Samoa Cheesecake (Girl Scout Cookie Inspired)

This Samoa Cheesecake is inspired by the famous Girl Scout Samoa Cookies. The cheesecake begins with a chocolate cookie crust, which is topped with a velvety smooth vanilla cheesecake. The cheesecake is topped with toasted coconut, a drizzle of chocolate, and a drizzle of homemade buttery caramel. This cheesecake is the ultimate dessert and trust me, it won’t last long!

Ahh, it is that time of year when Girl Scout cookies are seen all over. And, if you are like me, you love Girl Scout Cookies! This Samoa Cheesecake is inspired by, of course, the Samoa Girl Scout Cookies, also called Caramel DeLites. I’m telling you, this may actually be my favorite cheesecake I’ve made. I mean, I love my blueberry crumble cheesecake, too. But this one. It’s really good.

Come springtime, you tend to see a lot more coconut baked goods, thanks to it’s light texture and sweet, tropical notes. This Samoa Cheesecake would make a great springtime dessert, Easter dessert, or addition to your mother’s day brunch. BUT, it’s so good, I would definitely recommend just adding it to your cheesecake rotation throughout the whole year :).

Here’s what you will love about this Samoa Cheesecake

• It tastes just like the Samoa Girl Scout cookies, but in cheesecake form
• It has a few different components but it’s easy to make. The Samoa cheesecake filing is a creamy vanilla cheesecake, which is straight forward and easy to mix together. The toppings (toasted coconut, chocolate drizzle and caramel drizzle) are easy to prepare. You can use either homemade or store bought caramel.
• You can prepare the toasted coconut and caramel a few days before making the Samoa cheesecake

Here’s how to make this Samoa Cheesecake

making the crust

The crust for this Samoa Cheesecake comes together in just a couple minutes. You’ll add the chocolate Oreo cookies, filling and all (you can use either chocolate stuffed Oreo cookies, or vanilla stuffed Oreo cookies) to a food processor and process until fine crumbs remain. Add in the melted butter and blend to combine.

Pour the crust into an 8-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass to smooth the cookie crust along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake in 350F oven for 8 minutes.

make the Samoa cheesecake filling

Now, it’s time to make the creamy cheesecake filling. If you want to ensure you achieve an ultra smooth and creamy cheesecake texture, I recommend adding just the cream cheese to your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl down several times in between. Add in the sugar and sour cream and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to ensure even mixing.

Next, add in the heavy cream and vanilla. Mix just until combined.

Finally, you’ll add the eggs, one at a time and mix JUST until combined. When making cheesecake, you want to add the eggs one at a time and mix JUST until combined. At this point in making the cheesecake, you don’t want to overmix, as it can whip too much air into the cheesecake filling. Too much air can cause cracks in the surface once it bakes.

time to bake

Pour the creamy Samoa cheesecake filling over top of the cookie crust. Wrap the sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil, then place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan or a 12-inch circle cake pan. Pour hot water so that it is 2 inches up the sides of the pan, making sure that the water does not go over top of the aluminum foil covering. This hot water bath helps the cheesecake bake more evenly and helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

Bake in 325F oven for 50 minutes. You may be wondering how to tell when the cheesecake is done. The center should still be slightly jiggly (but should look set and not liquid-y), while the edges will be set and less jiggly.

Once the samoa cheesecake is done baking, turn oven off and crack oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool for 1 hour. Once it has cooled in the oven for 1 hour, cover the cheesecake lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the filling to fully set up and get that ultra creamy texture.

toast the coconut

When you are ready to serve, or even the day before you want to serve the Samoa cheesecake, toast the coconut. Preheat your oven to 350F. Once the oven is up to temperature, spread the coconut onto a sheet pan in an even layer. Toast the coconut for 4-5 minutes, stirring halfway through.

make the homemade caramel sauce

If you are running short on time, you can certainly use store-bought caramel for this Samoa cheesecake. However, if you have the time, I highly recommend making my homemade caramel sauce. It is buttery, and has all the delicious caramel-y notes that make this Samoa cheesecake oh so delicious.

You can even make the caramel sauce a few days in advance.

For this caramel sauce, there are two different ways you can make the caramel. I will explain below.

beginner caramel

To make this caramel sauce, you’ll add the granulated sugar to a small saucepan over medium low heat. If you are a beginner at making caramel, I recommend adding 2 tablespoons of water to the granulated sugar. This will produce what is called a wet caramel. The moisture from the water helps the sugar melt more evenly and helps to prevent the sugar from burning. This caramel is slightly lighter in color.

Swirl the pan, don’t stir, as the sugar melts and begins to turn a caramel color. Swirling the pan will help the sugar melt more evenly. Once the sugar has melted and the mixture is a golden caramel color, remove from the heat.

Be careful in this step as the mixture can splatter. Add in your butter and stir until melted.

Add the caramel back onto the stovetop over medium-low. While stirring, pour in the heavy cream, mixing just until mixture is combined. Stop stirring once the mixture is combined.

Allow the mixture to bubble for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Pour into a 4 ounce mason jar, or glass jar.

advanced caramel

To make this caramel sauce, you’ll add the granulated sugar to a small saucepan over medium low heat. Without the added water, this will produce what is called a dry caramel. This caramel is richer and has a deeper, darker color.

Swirl the pan, don’t stir, as the sugar melts and begins to turn a caramel color. Swirling the pan will help the sugar melt more evenly. Once the sugar has melted and the mixture is a golden caramel color, remove from the heat.

Be careful in this step as the mixture can splatter. Add in your butter and stir until melted.

Add the caramel back onto the stovetop over medium-low. While stirring, pour in the heavy cream, mixing just until mixture is combined. Stop stirring once the mixture is combined.

Allow the mixture to bubble for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Pour into a 4 ounce mason jar, or glass jar.

assemble

When ready to serve, sprinkle the toasted coconut over top of the cheesecake, then drizzle with melted chocolate and caramel.

Storage

Store leftover Samoa cheesecake wrapped in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut? I recommend using sweetened coconut for this Samoa Cheesecake recipe.
2. Can I toast the coconut a day or two in advance for this Samoa cheesecake? Yes! You certainly can. Just store the toasted coconut in an airtight container.
3. Can I make the homemade caramel sauce in advance? Absolutely! This caramel sauce tastes just as good the first day as it does a few days later. The caramel sauce does thicken after storing in the refrigerator. You can simply microwave the caramel sauce for a few seconds to get to your desired consistency.
4. How can I tell when the cheesecake is done? You should be able to see the cheesecake jiggle slightly in the middle. The edges will be set and not move, while the center should jiggle slightly. This Samoa cheesecake seemed to consistently finish baking right around 50 minutes for me.
5. What if I don’t have a nonstick springform pan? Lightly spray your springform pan with nonstick cooking spray before baking.
6. How do you get the cheesecake batter ultra smooth? It’s important that the cheesecake ingredients are room temperature, or softened. I like to beat the cream cheese by itself first, scraping the bowl down several times to make sure the cream cheese is fully beaten and softened before adding the other ingredients.

Here are a few of my favorite cheesecakes

• Lemon Cheesecake
• Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
• Banana Pudding Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Let me know what you thought!

If you make this Samoa Cheesecake, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I absolutely love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It truly makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.

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