Growing up, my sister and I always looked forward to that Saturday morning when the doorbell would ring and a little red wagon accompanied by a girl scout would deliver cookies! The fancy shortbread ones, butter cookies covered in chocolate, caramel and coconut, were always our favorite.  My mother did not allow us to eat much sugar or processed foods, (thankful for that now!) so girl scout cookies were a much anticipated yearly treat.

Three years ago this March, at the age of 20, I found myself in a hospital emergency room being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  Completely miserable and laying in a hospital bed with my sister next to me, I would never imagine that I would now be healthy, strong and well eating cookies (grain and refined sugar free of course) once again.  My journey of health is continual and daily effort, but I am thankful to now be insulin free—read more of my story here.  I am beyond thankful to everyone who has encouraged and supported me in this journey during good times and difficult times, so in celebration of health, life, and friendship here is a grain free cookie recipe covered in rich caramel and chocolate.

Cookies are meant to be shared and a treat that everyone can enjoy together! I love foods that can be easily shared or bring joy to someone’s day and these sweet little treats simply epitomize that!  For me, my journey to health will be a constant and daily lifestyle decision—but, I choose to enjoy, in moderation, the foods that I love, always remembering that foods shared in laughter, friendship and joy promotes healthy and abundant living.  I hope you share these grain free and refined sugar free girl scout cookies with your loved ones, inspiring them that healthy eating can be delicious and fun.  So make these cookies, pass them along and bring joy to someone’s life today!

“…always remembering that foods shared in laughter, friendship and joy promotes healthy and abundant living…”

To help launch my newly re-designed website, I created these treats for you! So that you can enjoy health and girl scout cookies in the comforts of your own kitchen.  My passion and mission here at Colorful Eats is “bringing nutrition to your plate and joy to your kitchen table.”  There is no better way to begin a healthy lifestyle then by eating real food in the presence of family and friends. My goal is to teach nutrition from a kitchen table perspective—“reclaiming the kitchen table to the joys of eating, friendship and fun.”  My hope is to inspire you that health begins in the kitchen and eating nourishing, real food can transform your life one delicious bite at time.  

Enjoy these cookies in fun and good health!  These homemade girl scout cookies are grain free, gluten free and refined sugar free, made with almond flour, raw honey and pure cacao butter.  Each bite brings pure delight of sweet caramel sauce made from raw honey accompanying a rich dark chocolate.  I chose to make the chocolate drizzle minimally sweet to contrast the sweet caramel.    

So bake, drizzle and bite away because these little cookies are fun, messy and finger licking good!

Homemade Grain Free Samoas (grain free, refined sugar free, paleo)

A grain free, gluten free, refined sugar free homemade girl scout cookie made healthy in the comforts of your kitchen. Butter shortbread drizzled with honey caramel and chocolate topped with toasted coconut.

makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

Shortbread Butter Cookies

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 10 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Honey Caramel

• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted nut butter (almond, pecan or cashew butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle

• 1/2 cup cacao butter, chopped
• 5 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp raw honey

1/4 cup unsweetened, toasted coconut flakes for dusting

Directions

To make shortbread cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Sift together all dry cookie ingredients. Add softened butter and vanilla.  Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in butter. Mixture will go from crumbly to a smooth ball of cookie dough as you blend. Wrap dough in parchment paper and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Place chilled dough between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll dough into a thin layer, between 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
• Use a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter to cut out round cookies.  Roll extra dough scraps into a ball, roll out again and cut remaining cookies.
• Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.  
• Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely before assembling as this will allow them to firm up.

To make caramel and chocolate drizzle

• In a small sauce pan, on low-to-medium heat, add honey.  Heat for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Small bubbles should rise from the pan but you do not want to boil or burn the honey. 
• Remove from heat and stir in nut butter and vanilla. Your caramel will still be pretty liquid and will firm up quickly as it cools.  
• In a second small sauce pan, on low heat, melt chopped cacao butter, cacao powder and honey.  Stir just until all ingredients are melted to a smooth sauce—this process takes only a few minutes. Set aside.

To assemble cookies

 

• Place all caramel frosted cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Generously drizzle chocolate over the tops and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
• Store remaining cookies in refrigerator.  Best served slightly chilled!

This & That

• These cookies require a few steps and lots of love, but the end result is absolutely worth it! 
• The butter cookies can be made the day or night before to save time.
• Caramel is easiest to work with when slightly warm, if necessary you can heat it slightly again to make it pliable.
• Chocolate drizzle is best when at room temperature as allows for a thicker sauce.
• I think these cookies are best served chilled or the next day if you happen to have any leftovers as the flavors continue to blend together beautifully!