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Girl Scout cookie fans rejoice! These delicious Caramel deLites Energy Bites have all your favorite flavors in a simple energy bite.
We all love a Girl Scout cookie, but unless you have a freezer stocked for emergencies, they’re only around a few months out of the year. While these aren’t exactly a Caramel deLites (previously known as Samoas), they’re a more wholesome version that you can feel good about giving as a snack!
These have all the elements – toasted coconut, chocolate, crunchy shortbread, and a caramel-y note from the dates. They are best kept in the freezer or fridge which helps them hold their shape and keep the chocolate from melting. But you can still pop them in a lunchbox, and they will do just fine!
here’s what you’ll need:
- Pitted Medjool Dates
- Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Flaxseed and Hemp Seeds (These add great protein and nutrition to the bites!)
- Almond Flour
- Maple Syrup
- Grain-Free Shortbread Cookies
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Coconut Oil
- Salt
Toasting the coconut makes the flavor of these bites insane! They seriously taste exactly like the cookies. Once your dates are softened and coconut is toasted, add those along with your other ingredients so your food processor and pulse to create your bite base.
In just a few steps, you’ll have these Caramel deLites Energy Bites assembled and ready to be drizzled in chocolate. Then, the hardest part — waiting for them to set for 30 minutes in the freezer! After that, you can either keep these stored in the fridge or freezer for easy snacking when the craving hits.
I hope you love these bits as much as I do!
If you love these bites, be sure to try my Thin Mint Energy Bites and Easy No-Bake Butterfinger Bites!
Caramel deLites Energy Bites
Ingredients
For the Bites:
- 6 medjool dates pitted
- 1 ½ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup smooth and creamy almond butter sub cashew butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ cup crushed grain-free shortbread cookies (I like Siete foods Mexican Shortbread Cookies)
For the Finishing:
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Flakey salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Soften the Dates:
- Add the dates to a small bowl. Pour boiling water over the dates, enough to cover them, and allow the dates to soften, about 10 minutes. Once soft, drain off the liquid and set aside.
Toast the Coconut:
- To one of the baking sheets, add the shredded coconut and spread into an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before using.
Form the Bites:
- To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, add in the softened dates, 1 cup of the toasted coconut, almond butter, vanilla, flaxseed, hemp seeds, almond flour, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse in ten second increments, scraping down the sides as needed, until the dough has formed. Add in the crushed cookies, and pulse for an additional 10 seconds until just combined. You want to have a little bit of texture still and not completely smooth. You will know that you pulsed the dough enough when you are able to press it in your palms and it holds its shape.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion out 20 scoops, rolling them into balls and placing them on the other prepared baking sheet. Roll each ball into the remaining toasted coconut, pressing it onto the surface. Repeat until all of the balls have a light coating of coconut. Transfer to the fridge and allow to set for 5 minutes while you prepare the chocolate.
Finish the Bites:
- In a medium, microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each interval, until totally melted. Remove the balls from the fridge.
- Carefully dip the bottom of each ball in chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, and place them back on the baking sheet. Then, using a small spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the balls, ensuring each has a generous coating. Top with flaky salt, if desired.
- Transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes and allow the chocolate to set.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
These are delicious! My whole family loved them. This will definitely be a “make again”.
Can you recommend a good substitute for almond flour? We have an almond allergy in our home.
You can swap in Coconut flour but you likely wont need as much (it’s more dense than almond flour) so i’d start with 1/4 cup then can always add from there to get it to a good consistency that you need to roll into balls! Hope this helps.
Love these!! A friend made them and they were so delicious so I just made them to have them here! Delicious!!!
So happy you are enjoying the recipe!
Oh my word. I will ALWAYS keep these in my fridge!! The only bummer is I have a smaller size food processor and it didn’t do great with them! Might try a blender next time?
do you have nutritional content?
Sounds delicious! But I just wanted to let you know that Samoa Girl Scout Cookies are still around! Girl Scouts USA has contacts with 2 bakeries. One makes Samoas and the other makes Caramel deLites!
Thanks for supporting Girl Scouts!
These are divine! Made as written with cashew butter.
Glad you love them as much as I do!!!
Do you have any recommendations for some swaps due to an almond allergy?
You could possibly just increase the amount of cookies used but I have not tested it that way. If anyone tries this recipe without almond flour, let us know!
Would homemade graham crackers (gluten-free/coconut sugar/Bonjon Gourmet;)) do here or any other cookie? I’ve departed from buying packaged products but can’t wait to try these! Used to lovvvvvvvvve Girl Scout cookies!!🤤😋
I bet this should work fine since it seems like it would be a similar texture!