dulce de leche that was thick. When I put them in the freezer, and pulled them out 30 minutes or so later they were not frozen. I left them overnight in the freezer and they were still too sticky and not frozen at all when I checked them again.Any ideas as to why my mixture would not freeze?
Is there a gluten free option you could suggest for the vanilla wafers? I am celiac, but this recipe looks a amazing and would love to try.
I amnalso interested in a gluten free recipe. These look delicious!
Nilla makes a gluten free wafer. I saw it yesterday at Walmart.
they make glutenfree vanilla wafers. Kinnikinnick is the brand sold at Wallmart in a 6.3 oz size. they are very good.
I’m torn on these. I was a little concerned by all the comments expressing problems, so I figured I would dip them entirely in chocolate to eliminate the stickiness issue. But then the chocolate overpowers the other flavors. It threw off the flavor ratio too much.
But I’d be concerned about not dipping them completely, because they are *incredibly* sticky. I can’t imagine wanting to pick one up with my fingers if they weren’t covered in chocolate and truffles are finger food by default. The caramel/Nilla wafer/coconut flavor pre-chocolate was good, but it’s drowned out when the chocolate is added. I didn’t have the consistency issues that people report, though. I bought the canned dulce de leche (they sell it at the Walmart supercenter near me as well as few other grocery stores) so no issues there. (Guys, the correct dulce is so thick that it doesn’t pour out of the can. You have to scoop it. It’s not like caramel for ice cream. Also, make sure you cool your toasted coconut, otherwise the heat will melt the dulce, which could be causing the spreading.) So.. I didn’t have the disaster issues with spreading that people had, but I’m not sure if I would do these again. The flavor of the interior is good, but it’s just so sticky I don’t think I’d want it without a chocolate coating.. but the chocolate coating is too much chocolate for the other flavors to really come through. They’re fine, but not what I’d call amazing.
I crushed 6 more cookies and added 1/2 – 1 cup more coconut then they held shape , not sticky
I made the recipe just as you wrote it and they came out perfect!! 🙂
Perfect. I think people aren’t using the canned dulce de leche…maybe they are using caramel sauce, or sweetened condensed milk. Because I make them often and they turn out amazing 🙂
Just made these tonight and they came out great! Followed the recipe exactly as stated and didn’t have any problems! Theyre def sticky but once I dipped & drizzled in chocolate they set up perfectly! Chilling in the freezer now! 😉 thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear it 🙂 They’re so wonderful!
Four hours, not hour hours!
I made these using boiled condensed milk and they were fine. I’ve done it twice. The first time I cooked the milk in the can for hour hours On the stovetop, the second time I used my instant pot and cooked it for 40 minutes on high and then did quick release. If you use condensed milk to make your Dulce de Leche, you need to really cook it to get it think. My truffles settled a bit and were sticky, but after I dipped the bottoms in chocolate and drizzled the tops, they firmed up. If you can’t find canned Dulce de Leche, just cook your condensed milk longer.
Followed the recipe to a T and they came out perfect. Not sure how these could be runny, the leche is so thick that by the time I was done combining all the ingredients my arm was ready to fall off!
Agreed!!! 🙂 Glad it worked for you too! (I’m wondering if people are using caramel sauce and NOT dulce de leche??)
Hi, just save this recipe, but when I click on link to see correct Dulce de Leche – it says product unavailable. Can you advise an alternate for the recipe? Thanks!
You should be able to buy dulce de leche in the grocery stores. You can find it on the shelves next to sweetened condensed milk.
I found Dulce de Leche in the “Hispanic Foods” section of Walmart. I plan on making this recipe for our neighborhood Gal’s Cocktail Hour. What with Social Distancing, we gather on a neighbor’s front porch, observing the 6 foot distancing and chat, sip and nibble for a bit, mostly to keep our sanity! 😉
Do they “have” to be refrigerated? I would like to use them in my cookie swap at school, but they will be stored in my classroom until the end of the day. Thanks.
Nope, you can leave them out.
Followed the recipe to a T and they were delicious! I made them to bring somewhere but my Facebook got to them first. Gone in 2 days. Making a double batch now! I also used food processor for cookies and measured 2 cups out after they were crumbs. Thanks for awesome and easy recipe!
You’re welcome 🙂
I am currently making these, and the consistent is perfect! I went with the recommendation of getting the specific can of Dulce De Leche, in the Mexican isle at Albertsons. I got the condensed milk right next as well. A couple things, I added more coconut. I felt 7oz wasn’t enough. I almost doubled it. And using a 2inch scooper has produced about 53 balls. So a smaller scouper would produce more truffles.
Can i make the caramel using sweetened condensed milk says to simmer for 2 to 3 hrs
Made these last night. After reading the comments I used the whole box of Nilla Wafers, and all of the dulce de Leche, and not quite all of the sweetened condensed milk so that the mixture was the right consistence. I was not really able to scoop the mixture as it was quite sticky so I just rolled it into balls. The truffles came out fine and look just like the photo.
Quick question: I want to take these in for a work party, but they won’t be stored in a fridge. Do you think they will be too soft left at room temp? I saw they should be stored in the fridge, but wasn’t sure if they would be okay left out too. Thanks!
I’ve left them out for a party and they were totally fine. I usually store mine in the freezer, and that way the stay chilled longer at room temperature!
I have made these twice now and what a hit! People are ga ga over them. Recipe was easy and turned out perfectly. I suggest these for any occasion and people will think you are a superstar! Thanks so much!