Also known as…
Samoas Fudge Babies!
No, not the spicy Indian potato thing. That’s a samosa. This is a samoa. You don’t want to get the two confused!
Awhile back, I posted a recipe for Raw Thin-Mint Brownies.
In that post, I vowed to someday try making raw samoas, my favorite girl-scout cookies as a child.
Gosh, my children are pretty.
Certainly prettier than those poor Thin Mint Brownies!
Samoas Babies
- Packed 1/2 cup dates (90g)
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut (30g)
- 1/16 tsp pure vanilla extract
- scant 1/8 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp chocolate chips or bar (14-28g)
Put all the ingredients together in your food processor, and blend. (I like to make 1/2 a batch and use the Magic Bullet short cup.) You can reserve a few of the chocolate chips to add, post-blending, if you so desire. See below for nutrition information.
Nutrition Facts for Samoas Babies:
Serving Size: 45 grams (the size of a Larabar)
- 175 calories
- 8 g fat
- 2 g protein
- 5 g fiber
- 0 g added sugars
When I set out to create a fudge baby version of the famous Samoas girl-scout cookie, the first thing I did was look up ingredients for the real Samoas.
Do you know what I found?
It wasn’t pretty: Sugar, vegetable oil (partially-hydrogenated palm kernel and/or cottonseed oil, soybean and palm oil), enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), coconut, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk (condensed milk, sugar), cocoa, sorbitol, glycerin, invert sugar, cocoa processed with alkali,cornstarch, salt, caramelized sugar, dextrose, soy lecithin, carrageenan, leavening, natural and artificial flavor
Anyone want to count how many times some form of sugar is listed in there? (Answer: six)
Sounds more like a science experiment than a cookie. Does anyone else find it upsetting that they’re allowed to produce such cookies and feed them—in bulk—to unsuspecting young girls (not to mention the rest of the population that buys the cookies from the scouts). I just don’t understand…
Why do they have to make junk?
Healthy food can taste delicious, as I say in my About Me page.
So why don’t they make a healthier cookie for the girl scouts to sell? Unfortunately, I know the answer: cost. It’s cheaper for companies to mass-produce cookies with chemical-y ingredients and preservatives than it’d be for them to use real, natural ingredients (i.e. ingredients found in cookies that people would bake at home!). Who ends up suffering? The consumers.
Don’t get me wrong…
I’m not saying that eating a girl-scout cookie every now and then is going to hurt you. I truly believe it’s perfectly healthy for people to occasionally eat unhealthy foods (as long as they don’t stress about it afterwards). Stress over achieving a “perfect” diet seems far worse for one’s health than eating processed junk every once in a while. No, what I’m upset about is the fact that manufacturers are allowed to produce said processed junk in the first place! Yes, America is a free country. But does this mean companies have the right to add to their products whatever unhealthy (and, in some cases, dangerous) ingredients they desire? And then they aggressively target these products towards children?! Marketing and deceptive advertising strategies can fool even the most well-intentioned consumers.
Ah, but I digress. Let’s get back to the fun stuff, shall we?
These are actually nut-free!
I improved upon the recipe after the photo-shoot, which is why the babies in the photos have nuts. (Please don’t take that sentence the wrong way.) Do they taste exactly like samoas cookies? No, but that wasn’t the taste/texture I set out to achieve when making these. They’re not raw samoas, they’re raw samoas fudge babies!
So what do they taste like?
Well, imagine a Samoa-flavored Larabar.
And click for a list of all the Homemade Larabar Flavors.
Ahhh I have been waiting for these my whole life, I have everything on hand so as soon as I get out of class im headed straight to the kitchen 🙂 thanks for another lovely recipe.
That looks really awesome!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait to try these out! 😀
I couldn’t agree with you more! I also get miffed when you buy bread or something, and it lists stuff like whey protein and tons of sugars and stuff I can’t pronounce – it’s BREAD for crying out loud! We shouldn’t have to add so much cr*p :/
AHH!!! Perfect 🙂
They look amazing and I completely agree with your comments regarding unhealthy foods being pushed to those girls. I think its such a shame as so many people have no idea that you can eat healthy stuff that tastes as amazing as I’m sure these do – we need to spread the fudge baby love!
Ooh yum! I’ve never had a GS Samoa before, but I’m sure these are so much better than those cardboardy things 😀
Not related, but I also like samosas 😛
I’m so SAD! I can’t make babies anymore 🙁 My bullet DIED *cries* The VitaMix is just a bit too big, it can’t work around a tiny batch like I make … sad sad sad.
I agree on the GS Cookies points too lol, I was a GS for like 9 years, and sold the shiz-nit out of the cookies! But back then I didn’t know better… and oh we ATE the shiz-nit out of em too! *giggle* NOW? I wouldn’t want my daughter even selling them… good thing I don’t have to worry about that particular dillemna (FOR A LONG TIME, or ever…?)
I have thought about when my lil man gets older and wants Boy Scouts or whatever, and I’ll want him to participate cause that’s awesome… and then I think omg what if they do, like, beef jerky fundraisers or something? ACK! I’ll just have to find a way to DONATE a bunch of money so he doesn’t have to sell it lol
Beautiful pictures! THose look delicious! I cant believe all the ingredients, well, actually yes I can. It’s sad how what you can find in certain food products. Just yesterday I pulled out some bread crumbs and found MANY different kinds of sugar including High Fructose Corn Syrup…In bread crumbs! just crazy!
YUM.
Katie, you must go through a ton of dates. Where do you buy yours?
Thanks!
Hey Grace! I actually buy the SunMaid ones at my regular grocery store. I stock up when they’re on sale for $2.49 a package.
These look fabulous! I must admit, Samoas used to be my favorite girl scout cookie.
I also agree with you though, It is sad too that they use these little girls to market these cookies. I mean how could an innocent little girl be selling you something so harmful right?
But on a brighter note, your samoa baby photos are beautiful!
YES YES YE SLOVE! i would much prefer these to actual samoas just saying.. and i think last time when you mentioned about these I said ‘samosa’ in the comments…. is it sad that i thought it was samosa??.. my b
another BEAUTIFUL creation!!!
Yes!! How exciting–so glad you posted this recipe. And I cannot believe the ingredients in real samoas!!! Makes me sick just thinking about it (especially because I love samoas!). If only everyone could be more informed about these issues…sigh.
Amazing job, Katie!! What is that deliciousness you drizzled on top?
Chocolate Butter: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/05/20/homemade-artisana-cacao-bliss/
But that was just for the photos… really, they’re so awesome and don’t even need a topping! 🙂
Katie, you’re an angel. I love somoas, but sugar doesn’t really agree with me, but I am making these ASAP.
I completely agree with you on the marketing science project foods to kids. I’ve worked with kids for years and I know they’re much likely to eat something if it’s colorful, shaped like something else, etc. and advertisers know that too. Most of the kids I’ve taught have no concept of what real food is, and it’s so sad. They’d rather eat dinosaur-shaped fruit snacks, lucky charms, pink strawberry-flavored milk, Go-gurt and Cheetos than fruits or veggies, which are colorful and delicious on their own. 🙁
Well said! I never understand, because people would be UP IN ARMS if companies put, say, nicotine or cyanide in products. And yeah partially-hydrogenated oils and other such things aren’t as bad as poison, but essentially aren’t they just another form of less potent poison?
Oooh I want these!!!! They are so pretty and I bet they taste amazing!!!
I totally agree with you about the ingredients in the real samoas. And truth be told, I bought some not so long ago and was disappointed with the flavor. Processed food lacks real flavor! I bet these are way better! Katie, you are a genius!
Omg LOVE IT! and I love when bars are in ball form so much more! maybe i’m an odd one but they are so much more fun that way!!!! =) its like a candy! <3
Ooooh girl they look delicious. It is so sad actually, I always feel so lucky that I grew up in a house where my family almost always ate healthy and not the opposite.
im excited to try these, I have to make some treats for my brothers high school graduation this week and his girlfriend is allergic to nuts so this is perfect! thanks !
That’s not sad at all! We always used to make fun of my grandma, because it wasn’t a meal to her unless there were like 10 vegetables being served! 🙂
I’m jumping up and down with joy to see a nut-free fudge baby recipe. Yaaaaayyyy!!! (Although, Peabutter makes a good replacement in the PB cookie babies)
As for those ingredients… blech… I don’t want to put those chemicals in my body thankyouverymuch. Food manufacturers could learn a few lessons from you, Katie!
Oh man I used to LOVE somoas!!! My favorite girl scout cookie for sure. These look awesome!!!
Katie these are the prettiest yet (and quite possibly the BEST flavor)!
I love samoas! What is the recipe after adding nuts? I think I would prefer them that way. And what is the chocolate-y sauce you covered them with?
So many questions! You can see how eager I am to make these. =]
I don’t have the nut recipe off-hand, but I wrote it down somewhere… now it’s just a question of finding it! It was kinda like my peanut butter babies recipe, but with pine nuts subbed for the peanuts and then a little coconut flour added in. And the chocolate chips, obviously ;).
And the chocolate sauce in the photos is this: Chocolate Butter: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/05/20/homemade-artisana-cacao-bliss/
thank you thank you thank you for making this nut free! i have a nut allergy, and am SO excited to try my first fudge babies!
You are a GENIUS!!! These look delicious, and samoas happen to be my favorite!
I never even heard of samoas! And yeah, I totally thought you’d made chocolate samosas….and my first thought was, “If Katie’s made them then they must be good!” Ha! My boyfriend has been munching my un-sold bake sale items….last night he was like, “I dunno why these didn’t sell because they’re better than any store bought piece o’ c**p!! So yeah, they have been put to good use. He said he was gonna buy them too so it’s all good 🙂 xx
LOLOL! Well, maybe they’d be good… I mean, apparently there are a lot of people who think chocolate-covered potato chips are yummy, and so maybe… 😉
The chocolate is totally gleaming in that first pic! Those are some sexy-ass samoas. And way better than the Girl Scout version. I did learn, after the scouts here were done with cookie season, that a few of the cookies are vegan this year. I know they’re processed crap, but I plan to buy a few boxes of the vegan ones next year….just cause Girl Scouts are awesome!
Wait, what?! Some are vegan? I looked it up on the website FAQs and it said they wouldn’t make vegan cookies because it’s too small a % of the population. I’m hoping maybe they changed their minds and just haven’t updated the website?
I am actually highly against real girl scout cookies, not only because they’re fully of crummy ingredients, so I am super happy you are doing this. It’s supposed to be an organization teaching young girls to be aware of their actions and their choices and how they affect the world, and yet the cookies use palm oil, the number one source of deforestation in Southeast Asia (and when you think of how many cookies they are selling collectively with this ingredient…well). A couple of young girls boycotted them in my city recently (I’m proud to say I actually babysat one of them once–she’s friends with one of the little girls I used to babysit lol). They’re simply a point-blank representation of exactly what the hypocrisy and propaganda of the food industry is in America today (girl scouts go, “green”).
These are the REAL samoas, not those “girl scout cookies.” I think they should make young girls aware of this and try to take a stand!! Little girls could actually learn something and go green by being aware of the ingredients in the food they are selling. It’s just scandalous that they keep selling those other ones by the thousands, having no idea what the global impact is of what they are doing, and yet it’s supposed to be an organization based the exact values they are going against by selling those cookies.
Wow, what a precocious (in a good way) child! I never thought to question such things when I was younger. I just went along with what I was told. Well, to an extent… I DID become a vegetarian at age 8… but that only lasted a week! Still, I tried ;).
Yeah, she is 🙂
I never did either. Like most, I was a completely clueless kid–I just thought if my parents were doing it, it must be right.
And aw, see, even that’s pretty amazing. Being vegetarian didn’t occur to me until not a year ago, I’m sad to say. I always felt a small bit of guilt, or more like, a little angel on my left shoulder whispering, “Is this really ok??” eating meat, but I never really regarded her because everything around me told me that it was.
Thanks for replying to so many of my comments 🙂 I know you have a ton to respond to, and you are so kind and sweet for doing so! Take care 🙂
I’m making these for my mom!!!! Seriously, samosa are her FAVORITE!!! But I’ll stick to the thin mints 😉
And I agree that it is totally disgusting what they put in food. Seriously, it is DISGUSTING!!! It isn’t even real food anymore 🙁
Just stick to the natural foods and you should be fine. But seriously, It’s hard to find a packaged food that doesn’t have less than 5 ingredients. Even my whole wheat pitas have some unsightly things in them: sucralose. Oh well. People are all about convenience these days. They’ll do anything to avoid laying a finger on a wooden spoon. I wish it were the 1840’s so that we could have some actual things without all the trans fat.
i’ll take your samoas over their samoas. any day. 🙂 i agree with everything you said!
what beautiful photography!!!! I cant wait until there are inventions where you can eat whatever food you see on TV or the internet. haha I can only imagaine how COOL that would be! 😉
I should make these..my family LOVES Samoas. My bro bought a box a lil while ago, they only lasted like a day in my house!! haha
Awwww thank u! I needed that comment, because foodgawker keeps turning my photos down (including these), and it’s really butchering my self-confidence in my photography skills (or lack thereof!). So seriously, your comment meant the world to me!
CCK, I can’t believe your photos are being turned down; they look absolutely delicious! 🙂 I live in Australian and although I was in the GG as a youngster, I never quite experienced the cookie-selling to the extent you would have in the USA. Your Somoa Babies look incredibly scrumptious and I can’t wait to try them once I’m able to get my hands on the ingredients. I’ve been a vegan for nearly a decade now and it always excites me to discover new vegan-friendly recipes (especially those containing chocolate). 🙂 A big thank you to you Katie, you’re amazing and I’m glad I recently stumbled across your blog! 🙂 <3<3<3
I’m so glad you found me too! And I’ve been a vegan for… 9 years? So almost a decade, just like you! (Wow, I didn’t realize it’d been that long. That makes me feel old LOL!)
what!! well im glad to hear it. i think the photos are beautiful 😉
That first photo is stunning Katie. The recipe sounds great too! 🙂
Haha I’m glad you cleared up the whol ‘samoa’ thing, cos I did think you were talking about samosas! 😛
These look DEEEELISH!! I am so making them asap!! 😀
And I totally agree with you!! I think they especially take advantage of the fact that this stuff is marketed at kids who are much less likely to read or care about ingredients lists! But CCK can and IS changing things, one person at a time, to show everyone that healthy is the new naughty 🙂
Katie I agree with you about the girl scout cookies — nothing is wrong with having them, but it is sad that they are made in the first place! Eek all that sugar.
You know my feelings on coconut, but these look so adorable!
will definitely make some fudge babies soon! (and will hide them from my roomie, so that she won´t gobble them all up like last time ;))
I totally agree! I do NOT understand how they are allowed to put such crap in food. Also, as I am studying marketing myself, I feel so bad about how people using their knowledge the wrong way and knowingly leading people to consume extremely unhealthy products by stupid ads. I mean, come on? Would you do this to your own children/friends/family? But it is not only the industry to blame, it is also the consumers themselves, that don´t want to know what´s inside the food they are buying and just want to believe what they have been told through commercials…
These look delicious! Samoas used to be my favorite Girl Scout cookie! I used to sell cookies door-to-door in my neighborhood.
I do wish we had more cartoon characters on fruits and vegetables, while foods that everyone should eat in moderation came in plain, boring packages.
That would DEFINITELY help! I can remember wanting to buy dunkaroos just because of the kangaroo, those koala chocolates just because of the fun shapes, and even gummy fruit chews or cocoa pops because of the cartoons… it wasn’t even the flavor of these foods that I liked! 🙁
Those look incredible. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going to go home and make those today. But I am!!!
You know the Sugar free Girl Scout cookies (I don’t remember which type) use xylitol or sorbitol…or something like that to sweeten them, so on the box it says that if you eat too many cookies it’ll have a laxative affect, hehe >.>
I know that because I remember a girl in my class ate about half the box and then wanted to know how much she ate and saw that warning label after XP
LOL oh poor girl! 😕
I always get migraines from eating lots of processed food, and samoas are my all time favorite girl scout cookies <3 will def be making this when we get a food processer in a couple of weeks.
Ha ha, I love the samosas/samoas thing! when you first mentioned samoas a while ago, I had to Google to find out what they were, because all I could think of was samosas!
I really like the bit about healthy food too; I hate the standard “you’ve got to give up everything nice to be healthy” view; whenever I see dieting or healthy eating articles, they always seem to suggest such boring food, when there’s so much out there that’s amazingly healthy AND amazingly delicious – as your Fudge Babies prove 🙂
Oh NO. Do you know how many of these are going to be made and eaten in the next 2 hours at my apartment?!!?! =D
i’ve tried the samoa once before and remember it was good! so I guess I’ll be knowing what they taste like after I try these 😀 I agree with what you wrote here Katie~stressing about those things is worse. But it’s so sad that $ drives companies to make bad food just to save $.
Katie you make raw look sexy 😉
Good Lord, Katie. I just want to propose to you, that’s about all I cant say 🙂
LOL if you offer a chocolate ring, I might say yes ;).
So true! I hate how products are labeled and marketed to appear healthy too. There’s no definition for “all natural,” and “trans fat free” products can still have small amounts of trans fats in them. Most consumers are tricked by labels and don’t really know what’s in their food, and they end up buying their kids junk food! You should create your own vegan & healthy Girl Scout cookie line!
So true! I tell people that all the time. “All natural” means so little that even a Burger King burger would actually be allowed to be classified as “all natural”!
Drool. I love samoas, can’t wait to try these babies!
Ok we definitely have ESP- yesterday I was sitting in class trying to come up with something like this! Yes, that is what I do in class. Such is life. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hey, we have to keep oursevles entertained in class somehow, right? 😉
I’m making these TODAY!
Hi Katie! Do you happen to know if one could sub prunes in for the dates for these(and really, all of your fudge baby recipes)? I’m not a big fan of dates but I really want to try making them. Thanks 🙂
I’ve never made them with prunes, but I do know that a few commenters have made the regular fudge babies with prunes and liked the results. I tried figs once, but I did not like that taste at all.
These look AMAZING! I have eaten way more Samoas in my life than I’d like to admit. Now I can do so in a healthy, delicious way! And thank you so much for making them nut-free! Having a nut allergy can be pretty restricting when it comes to desserts. You’re awesome!
Aww, you are so very welcome. I have a few more nut-less fudge baby ideas I want to try!
Your babies are sooo adorable, Katie! They take after their mum, don’t they? 😉 But… no food processor and no dates means no samoa fudge babies for me. I will have to stick to the jar of crunchy peanut butter for now :/
yaaaay so glad you picked this one!yet another cck recipe to add to my to make list 🙂
Samoas are so delicious – but I would much rather eat one of these!! They look so delicious, Katie! I bet you could totally make one of your milkshake versions of this (with coconut milk, frozen banana, etc) and that would be an amazing dessert as well.
I agree with you on your point about the marketing unhealthy products- Girl Scout cookies are SO darn expensive. Couldn’t they at least use a little better ingredients (like real sugar and NON hydrogenated oil)??
Exactly! I’m not sayin they have to make ’em healthy. They are cookies, after all! But like you said, what’s wrong with real sugar?
Oh, and yes, there’s definitely a milkshake in the works ;).
FABulous!! My favorite girl scout cookies AND I can make these while our kitchen is under construction b/c they don’t require an oven. Yum. 🙂
looks delicious; will have to try sometime
YUM YUM YUM!!! I am so excited about these. Can’t wait to try it.
Girl, I feel the same way about junk food. WHY is it even made? You got the answer right, but it still frustrates me. I find that the “healthy” versions I make of the foods I loved when I was younger taste better now than they ever did before. Not only do wholesome ingredients taste better, but you know that by eating them, you’re nourishing your body. If you can nourish your body with something that tastes better than an actual samoa, why would you buy that box full of sugar and preservatives? This is why I love you…you make healthy, natural desserts that taste like the most sinful indulgences. 🙂
Katie these look wonderful! Both the recipe and the images you took 🙂 I love the choc swirls on top and the purple backdrop..so pretty. Not sure what the dealio is per your email to me. Who knows what they want, seriously!
I love “Marketing and deceptive advertising strategies can fool even the most well-intentioned consumers.” —yes! Even people who try hard and are very conscious of things can fall into their traps. Let alone ppl who aren’t as conscious..it’s open season on them!
I dunno… if they’d NEVER accepted my photos, then I’d just say, “Ok well it’s my photography.” But they used to accept like 50-70%… and then one day (March 22nd, to be exact) stopped accepting ANYthing! But my photo-taking hasn’t changed! So now I’m worried I made them angry, maybe by re-submitting my choco cake milkshake a million times (trying to alter it each time, to adhere to their comments). I’m worried it’s not my photos, but ME! 😕
YUM!!!!!! Oh my gosh Katie!!! I LOVE THESE!!!! Samoas were my favorite cookies, so now these are my favorite babies! 😀
Wow. A girlscout fudge baby??? Amazing! 🙂
oh my goodness gracious! Samoa Larabar recipe??? I think I’m in heaven…