Girl Scout season rolls around once a year but a Samoa Cheesecake recipe is timeless when it mimics the classic cookie. Baked with an Oreo base, creamy cheesecake middle, coconut and caramel covering, and drizzled with stripes of chocolate sauce on top.
Our Samoa Cheesecake recipe takes my favorite Girl Scout cookie and bakes it into a delicious dessert – it has the perfect balance of an Oreo crust, rich and creamy cheesecake filling, and finished with the classic caramel coconut covering.
It’s hard to resist a coconut caramel recipe that combines the taste of the classic Girl Scout cookies with the richness of decadent cheesecake, especially when each slice is covered with a thick layer of Samoa cookie topping and crowned with the famous cookie itself.
Don’t worry about the springform pan or cooking the cake in a water bath because I will walk you through the simple steps to create the best Girl Scout cookie cheesecake! But if this method seems scary, feel free to make this a no-bake Samoa cheesecake by revising the recipe to resemble my Toblerone cheesecake and Reese’s no-bake cheesecake.
Ingredients Notes
- OREO cookies: For the crust, be sure to use the standard OREO cookies. Do not use the Thins or the Double Stuffed, as that will alter the texture of the crust. Generic chocolate sandwich cookies can be used as a substitution for the name-branded OREO cookies.
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps in the mixture. Use full fat cream cheese rather than reduced fat or fat free cream cheese in this recipe because the filling will not set up properly.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Sour cream: Sour cream makes cheesecake creamier, tastier, and helps prevent cracks (even though they will be covered by the coconut and caramel sauce on top!). Plain greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- Heavy cream: Provides the necessary fat content to create a rich, creamy texture.
- Sweetened shredded coconut: For the classic cookie taste!
- Salted caramel sauce: I used Mrs. Richardson’s brand, but feel free to use your favorite. Make sure to choose a brand that is a thick dessert sauce. You can also use homemade caramel sauce as long as it is thick and not too loose. Otherwise, you may have to use a little less caramel sauce to achieve the thick, chewy Samoa cookie topping.
- Chocolate dessert sauce: When choosing a bottle of chocolate sauce for the garnish, try to use a brand that is thick and not too loose. A great option is Ghirardelli, which is made to top ice cream or add to fancy coffee drinks and cocktails. You do not want a chocolate sauce that is thinner and typically used to make chocolate milk.
- Caramel dessert sauce: I love Mrs. Richardson’s or Ghirardelli brand, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Whipped topping: Feel free to use Cool Whip or a Homemade Whipped Cream.
- Samoa: While Girl Scout Samoas are classic, Caramel deLites and Keebler Coconut Dream Cookies will also work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Samoa Cheesecake
- Prepare The Pan: Wrap the springform pan with heavy-duty foil, line it with parchment paper, and spray with baker’s spray.
- Create The Crust: Combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and salt until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature.
- Form Cheesecake Filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, then mix in the sour cream and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until the batter is thick and smooth. Pour into the springform pan and spread into an even layer.
- Bake In Water Bath : Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan, then onto the center rack of the oven. Pour boiling water along the sides of the springform pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour 40 – 45 minutes.
- Cool The Cake: Turn off the heat, crack the oven door open about 1 inch, and allow the cheesecake to finish cooking and cool down for 1 hour.
- Remove And Refrigerate: Remove from both the oven and water bath, unwrap the foil, and run a knife around the sides of the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to overnight to set up.
- Cook The Coconut: Cook and stir the coconut until it starts to lightly toast and become fragrant. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Cover The Cake: Stir together the toasted coconut and caramel sauce. Spread the Samoa cookie topping over the cheesecake.
- Serve: Garnish with a drizzle of caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
What is a Water Bath for Cheesecakes
A water bath, or bain marie, is a method for baking delicate desserts. It helps create a humid environment while your cheesecake cooks and adds extra insurance against cracking. The process involves surrounding the springform pan with boiling water in a larger pan. This will help the cheesecake bake more evenly and keep the cake from drying out.
While you can make a cheesecake without a water bath, you won’t get the same results.
Serving Suggestions
This Samoas cheesecake is best served chilled. You can serve your slices with a dollop of whipped topping and a Samoa cookie on top.
If you have leftover jarred caramel sauce (after the 1 cup called for in the Samoa cookie topping), you can transfer it to a food safe squeeze bottle. Then start squirting your sauce over a caramel apple eclair cake, and ice cream sundae trifle, or into a caramel apple dip.
How To Remove Cheesecake from the Springform Pan
To remove your cheesecake from the springform pan, first make sure it has been properly cooled. Then, unbuckle the springform pan and remove the circular band. If it sticks, you can run a small knife around the inside edge of the cake pan, starting at the top and working your way down.
Tips & Variations
- Create Your Crust: You can substitute crushed shortbread cookies, graham crackers, or vanilla wafer cookies for the chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Dessert Is Done: The cheesecake is done cooking when the top is lightly golden and the center is just barely set when the pan is lightly jiggled.
- Create Clean Slices: Once it is topped and garnished, you can place the cheesecake back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. This will make slicing the cheesecake a little easier and allow for cleaner cuts when slicing through the caramel and coconut layer.
- Thicken The Caramel: If your caramel sauce is too thin, you can thicken it with 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, stirred in until completely incorporated. This will help achieve the thick, chewy Samoa cookie topping.
- Use Full Fat Dairy: Be sure to use full-fat dairy products for the cheesecake layer, as they will yield the best results for the baked cheesecake texture.
- Bake As Bars: You can bake Samoa cheesecake bars in a square 9×9 baking dish instead of a round 9 inch springform pan. Check out my other cheesecake bar recipes for inspiration!
Proper Storage
- To Store: You can store this cheesecake in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and cooled cheesecake for up to 2 months tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. You do not want to add the Samoa cookie topping until you have thawed the cheesecake and are ready to serve.
More Delicious Desserts
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Samoa Cheesecake
Serves — 8
Samoa Cheesecake takes the caramel and coconut out of the classic Girl Scout cookie and bakes them into a rich and creamy cheesecake dessert. Delicious!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Rest and Chill Time 9 hours
Total Time 11 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust Layer
- 2½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs from 26 original OREO cookies, finely ground
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Layer
- 32 ounces (4 8-ounce) blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4-6 cups boiling water for the water bath to bake the cheesecake
Samoa Cookie Topping
- 2¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce Mrs. Richardson’s brand, plus more to use as garnish
Garnish
- Chocolate dessert sauce in a squeeze bottle, Ghirardelli brand
- Caramel dessert sauce in a squeeze bottle, Mrs. Richardson’s or Ghirardelli brand
- Whipped topping
- Samoa or Coconut Dream Cookies
Instructions
Chocolate Crust Layer
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with baker’s spray and line with a parchment paper round. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. This will help to keep any moisture from the water bath from seeping into the springform pan while baking the samoa cheesecake. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl add the finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs, unsalted butter and salt. Stir to combine. The mixture should look like wet sand.2½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon salt
- Press the chocolate cookie crust mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared springform pan to form a crust.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, on the center rack of the oven, then remove from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature while preparing the cheesecake batter.
- Turn the temperature to the oven down to 325°F.
Cheesecake Layer
- To a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and no lumps of cream cheese remain.32 ounces (4 8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- To the cream cheese, add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until all the eggs have been fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure that the batter is being evenly mixed with each addition.1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- Add the sour cream and heavy cream to the bowl and mix, on low speed for 1-2 minutes or until the cheesecake batter is thick and smooth.½ cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan and spread into an even layer.
- Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan, then onto the center rack of the oven. Very carefully pour enough boiling water (4-6 cups) to come up about 1 inch on the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour 40 – 45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the center is just barely set when the pan is lightly jiggled.4-6 cups boiling water
- Turn off the heat to the oven, crack the oven door open about 1 inch and allow the samoa cheesecake to finish cooking, and start to cool down slowly, for 1 hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and the water bath, and remove the foil wrap from the outside of the springform pan. Carefully run a knife with a thin blade around the sides of the cheesecake. Place the cheesecake into the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. An overnight chill will ensure your cheesecake is fully set up and chilled.
- Once fully chilled, and set up, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and remove the side ring of the springform pan. Carefully place the cheesecake onto a serving plate while preparing the samoa cookie topping.
Samoa Cookie Topping
- To a large dry skillet, over medium heat, add the sweetened shredded coconut. Cook and stir the shredded coconut for 4-6 minutes or until it starts to lightly toast and become fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.2¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Add the lightly toasted coconut to a large mixing bowl with the salted caramel sauce and stir until evenly combined. The mixture should be thick.1 cup salted caramel sauce
- Using a large spoon, or cookie scoop, add dollops of the samoa cookie topping evenly over the top of the chilled cheesecake and gently spread to an even layer. An offset spatula works great for gently spreading this thick caramel and coconut topping.
- Garnish the top of the samoa cheesecake with a drizzle of additional caramel sauce and chocolate sauce to resemble the look of a samoa cookie.Chocolate dessert sauce, Caramel dessert sauce, Whipped topping, Samoa or Coconut Dream Cookies
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: You can store this cheesecake in the refrigerator, in a covered container, for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked and cooled cheesecake for up to 2 months tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. You do not want to add the Samoa cookie topping until you have thawed the cheesecake and are ready to serve.
- You can substitute crushed shortbread cookies, graham crackers, or vanilla wafer cookies for the chocolate sandwich cookies.
- The cheesecake is done cooking when the top is lightly golden and the center is just barely set when the pan is lightly jiggled.
- You can place the cheesecake back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill once it is topped and garnished. This will make slicing the cheesecake a little easier and allow for cleaner cuts when slicing through the caramel and coconut layer.
- If your caramel sauce is too thin, you can thicken it with 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, stirred in until completely incorporated. This will help achieve the thick, chewy Samoa cookie topping.
- Be sure to use full fat dairy products for the cheesecake layer as they will yield the best results for the baked cheesecake texture.
- You can bake Samoa cheesecake bars in a square 9×9 baking dish instead of a round 9 inch springform pan.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 771kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1259mg | Potassium: 506mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 457mg | Iron: 2mg
